Quincy Mine
Quincy Mine (“Old Reliable”) was the most successful 1840-era mine and continues to draw visitors to its historic works in Hancock, Michigan.
Copper Queen Mine
Bisbee, Arizona is built along the side of the Mule Mountains. Houses cover the slope from the valley floor nearly to the peak. The roads through Bisbee are narrow, steep, and aging. Many of the highest houses are only accessible by stairs. This was a town established not out of convenience, but out of opportunity. In…
Crystal Gold Mine 1881
The Crystal Gold Mine is one of the first hard rock mines in Silver Valley, Idaho. It is a remarkably preserved example of mining in the 1880s. The original ore cart, tracks, tools. and many gold laden quartz veins remain in place thanks to the mine’s surprising history.
Tombstone
Some people get so excited about visiting the site of the original shootout at the OK Corral that they forget what it was silver that drew so many wild and adventurous characters to Tombstone. Yet, the silver mines of this town were, in their own right, the stuff of legend. The town itself is named…
University of El Paso Mine
Yards from the University of El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium is an often overlooked piece of history: The Practice Mine. As the name would suggest, the Practice Mine was a practical learning tool for students back in the 1919. At that time, University of El Paso was the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy….
Asarco Mineral Discovery Center
Most active mining sites are tightly restricted from the public. Fear of claim jumping or accident keeping an operation weary of visitors. Yet, the Asarco Mineral Discovery Center not only houses educational displays on modern copper mining, but is the departure point for regular guided tours of the open pit mine and mill. The discovery…
Sterling Hill Mining Museum
In our travels, few museums are as widely known as the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey. The florescent rocks sourced from this region are a favorite of collectors for their brilliant colors and found in collections around the world. The museum itself is a compound of structures and outdoor exhibits spanning mining equipment, regional mining history, a mine tour, as well as an impressive collection of fluorescent rocks and goods.
Crater of Diamonds State Park
Southwest Arkansas is both a literal and metaphorical gem of a location. The Crater of Diamonds State Park is located on a 95-million-year-old eroded volcano were ancient magma had deposited diamonds from the earths mantel on the surface. Today, a small fee grants anyone the chance to dig up their own diamond.
Emerald Village
Emerald Village is a privately run collection of mining attractions in the Spruce Pine Mining District of eastern North Carolina. This mountainous section of the Appellation Mountains is unique for its variety and wealth of gems and minerals, including the precious stone that the village is named after: emeralds. Yet, for the emeralds, amethysts, sapphires,…