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Tickets & prices STRATACA: KS Underground Salt Museum

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STRATACA: KS Underground Salt Museum

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Admission prices & discounts for tickets to STRATACA: KS Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson

The following overview lists the admission prices and various discounts and discount codes for a visit to STRATACA: KS Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson . All prices are displayed per age group or reduced rate group. You can also directly book your discounted online ticket for the STRATACA: KS Underground Salt Museum here, if available, or make a reservation to reserve a timeslot if applicable.

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Reno County Residents $17 Train Ride is not handicap accessible

Tours & tickets near STRATACA: KS Underground Salt Museum

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8 Wonders of Kansas overall

Kansas underground salt museum, hutchinson.

Address: 3504 E. Avenue G Hutchinson, KS 67501 Phone: 620.662.1425 Website: www.undergroundmuseum.org

Hutchinson seized the unique opportunity to provide a destination attraction for the citizens of Kansas, the United States, and the world to explore an exotic environ carved from salt deposits formed 280 million years ago, 650 feet below the surface.

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The only salt mine in the U.S. that you... - Strataca

• United States    
• Kansas (KS)    
• Hutchinson    
• Hutchinson - Things to Do    

I spent 4+ hours underground and it was fascinating. Salt walls all around us in what looks like... read more

Interesting self guided tour. Be prepared to walk a bit. Temperature was wonderful, no jacket... read more

The only salt mine in the U.S. that you can tour.

Went down the elevator 650' guided by excellent tour guide Francis. This mine is fascinating. 70 degrees and low humidity so stores precious documents and movie memorabilia in the section mined in the 40s. Hitler stored stolen art treasures in European salt mines (think Monuments Men). Awesome to see how they blast the mine as we went by rail and tram through miles of wide tunnels. We know the owners of Buckley Powder so had to add that picture. My husband is a driller and he loved it.

Thanks for taking time to visit. We're so glad you enjoyed your time underground! We love to share the underground world of Strataca.

Visited today with friends to a very interesting and enjoyable visit to the salt mines. The staff were very helpful and informative. A great place to visit particularly when the weather was "dreich Scottish or dreary American"

Thanks for making us part of your travel plans! We're so glad you had a good time!

The Salt Mine and Museum is a really cool attraction for a small town like Hutch. I love the tram ride that navigates through the mine. The guides are always informative and entertaining. The souvenir salt rock is not like the usual "free" souvenirs you get. You can get a good size chunk.

Thanks for making the trip underground. We love to send people home with some souvenir salt to remember the experience by!

We've been here several times with our kids because they enjoy it so much. They have old mining machinery to look at with videos of how they operate, scientific research reading and videos and very neat little gift shop. The train tours are fun and the tour guides are very informative and entertaining. We want to go back some time for the murder mystery dinners, but haven't made it yet.

We love it when people come back again and again! We're always adding new goodies. We look forward to seeing you again!

Staff is super-friendly and very knowledgeable, very helpful, too! Definitely recommend paying extra for the Safari option. Way cool, interesting. The train ride is "ok" but really can't compete with the Safari option. I'm not really even all that into going below ground, always worries me a bit but I enjoyed the experience a lot. Very educational experience.

Thanks for making a visit to Strataca. The Safari is our latest attraction and is a great way to see parts of the mine you can't see any other way. We hope to see you again soon!

Stopped here on road trip to CO. Nice tour the ticket office was very friendly and the guides did a great job with the tour/history of the mine. Great way to get out of the car and stretch our legs for awhile.

Thanks for making Strataca part of your trip! We're so glad you had a good time. We love to share the underground world with visitors.

This Ride Through An Old Salt Mine In Kansas Will Take You Back In Time

Annie is a freelance writer, content editor, and marketing whiz with a background in broadcasting and a passion for chicken nachos.

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If you are a native to Kansas (or ever took an elementary school field trip), you are probably familiar with Hutchinson’s Strataca: Kansas Underground Salt Museum . While you know the general concept of the mine and museum, did you know that you can actually take a tour of the historic, yet still-working mine? Did you also know that:

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Now that you understand more about the significance of Strataca and the Hutchinson Salt Company, let’s talk more about the fact that you can actually descend 650 feet underground to explore this dark and mysterious world.

For even more information about the museum, check out these 11 Fascinating Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Strataca In Kansas .

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Attraction:

Strataca: Underground Salt Museum

Hutchinson, Kansas

If ever there was a mine tour designed for Mr. and Mrs. Armchair American, this is it. The Kansas Underground Salt Museum doesn't even have the word "mine" in its title, and that's no accident (The mine aspect was obscured even further when the attraction later added the purposefully vague "Strataca" to its name). There are no claustrophobic squeezes here, no deadly gasses, not even any dirt. A tour here is like a drive inside a parking garage -- except that it's 67 miles long and sealed inside of a 400-foot-thick block of salt.

Our guide is Linda Schmitt, executive director of the local historical society that re-opened this mine to the public in 2007 (Its previous tours ended in 1964). "The biggest fear that people have," she told us, "is coming down here in the first place."

We understand why. The elevator ride down is a pitch-black descent, clanging, banging, and rattling inside a bare metal box that sounds as if it's being whacked with a sledgehammer. Anyone who's been silently whisked below the surface in a place like Carlsbad Caverns will get the heebie-jeebies here. Linda is sympathetic, but says that this is the best that the Museum could manage, given that it had to drill through 222 feet of rock, 128 feet of aquifer (which first had to be frozen), and another 300 feet of salt, which is so hard that you can't even drive a nail into it.

Once in the mine, however, everything is spacious, comfortable, and very quiet.

The tunnels go on for miles, and you could supposedly burrow all the way into New Mexico and never run out of salt. The Museum has developed only 100,000 square feet of this, but it's still big enough to get lost in. Fences around the underground periphery ensure that visitors can't wander off and disappear forever. "Once you get out of this museum area," Linda tells us, "it all looks alike."

The mine is one, endless room, with a floor and ceiling as flat as a Kansas prairie, broken into identical squares by columns of un-mined salt that support the roof. A map of the mine resembles the precise street grid of midtown Manhattan. There are no twisty tunnels or deadly floor shafts. You could drive a truck down here for miles and never hit anything.

Visitors get most of their tour on an electric-powered tram. The museum calls it "The Dark Ride." Our overactive brains imagined it careening around unseen pillars and down endless corridors in total darkness, ending in a squeaking stop as the guide announces that everyone had to find their own way back. Instead, it's a gentle, headlight-lit excursion that makes frequent stops at exhibits that illuminate as you approach.

One reason that the pace is so placid is that pulverized salt is sharp. "If you fall on it, it can really cut you up," Linda cautions, which is why there are no BMX bike races down here. (The museum did briefly consider staging one.)

The tour winds its way past a wall made of old dynamite cases (empty) and a sinkhole that formed when water got into the mine (The mine would melt if it ever got wet). A life-size photo of a miner next to a giant ruler shows the constricting effect of Floor Heave and Ceiling Sag. Linda tells us that "salt is very plastic" and that "it's like Play-Doh," but assures us these processes are too slow to swallow us alive.

Another exhibit is a stripped-down, post-Apocalyptic Road Warrior-type car that's typical of what the miners still drive down here. It's over 70 years old. Linda said that the salt preserved it, but at a price. "Everything that comes down here, stays down here," she said. "You can never take it back up. If you did (she snapped her finger) it would instantly corrode." Fortunately, tourists and their cameras are exposed too briefly to disintegrate when they exit.

The mine's perpetual 68 degrees and 40 percent humidity make it a great place to stash stuff once you screen out the salt. A company named Underground Vaults and Storage has been doing that here, using atmospheric scrubbers, since the 1940s, founded by ex-GIs who saw a similar operation in Nazi Germany. Visitors aren't allowed into the vaults, but you can tour a small exhibit. Linda shows us around and patiently answers our nosy questions. "We know that there are secret recipes down here," she confides, and confirms that the master prints of Gone With the Wind , The Wizard of Oz , and thousands of other Hollywood films are here as well. How about bodies? No, Linda replies, there are no bodies stored here. How about frozen people? Cryonics? "Well, I haven't heard of that," she answers. "I don't think so."

The nearest working face of the mine is several miles from the museum, and blasting is restricted until late at night. Overall, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum seems like a perfectly happy habitat, even with its Elevator of Terror. We asked Linda, with all of the missile silos in Kansas, if the town had ever considered using the mine as a municipal nuclear bomb shelter.

"Could it withstand a blast?" she answered. "Yes. But you'd have to hope that there'd be somebody up top that could let you out."

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• Tour de Salt - 5K Bike ride 650' underground in a salt mine

Strattica has resumed the Tour de Salt for 2021!

The Hutchenson Salt Company is a mine in Hutchinson Kansas, where a portion of the old mine is now open to the public as a museum. A museum encased in salt, 650 underground!

The Tour de Salt is a 5K guided bike ride through part of the museum, passing through the 1940 s section of the mine. It s fascinating! While this event is specific to the bike ride, I would strongly encourage people to arrive a day early and take a guided tour of the mine as well. Many sections of the tour ride will follow the normal dark ride and salt safari shuttle. Getting that tour ahead of the ride helped with the "where am I" and gave some great history and context to the ride.

We ll ride on the 9am tour, this is the first tour of the day. Tickets for the tour are $74.93 including fees, and it comes with a T-shirt and other odds and ends.

https :// runsignup.com /Race/Events/KS/Hutchinson/StratacaTourdeSaltBikeride

https :// www.underkansas.org /events

https :// en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Strataca

I ll be on a fat bike. Remember, you will be riding on salt, anything hard is salt, anything loose is salt. Terrain will be a mix of hardpack and loose gravel/ sand. A mountain bike will be fine, a hybrid may be ok but could be sketch, and skinny tires will likely hate this tour with a passion. There s a hose after the tour to wash the salt off the bikes.

In addition to your bike, you ll need a helmet and headlight. If your bike is wired to power a taillight, you ll want to disconnect the taillight prior to the tour. In the past they limited lights to 150 lumens, don t want to blind other riders.

The town of Hutchinson is also home to an AMAZING space museum.

https :// cosmo.org

https :// en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Cosmosphere

The Cosmosphere is an ATSC member, which means if you re a member of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, you can show your membership (with ATSC info) for free admission. The Sternberg in Hays, KS is also an ATSC member and is a great stop if it s on your route.

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Stay updated on Tour de Salt - 5K Bike ride 650' underground in a salt mine and find even more events in Hutchinson .

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Strataca: Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas

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What makes Strataca unique?

Strataca, dubbed one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas , is an underground salt museum that takes visitors 650 feet below the Earth’s surface.  A 90-second ride down a dark shaft leads to a lithic abyss that showcases everything utilized and discovered during mining, along with a few extra surprises. There are fifteen mines of this kind in the United States, but Strataca is the only one that allows admission to the public. 

Mining began in the early 1920s and continues today. The salt museum, itself, is a mere speck amongst the almost 1000 acres of excavation.  Because the mine has been in operation for so many decades, mining techniques have evolved making production more efficient and seamless.  These different mining methods are mentioned throughout the museum’s many exhibits and attractions. Most of the salt gathered and processed in this underground facility is used as road salt and mineral licks (salt licks).

The underground cavern is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so bring a jacket if that sounds chilly. The cool air coupled with the low humidity, salt absorbs moisture in the air and inhibits the growth of many types of bacteria and mold, makes for great storage.  Artifacts and documents have found homes in the nooks and crannies of the mine, including Hollywood films and costumes, old computer setups, complete newspaper clippings dated back to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, and even trash left behind from miners in the 1920s.

What should visitors expect to see and do at Strataca?

After collecting our tickets, we were directed to wait for the next tour which took less than thirty minutes to begin.  The expansive waiting area had several information boards regarding the mine and geological facts.  A documentary about the underground salt mine was playing on a screen in the sitting area.  We went on a weekday in February 2015 and the place was pretty desolate, the total number of visitors was under ten.

Orientation:  Our tiny group was ushered into a side room that had rows of seats facing a flat screen.  We watched a short clip about mine safety and features of the museum.  The tour guide asked if we had any questions and then, once again, ushered us to an adjoining room that housed a number of safety hats for our choosing.  All visitors venturing into the underground salt museum must wear one.

The Shaft: The Shaft is the gateway to the salt museum. It is a minute and a half long journey through layers upon layers of rock, approximately 1/10 of a mile below the earth’s surface.  The Shaft can fit up to 30 people at a time.  The ride itself is dark and will creak and moan on its descent. This may be a big reason why more do not flock to this site.  Descending many feet in a metal box (clanging sounds included ) may not be a top item on bucket lists. However, safety seems to be at the forefront of this facility, and we did not feel in danger at any point on the tour.

That being said, I was a bit intimidated getting into the contraption, but the guide and other visitors kept a dialogue going with questions and comments about the Shaft and mining operations.  At one point during the ride, the guide turned on her flashlight, allowing it to shine through the Shaft’s perforated window. We were awe struck observing the layers of sediment flash by as we zoomed down further.

A little snippet of us in the Shaft just before the doors are closing. (Pardon the vertical footage.)

Upon exiting the Shaft, visitors are able to take in the underground stretch of the salt mine.  I, being the less brave of our duo, actually felt more comfortable in the openness.  The space represented that of a giant hall or parking garage with shimmery walls.  The air was clean, but (naturally) had hints of salt.

A side note: All of the underground exhibits and attractions flow into one another quite smoothly.  We were broken up into groups once we reached the underground arena.  Our group of four just happened to start in the gallery portions of the museum, but the other group  began their tour with the train and tram rides.  We always had the same tour guide, as well, on each venture. This could have been due to the fact that there were so few of us present. Regardless, there was always a guide or staff assistance available in every section of the museum.

The Permian Room:  The Permian Room is the first gallery visitors will encounter. The wide, long corridor features exhibits, some interactive, regarding the Permian Period and the eventual formation of salt deposits underground, facts and uses of salt, and oddities found on the walls of the corridor formed naturally or man-made. Oddly enough, there are no fossils in the mine, a product of the evolutionary changes that it underwent.

Mining Galley:  The Mining Gallery is another segment of the salt museum.  Visitors are able to learn everything from working conditions to various equipment utilized throughout the many decades since the mine has been in operation.  The actual hardware that was used to dig and blast through the acres of underground expanse are displayed with accompanying information boards and visual/audio demonstrations/documentaries.

A fun tidbit: The salt mines that link to the Strataca museum were featured in an episode of the once popular series, “Dirty Jobs” hosted by the infamous daredevil Mike Rowe.  The entire episode is featured below.

Harry’s Habitat:   This section of the self-guided tour is devoted to the most unlikely character.  The oldest living organism was discovered within this geological wonder, a single salt dwelling bacteria named Harry. Harry is an estimated 250 million years old; try putting that many candles on a birthday cake! This little guy has undergone a number of studies in attempts to better understand the sustainability of life on this planet, and for that matter others.

Movie Memorabilia:   As mentioned earlier, the conditions within the underground salt mine are ideal for eternally preserving items that would otherwise deteriorate overtime.   The museum displays only a handful of this memorabilia.  The rest is locked away in vaults throughout the underground matrix.

Salt Mine Express:  Take a ride on the Salt Mine Express and experience corridors of the museum that are “literally” preserved in time.  This 15-minute audio tour takes visitors through areas of the once active mine excavated during the 1940s and 1950s.

The Dark Ride: This tram takes visitors into the dark reaches of what was once an active mine, but light is included to actually show said environment.  The tour, narrated by a tour guide, delves into the logistics of working in the mine, man-made and natural hazards, and how safety measures have been incorporated.

Other Attractions/Events Offered:    One attraction we did not experience was the Safari Shuttle ride/hike.  It is a more extensive tour that takes small groups further into inactive mine territory to view artifacts up close and hear many more underground tales.

Community involvement is quite evident when viewing the many year round events sponsored by Strataca.  School field trips and overnight scout campouts are just a few activities offered to the youth.  The public, at large, can sign up for the annual 5K race/walk in February or opt to attend a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.

Amenities:  There are a number of amenities offered above and below ground at Strataca for the comfort and convenience of visitors. Locker rooms allow visitors to store cumbersome packs, the bathrooms below are a site to see with the salt mine walls making up most of the room, a gift shop has a slew of geological merchandise, and if you get the munchies, snacks are sold in the museum. Not all attractions in the salt museum are handicap accessible, most notably the rides.

What are the hours of operation and admission prices?

Kansas Underground Salt Museum opens its doors to the public six days a week, excluding Mondays.  Hours of operation are 9 AM to 5 PM, Tuesday through Saturday and 1 PM to 5 PM, Sundays.  However, the final tours are taken below by 3 PM.  Age limits are observed at Strataca; all visitors 4 years or older are welcome.

General admission underground ranges depending on age and range from $7.50 to $14.00.  Discounts are offered to locals and active duty veterans.  General admission encompasses all access to the salt museum save the rides.  The price increases as rides are added.  We paid a little under $20 per person for general admission plus train and tram tours.  Not bad for such an in depth look into the underground world of salt mines!

Where is it located?

Kansas Underground Salt Museum is located on the southeast corner of Hutchinson, Kansas. If traveling on Interstate 135, exit onto the US-50, eastbound.  Travel approximately 30 miles to the  Yoder Road/Airport Road exit and head northbound.  Strataca is located on the northwest corner of South Yoder Road and East Avenue G.

Strataca is a definite “must-see” if you are ever driving through middle Kansas.  For more information on places to see and experience in and around our nation, check out our  Trail Guide page.  If you have visited some of these sites or have a suggestion on nearby sites, leave us a comment below! Happy trails!

2 thoughts on “Strataca: Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas”

Love to see this unusual place in Kansas — it is going on our ‘to see’ list. Thanks for such complete information.

Thanks for the kind words. Kansas has so much to offer!

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