Nestled on the steep Chloride Cliffs of the Funeral Mountains is one of the most successful mines in present day Death Valley National Park. The Keane Wonder Mine operated in the early 1900s, during the Death Valley mining boom. Nearly $1 million in gold were yielded between its discovery and closing in 1912. Yet the mine remains a popular attraction in the National Park.
Pinos Altos may not be the easiest town to locate today, but in it’s day, it was a hub for ranching an mining.
In the basement of the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium in Tuscon, Arizona is the University of Arizona Mineral Museum. While the footprint of the museum may be small, it contains a core collection of over 35,000 mineral specimens and a micromount collection with over 7,000 additional specimens of crystals too small to appreciate with the naked eye. The collection spans 1,561 different species and 2,000 types of minerals.
Argo Gold Mine & Mill2350 Riverside Dr.Idaho Springs, CO 80452 HoursWednesday – Monday: 10AM – 6PMTours run top of the hour AdmissionGeneral: $23.00 Children: 5-10: $16.00 Children Under 5: Free The Argo Gold Mine & Mill is one of the most fascinating pieces of tour-able mining history in the United States. Not only does it…
Lode mining. Quartz mining. Hard rock mining. Call it what you will, the practice of extracting ore from stone is one of the most difficult, dangerous, and expensive forms of mining.
As gold deposits petered out in the Sierra foothills, prospectors who flooded California in 1849 fanned out, many coming south. Despite the harsh environment of modern day Joshua Tree Park, 300 mines were established within the park’s bounds. While most mines in Joshua Tree were poor producers, Lost Horse Mine was an exception: 10,000 ounces…
Eagle Mining Co. preserves two of the region’s few remaining gold mines open to the public. For $10, visitors enjoy a 1-hour guided tour of the conjoined Eagle and High Peak Mines.
At the southern tip of the Great Smoky Mountains is a rich copper deposit with a history of conflict and innovation to out-do that of the Malakoff Diggins. The Burra Burra Copper mine and its contemporaries are commemorated in the Ducktown Basin Museum.
In a quiet corner of the Smithsonian American History Museum, in a small case in the shipping transportation section, next to a few coins from the 1800s, is a small fleck of gold under a magnifying glass. One would have expected any gold samples to be part of the extensive gold collection held by the Smithsonian…
The Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum is the third most visited museum in the world. With a quick perusal of the highlights it is easy to understand why. The remarkable gem and mineral collection is world class including 300,000 rock and ore specimens. While we are, only naturally, impressed by the Hope Diamond, a few rooms further…
