Underground in Minnesota
As part of our 8 week trip, we went to the Soudan Mine north of Duluth, Minnesota. This former iron ore mine was known as the "Cadillac of Mines" for it's hard rock and safety record.
There is a lot to see above ground including the power house that contains the elevator hoist operator and the 3000' cable used to move ore from the mine depths and transport the underground miners to their work areas.
The mine closed in 1962 after 80 years of operation and reaching the 27th level at 2341 feet below the surface. The tour includes a trip on a mine train, and a great guided tour describing the work of the miners. The elevator trip takes 2 1/2 minutes to go the half mile, it's noisy, and the temperature at the bottom is 52 degrees.
A few pictures are in order...
Elevator shaft. Ore came up, and 18 people at a time could fit for the ride up or down.
Mine train...
We had a great time, and even claustrophobic Margie admitted the elevator ride wasn't as bad as she thought, and the mine is so big underground that it didn't bother her a bit. Hard hats are required and provided.
If you don't want to go underground, we think there is outstanding access to the old mine equipment with a self guided tour. It's free if you stay above ground, but we recommend going underground!
There is a lot to see above ground including the power house that contains the elevator hoist operator and the 3000' cable used to move ore from the mine depths and transport the underground miners to their work areas.
The mine closed in 1962 after 80 years of operation and reaching the 27th level at 2341 feet below the surface. The tour includes a trip on a mine train, and a great guided tour describing the work of the miners. The elevator trip takes 2 1/2 minutes to go the half mile, it's noisy, and the temperature at the bottom is 52 degrees.
A few pictures are in order...
Elevator shaft. Ore came up, and 18 people at a time could fit for the ride up or down.
Mine train...
We had a great time, and even claustrophobic Margie admitted the elevator ride wasn't as bad as she thought, and the mine is so big underground that it didn't bother her a bit. Hard hats are required and provided.
If you don't want to go underground, we think there is outstanding access to the old mine equipment with a self guided tour. It's free if you stay above ground, but we recommend going underground!
