Soudan Underground Mine

"Descend 1/2 Mile Into the Earth And Learn About The Soudan Mine!"

When my girlfriend told me we were taking our kids 1/2 a mile underground to learn more about mining, I thought she was kidding. When I found myself in a "cage" that doubled as an elevator, shuttling 1/2 a mile underground and 689 feet below sea level, really, really fast, I realized she wasn't joking!

The Soudan Mine tour is divided into two parts: above ground and below ground. Above ground, visitors watch a short, well edited film about the area and mining. Then friendly guides escort guests to a small room where they are allowed to select the hard hat of their choice. Adults and children are welcome in the mine. After selecting a hard hat, visitors cram into a small elevator, affectionately called the "cage" and journey underground in a fast moving elevator.  As we exited the "cage" the guide reminded us to, "keep your mouth closed because bats can't tell the difference between your open mouth and the inside of this cave." I'm still not really sure if he was kidding or serious, but I can confirm that neither myself nor my chatty 8-year old spoke until we were safely back on the elevator!

Once you depart the elevator, the transportation shifts to a a vintage mining car, and visitors ride into the mine and listen to the stories of the mining days. The people of the area are very proud of the mine and many of the guides either were formerly employed in the mine, or had family members who were.

The mine is very cool--WARNING--bring your jacket. I went in the summer and suggest a jacket and sturdy shoes. The mine was left just as it was when active (excepting a few staircases and lights installed for visitor safety) so you will want to take care to dress accordingly. The mine also features a few mannequins that illustrate what the "cut and fill" mining method looked like and also the tedious nature of the work. All in all, we enjoyed ourselves quite a lot (which is saying something because we like the glamorous life quite a bit). The tour guides were passionate, and shuttling down the small cramped elevator and riding in mine cars was really, really amazing. Highly recommend!