Uncovering Pittsburgh’s Mining History at the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum
It is well known how Pittsburgh’s steel industry helped build the city, the region, and the country, but few think about the raw materials that are required to power such enormous factories.
While a variety of raw materials are needed to fuel the plants, coal was one of the most important. While coal is typically more associated with the anthracite fields of northeastern PA, there were (and still are) coal mines in western Pennsylvania.
The coal mined in southwestern PA was often turned into coke, which would then power the steel mills at places like Carrie Furnace at the Homestead Steel Works.
One of these coal mines was the Avenue Mine near Tarentum in the northeastern corner of Allegheny County .
Coal mining at this site began in 1850 and continued for more than 100 years. Finally, in the late 1960s, the mine was closed despite there being a large amount of coal still in the ground. In 1970, the newly-renamed Tour-Ed Mine as was open for tours and education about coal mining.
Today, the Tour-Ed Mine is still open for those wanting to go underground and learn more about the history of coal mining, how it was done, and how it impacted the region.
The Tour-Ed Mine is located atop a hill just off of Route 28 near where Allegheny County meets Armstrong, Butler, and Westmoreland Counties.
The above-ground portion of the museum features a cabin from the late 18th century that was moved to this spot in the 1970s and features a short, but rather old film about coal. While the cabin is neat to see given its age, the video probably isn’t worth watching unless you need to kill some time before the tour starts as most of the information is covered in the introduction given by guides.
The second building is where you buy tickets to tour the site, a gift shop, and the mine’s museum.
The museum features many great artifacts, but many lack signage making it a bit hard to decipher what the pieces are and how they fit into the context of the mine. However, there is a miniature model of the mine as it would look without the ground above it, which does offer some great perspective and helps you better understand the layout when you go underground.
The chance to go underground into a real coal mine is, not surprisingly, the highlight of any visit to the Tour-Ed Mine.
Tours start from the basement of the museum building and begin with a video that offers a bit of history on how coal is formed. While it is definitely a bit old, it does do a good job of showcasing the information.
Tours are led by old coal miners and they are able to offer a ton of fantastic information about how coal mining works and what life was like for the miners who worked here.
It’s also worth noting for those that may be leary of going inside an old coal mine, the mine is inspected daily by certified mine inspectors, and it is also regularly checked by state officials to ensure its integrity.
After grabbing hardhats (If you are over 5 feet tall, you’ll really appreciate having one), tours continue by hopping into a yellow mining vehicle that takes you deep into the mine. This vehicle sits quite low to the ground as the passageway into the mine is sometimes less than four feet tall.
If you’ve toured other coal mines in Pennsylvania, the trip in follows a flat path into the mountain like the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine Tour and the Number 9 Coal Mine in northeastern Pennsylvania.
After about half a mile, the mine car comes to a stop more than 150 feet underground in the heart of the mine.
Even with your hardhat, be careful exiting the vehicle as the ceiling is quite low here. This is a common theme throughout the mine. Fortunately, at every stop we made, I was able to either find a spot where I could stand without an issue or there was a bench I could sit on. (For reference, I’m 6’2″, so if you’re taller than me, you might have a bit of an issue. On the other hand, if you’re under six feet tall, you should be fine for the most part.)
There are a handful of stops on the walking tour of the mine, and at each stop, visitors are shown a different era of mining and how coal was removed from the ground. I thought this was an excellent way of showing mining history, and it really gave me an appreciation for how the technology changed and made the work of the miners safer and easier.
My favorite part, however, was that each stop on the tour had working pieces of machinery. These ranged from small, hand-powered tools to very large automatic mining machinery. These working pieces of equipment really brought the experience to life, especially having visited other coal mines, like the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in Scranton , that have great information, but more static displays.
All told, tours last about an hour, of which about 30 minutes is underground inside the mine. After exiting the mining vehicle at the end of the tour, guides show visitors a few more large pieces of modern mining equipment that are located next to the mine entrance. These newer pieces really complete the story of mining in western Pennsylvania.
Overall, I really found the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum to be quite interesting. While the museum could use a bit of modernization and extra signage, the time underground is well worth the cost of admission.
So, if you want to learn more about the industrial history of Pennsylvania or simply want to see what it’s like in a coal mine (It’s really different from a cavern), definitely take time to visit the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum in Allegheny County, PA .
Looking for more places to visit in the Pittsburgh area ? Check out the Depreciation Lands Museum , the Saxonburg Museum , the Todd Nature Reserve , and the Hyde Park Foot Bridge .
Tour-Ed Mine and Museum
See map below for other area attractions., great places to stay in pittsburgh.
- Renaissance Hotel - One of the city's highest-rated hotels on Trip Advisor.
- Residence Inn North Shore - The perfect hotel for sports fans
- Hampton Inn and Suites - The only downtown hotel with free parking
- Hyatt Place - Great value near great attractions
- Find more great places to stay on Vrbo!
Click the map to see more nearby things to do
More nearby places worth exploring
Hiking the Nine Mile Run Trail in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park
Stepping Back in Time with a Visit to the Saltsburg Historical Society
It’s a Wonderful Christmas in Indiana, Pennsylvania
Visiting the Weird and Wonderful at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art
Find more things to do in the pittsburgh region.
Jim Cheney is the creator of UncoveringPA.com. Based in Carlisle near Harrisburg, Jim frequently travels around Pennsylvania and has visited, written about, and photographed all 67 counties in the state. He has also traveled to more than 30 different countries around the world.
1 thought on “Uncovering Pittsburgh’s Mining History at the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum”
I found some great ideas close to our home. North of Pittsburgh. Thanks!
Leave a Comment Cancel reply
Sharing is caring.
Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!
Discover the Burgh
Take a Trip Into a Coal Mine at the Tour-Ed Mine & Museum
Published by Jeremy . Last Updated on August 14, 2020.
Disclaimer : Our site uses demographic data, email opt-ins, display advertising, and affiliate links. Please check out our Terms and Conditions . Pricing, operating hours, or menus may have changed since our initial visit and may not be reflected in subsequent updates. Please confirm these directly with any business or attraction prior to visiting.
Virtually everyone knows about Pittsburgh's steel history. You may even know that the city was a big producer of glass and iron as well. But did you know that the area was also a big coal producer too?
While coal mining was necessary for steel production, there were numerous uses for this bountiful material found in the area- and coal mining boomed for several centuries.
One mine decided to close down in the mid-1900s, despite sitting on a large deposit of coal, and converted the area into an educational museum in order to highlight the history of coal mining in the region. They became the Tour-Ed Mine & Museum, and this spot has been operating educational tours for over 50 years!
The Tour-Ed Mine Offers a Glimpse into the History of Mining
A visit to the Tour-Ed Mine & Museum can be broken up into multiple phases.
When you first arrive, you'll be able to explore a small museum on the property featuring mining artifacts, exhibits of what life was like living in a coal town, and a facade of a general store that was owned by the mine itself. The latter is by far the most fascinating exhibit, because it highlights the fact that many early miners were not paid in currency, but rather credit to be used in the village where the mine owned virtually all the stores.
This sets the stage for what you see later, as working conditions for early miners was abysmal at best.
The second part of the museum experience is the tour, which begins with a few short videos showing what life was like for early miners and the challenges they faced, including child labor problems, low pay, and numerous health issues to name a few.
Finally, you head deep into the mine to see numerous exhibits highlighting how mining was performed from the early 1800s until today. This gives a great insight into the improvements made in mining technology and safety over the years (specifically in only just the last few decades), and since the tour guides are current and former miners it really helps drive home the point quite well.
Regardless of your views of coal mining in general, the Tour-Ed Mine & Museum does a great job at highlighting the history of mining deep inside a once-active coal mine. For that reason alone, I really enjoyed the tour.
The Mine is a Tight Space, But Not Too Claustrophobic
Now, it is worth pointing out that a trip into the mine is a bit of a tight space. Your journey into the mine for the exhibits starts with a people-mover that is only a few feet tall and goes on a rather tight trip down into the mine.
When you're seeing the exhibits, the ceiling is not much taller than about 5′-9″ (my height almost perfectly), and is only just a bit wider at most points as well.
As such, those who are claustrophobic may have reason to pause. However, the entire experience felt quite safe and controlled (other than the brief moment when the guide turns off the lights to show what real working conditions were like in the 1800s).
If you are not a fan of tight spaces, I would say that this tour is not the worst thing we've ever done. In fact, I would say it is more uncomfortable for taller individuals who will have to crouch down during the roughly 30-minute tour in the mine. Thankfully, there are also places to stop and sit at the various exhibits as well, so even taller individuals should be quite fine.
Overall, the Tour-Ed Mine & Museum is a great opportunity to learn more about what mining was like over the eras, and the museum does a fantastic job showing off mining history, challenges, and advancements.
For those who want to take a deep dive into this fascinating topic, a visit to this museum is a must!
The Tour-Ed Mine & Museum is located at 3004, 748 Bull Creek Road in Tarentum, PA and is cash only.
After your visit , go grab a beer at the Leaning Cask , ice cream at Glen's Custard , or go hike at Deer Lakes Park !
Find Another Pittsburgh Attraction
Wood Street Galleries is One of Downtown’s Premier Galleries
Behind the Scenes Tour at PNC Park is a Must for Baseball Fans
Rivers of Steel’s Uniquely Pittsburgh – Historical Cruise
Find more to do north of pittsburgh.
Maxo Vanka Murals at St. Nicholas in Millvale are a Must See
Todd Nature Reserve – A Peaceful Sanctuary in Sarver, PA
Exploring the Prairie at the Jennings Environmental Education Center
2 thoughts on “take a trip into a coal mine at the tour-ed mine & museum”.
How long does the mine tour take and what does it consist of, aside of (presumably) a ride in that yellow cart you show and the 30 minutes walk under a low ceiling?
The tour inside the mine itself is about 30 minutes and you get to see the historic equipment. But they also have a museum space outside of the mine itself that you can explore at your own pace when not in the mine. Most visitors will probably be there for 60-90 minutes depending on when they go into the mine.
Leave a Comment Cancel reply
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Tour-Ed Mine and Museum
724-224-4720
Get Directions
Leave a review.
Experience what it was like to be a coal miner in the 1850s and today. Your guides are real coal miners who will treat you to an amazing, educational tour 160 feet below the earth’s surface. It’s one of the most unique family attractions in Pittsburgh!
The earliest record of mining activity at the site of Tour-Ed Mine was in 1850. Known later as the Avenue Mine, it was operated by Allegheny Steel and mined by the Leechburg Mining Company. The coal extracted during this period was used locally at the Allegheny Steel Plant in Brackenridge and also shipped by rail throughout the nation.
For more information on operating hours, visiting guidelines and admission rates please visit https://tour-edmine.com/ or call (724) 224-4720 .
Accepts Credit Cards
Fun for Kids
Good for Groups
Average rating
Rating breakdown, submit your review, similar listing.
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
1700 Hawk Mountain Rd. Kempton United States
Mack Truck Museum
2402 Lehigh Parkway South Allentown United States
National Liberty Museum
321 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia United States
PAFA Museum: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
118-128 North Broad Street Philadelphia United States
Contact Info
tour-edmine.com/
Sign up for our newsletters
Get coupons and discounts delivered to your inbox!
SPG Events and Festivals
Events, Guides & History Within 200 Miles of Pittsburgh
Tour-Ed Mine & Museum
Western Pennsylvania has a proud and rich mining tradition. Learn more about mining and its heritage at the Tour-Ed Mine by touring an actual mine with an experienced miner. The museum contains mining tools dating back to the 1850s as well as state of the art tools. Also check out the “Mine Village”, sawmill and other attractions.
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Sorry, unable to load the Maps API.
Leave a Review Cancel reply
Tour-Ed Mine in Fawn offers lessons in underground history
Go beyond the typical tour and get really down-to-earth with a trip under Fawn Township.
Dubbed the “Coalest” Pittsburgh attraction, Tour-Ed Mine and Museum in Fawn offers educational underground coal mine tours 160 feet below ground.
Dating back to the 1850s and formerly the once-active Avenue Mine, its workers provided coal for Pittsburgh’s steel industry, including Allegheny Steel and other U.S. steel companies.
Tour-Ed opened as a non-profit, offering tours in 1968.
Tours of this old coal mine are led by former coal miners, providing a first-hand glimpse into the harsh and backbreaking work that coal miners performed, originally with a simple pick, shoveling coal into a nearby donkey-powered cart.
“Back in the day, there were thousands of coal mines in Pennsylvania,” says Tour-Ed president Bob Black. “Now there are only about 50.”
Tours commence in an above-ground classroom, with guests experiencing a short tutorial, video and safety information on coal mining.
Next up is the required hairnet and hard hat and a ride in a real “man trip” coal car that transports visitors underground for a 30-minute guided tour that includes live demonstrations, authentic mining tools and coal mining methods.
Tour groups are limited to 25 or fewer on each excursion and the mine undergoes regular inspections to ensure safety.
“It validates what you did for a living all of your life,” says Black, himself a retired coal miner from Penn Hills. “The most important aspect is that we are able to share the history of mining with people visiting from all over the world.”
Tour-Ed welcomes almost 7,000 visitors annually from as far away as Iceland, Japan and Germany.
And the most asked question about the mine?
“People always want to know how dark it really gets in the coal mine,” says Black.
Five different rail guides, all retired Pennsylvania coal miners, demonstrate the darkness factor during tours — turning off the lights and temporarily immersing the tours into a quiet and complete darkness.
During the 1800’s a single wax candle mounted on a soft fabric hat was the only source of light for a miner who routinely logged 12 to 14 hours a day underground.
Tour guide Joe Berardone, 69, worked the mines more than 13 years. He describes his years in the mine as “dusty, loud and dirty” and recently instructed wide-eyed third-graders touring from St. Margaret of Scotland School in Greentree on how coal was dug by hand in the 1850s and the subsequent progression to hydraulic modern machinery today.
“The coal (Freeport) seam goes for miles and miles and miles,” Berardone says. “It’s always about 50 degrees in the mine.”
Brady Jenkins, a third-grader from St. Margaret, had never seen a coal mine before.
“I learned that it is really dark inside a mine and they used a machine that looked like something from ‘Star Wars,’ ” Jenkins says.
Tours highlight several components of coal mining conditions or happenings, such as rats in the mines (coal miners would feed them food scraps from their lunches), the practice of taking a live canary in a cage down in the mine for air/oxygen safety monitoring and the fact that the mines never had bathroom facilities.
“The canary was used until the early 20th century and the bird could detect a lack of oxygen, as they breathe faster than human beings. So, when the canary fell off of its perch, the miners would move them to fresher air,” Black says.
St. Margaret classmate Mayra Nee said she learned about how women fared during the early coal mining years.
“I really liked it because we got to go underground and into a cave where they mine. We learned that the ceiling is only 3 feet high in the cave. In the museum, we got to see how the girls lived in the 1900s and all of the things they used around the home. We learned how the mom did all of the work and the dad earned the money,” Nee says.
Learn more about the heritage of coal mining in Western Pennsylvania as you tour the Coal Miners Museum — offering thousands of historical pieces on display, a 1785 log home, a strip mine, saw mill and a replica of an 1850s coal miner’s home. Pack a picnic and plan on spending several hours exploring the 13-acre Ira Wood Park, named for the late Tour-Ed founder.
Tours have no minimum age limit (babies are allowed) and reservations are recommended for groups of 24 or more.
For Black, operating Tour-Ed keeps him tied to his memories of decades working in Western Pennsylvania mines with men he described as “family” to him. He is especially proud to share the Tour-Ed experience with students on school field trips.
“The kids love it,” Black says. “They all come in a little tentative and they don’t know what to expect, but they come out happy as a pig in a blanket after the tour.”
Joyce Hanz is a TribLive reporter covering the Alle-Kiski Valley. A native of Charleston, S.C., she graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at [email protected]
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.
Get Ad-Free >
Tour-Ed Mine and Museum Where: 748 Bull Creek Road, Fawn, off of Exit 14 on Route 28 Hours: Memorial Day-August: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday-Sunday (last tour starts at 2:30 p.m.); September- October: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Friday-Sunday (last tour starts at 2:30 p.m.); closed Tuesdays Cost: Adults $8.50; 12 and under $7.50; group rates and senior discounts available; cash only Contact: 724-224-4720, Tour-edmine.com, or find them on Facebook The bottom line: Travel into Western Pennsylvania's premier coal mine attraction. Experience first-hand what it was like to be a coal miner in the 1850s through modern times. All guides are retired coal miners and provide educational tours 160 feet below the Earth's surface. Tour-Ed Mine also features an authentic railroad caboose, an above-ground strip mine with equipment, a 1785 log home, and a coal miners museum.
TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.
News Spotlight
- What is the Process of Choosing the Right Flooring for Your Home? Family Floors LLC Partner News
- The Crafting Process: A Step-by-Step Overview FairHaven Soap Company Partner News
- Transitions Healthcare North Huntingdon Celebrates Resident's 100th Birthday! MurrysvilleStar-UGC
- TSA finds 2 handguns at Pittsburgh airport checkpoint TribLive
- Pitt, Central Catholic communities rally in support of 'role model' Damar Hamlin TribLive
- Quaker Valley area student achievements for the week of Jan. 30, 2024 TribLive
- Groundbreaking coach working to build confidence, culture with Mt. Pleasant boys | Trib HSSN TribHSSN
- Exploring the Benefits of Contrast Therapy and How to Incorporate It Into Your Wellness Routine Brainwaves Float Studio and Wellness Center Partner News
- How to Leverage the Advantages of Credit Union Lending for Personal Loans New Alliance Federal Credit Union Partner News
- Which Medical Grade Products are Best for Your Skin? Gentle Beauty Solutions Partner News
SummerSounds and Greensburg Community Development Corp. make merger official
- © Roadtrippers
- © Mapbox
- © OpenStreetMap
- Improve this map
- Pennsylvania
Tour-Ed Mine and Museum
748 Bull Creek Rd, Tarentum , Pennsylvania 15084 USA
- Independent
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Pet Friendly
- Not Wheelchair Accessible
- Public Restrooms
Private Property
This location is on private property and is presented for information purposes only.
Learn more about this business on Yelp .
“Go 1/2 mile underground”
As early as 1850s the Tour-Ed Coal Mine & Museum was supplying the country with coal that was shipped across the nation. By the 70s, the mine was officially closed as it underwent major renovations. It re-opening as the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum, and since, has taken over one million guests underground to explore the deep, dark caverns of the ancient mine. Before the tour begins, guest get a lesson regarding the ins and outs of everyday life as a coal miner during that time period. You’ll get some hands on experience with authentic 1850s mining tools on the 13-acre site before jumping into a real coal car and decending half a mile underground. You’ll even get the chance to experience what its like to be trapped in a mine with no lights. The museum is modeled after the home of a 1850s miner, complete with authentic tools, antiques, and even general store items, all of which has been around for well over 100 years. You’ll even get to explore a 1785 log house that might have been lived in by the very men who worked the mine. The Tour-Ed Coal Mine Museum is a perfect mix between a living history museum and an awesome adventure underground, which is the best of both worlds. If you’re looking for an adventurous family friendly afternoon, the Tour-Ed Coal Mine is the perfect place. -Roadtrippers Before your underground tour, you’ll learn the ins and outs about coal mining, miners and the equipment they use. Your instructor is a real coal miner who will share some mining tales and answer any questions you may have.
Reviewed by Colleen E.
I highly recommend for the Halloween season especially if you like haunted houses. They do a phenomenal job. The props, the actors, the theatrics, are all to perfection. Even if you don't think... Read more
Reviewed by Jayme B.
My cousins and I took a tour here a few weeks ago. I had no idea this attraction was basically right in our back yard! They have a museum we looked at while waiting for our tour to start. First we... Read more
Reviewed by Matthew S.
Awesome thing to do locally and learn so much from. Kids have a blast. Note to parents and all. Bundle up. Even in summer take a sweater or hoodie with you it's COLD down in them mines! Stopped... Read more
View 9 reviews on
- Sun - Sat: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Problem with this listing? Let us know .
Has RV parking changed? Let us know .
- Check Parking
- Check Pets Allowed
- Check Restrooms
- Unavailable Wifi
- Unavailable Wheelchair Accessible
- Check Credit Cards Accepted
- Check Outdoor Seating
Parking, Dining
Nearby Hotels
Click to discover a great deal!
Related Trip Guides
Pay tribute and reflect at these us monuments and memorials, the top things to do on an i-95 road trip, the top things to do on an east coast road trip, the top things to do on an i-80 road trip, keep exploring with the roadtrippers mobile apps..
Anything you plan or save automagically syncs with the apps, ready for you to hit the road!
Connect with us and hit up #roadtrippers
Tall tales, trip guides, & the world's weird & wonderful.
- Roadpass Digital
- Mobile Apps
Business Tools
- Partnerships
Get Inspired
- Road trip ideas by state
- National parks
- Famous routes
- Voices from the Road
Fresh Guides
- The ultimate guide to Mammoth Cave National Park
- The Ultimate Guide to Badlands National Park
- Route 66 Leg 2: St. Louis to Tulsa
- Route 66 Leg 1: Chicago to St. Louis
- Route 66 Leg 3: Tulsa to Amarillo
- Top 10 things to do in Ohio
- Offbeat Road Trip Guides
- Road Trip USA
- Scenic Routes America
- National Park Road Trips
- Terms and Conditions
Tour-Ed Coal Mine
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Tour-Ed Coal Mine - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- (6.76 mi) Hampton Inn & Suites Pittsburgh/Harmarville
- (1.53 mi) Camping (glamping) in a 100+ year old former church at The Clement
- (9.26 mi) The Mainstay at Saxonburg
- (4.18 mi) SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pittsburgh Mills
- (7.11 mi) Oakmont Inn
- (1.01 mi) Cakes By Debbie Sutara
- (1.18 mi) Massart's Restaurant
- (1.43 mi) Tarentum Station
- (2.63 mi) Villa Ballanca
- (7.83 mi) Oakmont Bakery
Factory Tours
Celebrating american imagination and industry.
- Resource Center
- Business Operations
- Trade Shows & Events
- Classifieds
- Advertising
- Feature Stories
- Buyers Guide
- Business Spotlights
Tour-Ed Mine in Tarentum Offers Lessons in Underground History, Pennsylvania
[Click image to enlarge]
Go beyond the typical tour and get really down-to-earth with a trip under Fawn Township.
Dubbed the “Coalest” Pittsburgh attraction, Tour-Ed Mine and Museum in Fawn offers educational underground coal mine tours 160 feet below ground.
Dating back to the 1850s and formerly the once-active Avenue Mine, its workers provided coal for Pittsburgh’s steel industry, including Allegheny Steel and other U.S. steel companies.
Tour-Ed opened as a non-profit, offering tours in 1968.
Tours of this old coal mine are led by former coal miners, providing a first-hand glimpse into the harsh and backbreaking work that coal miners performed, originally with a simple pick, shoveling coal into a nearby donkey-powered cart.
“Back in the day, there were thousands of coal mines in Pennsylvania,” says Tour-Ed President Bob Black. “Now there are only about 50.”
Tours commence in an above-ground classroom, with guests experiencing a short tutorial, video and safety information on coal mining.
Next up is the required hairnet and hard hat and a ride in a real “man trip” coal car that transports visitors underground for a 30-minute guided tour that includes live demonstrations, authentic mining tools and coal mining methods.
Tour groups are limited to 25 or fewer on each excursion and the mine undergoes regular inspections to ensure safety.
“It validates what you did for a living all of your life,” says Black , himself a retired coal miner from Penn Hills. “The most important aspect is that we are able to share the history of mining with people visiting from all over the world.”
Tour-Ed welcomes almost 7,000 visitors annually from as far away as Iceland, Japan and Germany.
And the most asked question about the mine?
“People always want to know how dark it really gets in the coal mine,” says Black.
Five different rail guides, all retired Pennsylvania coal miners, demonstrate the darkness factor during tours — turning off the lights and temporarily immersing the tours into a quiet and complete darkness.
During the 1800’s a single wax candle mounted on a soft fabric hat was the only source of light for a miner who routinely logged 12 to 14 hours a day underground.
Tour guide Joe Berardone, 69, worked the mines more than 13 years. He describes his years in the mine as “dusty, loud and dirty” and recently instructed wide-eyed third-graders touring from St. Margaret of Scotland School in Greentree on how coal was dug by hand in the 1850s and the subsequent progression to hydraulic modern machinery today.
“The coal (Freeport) seam goes for miles and miles and miles,” Berardone says . “It’s always about 50 degrees in the mine.”
Brady Jenkins, a third-grader from St. Margaret, had never seen a coal mine before.
“I learned that it is really dark inside a mine and they used a machine that looked like something from ‘Star Wars,’ ” Jenkins says.
Tours highlight several components of coal mining conditions or happenings, such as rats in the mines (coal miners would feed them food scraps from their lunches), the practice of taking a live canary in a cage down in the mine for air/oxygen safety monitoring and the fact that the mines never had bathroom facilities.
“The canary was used until the early 20th century and the bird could detect a lack of oxygen, as they breathe faster than human beings. So, when the canary fell off of its perch, the miners would move them to fresher air,” Black says.
St. Margaret classmate Mayra Nee said she learned about how women fared during the early coal mining years.
“I really liked it because we got to go underground and into a cave where they mine. We learned that the ceiling is only 3 feet high in the cave. In the museum, we got to see how the girls lived in the 1900s and all of the things they used around the home. We learned how the mom did all of the work and the dad earned the money,” Nee says.
Learn more about the heritage of coal mining in Western Pennsylvania as you tour the Coal Miners Museum — offering thousands of historical pieces on display, a 1785 log home, a strip mine, saw mill and a replica of an 1850s coal miner’s home. Pack a picnic and plan on spending several hours exploring the 13-acre Ira Wood Park, named for the late Tour-Ed founder.
Tours have no minimum age limit (babies are allowed) and reservations are recommended for groups of 24 or more.
For Black, operating Tour-Ed keeps him tied to his memories of decades working in Western Pennsylvania mines with men he described as “family” to him. He is especially proud to share the Tour-Ed experience with students on school field trips.
“The kids love it,” Black says . “They all come in a little tentative and they don’t know what to expect, but they come out happy as a pig in a blanket after the tour.”
Source: Trib Live
Be in-the-know when you’re on-the-go!
FREE eNews delivery service to your email twice-weekly. With a focus on lead-driven news, our news service will help you develop new business contacts on an on-going basis. CLICK HERE to register your email address.
- Stay Informed - Register Now!
- Take Our Survey - Win Free Advertising!
Charitable Opportunities
LMB Photography
Home | Minerals Processing | Underground Mining | Surface Mining | Oil, Gas and Shale | Resource Center | Trade Shows & Events | Careers | Classifieds Powered by and © Mining Connection LLC. © 2009-2024 Mining Connection LLC. All rights reserved
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Slovenščina
- Science & Tech
- Russian Kitchen
A ride across passages of history - Moscow Metro rolls on
Click on the map to enlarge it
Lying at a depth of 5 (Pechatniki station) to 80 metres (Park Pobedy station), the history of the last eight decades unfold before your eyes, carved out of marble and granite and built in iron and glass – revealing the tastes, ideas, dreams, hopes and disappointments of the previous generations and contemporaries. The Moscow Metro dates back to 1931, when its construction first began, although engineers Pyotr Balinsky and Evgeny Knorre submitted their first designs to the Moscow City Duma as far back as 1902. “His speeches carried a strong temptation: like a true demon, he would promise to cast Moscow down to the bottom of the sea and raise it above the clouds”, a journalist for the Russkoye Slovo newspaper commented on Balinsky’s idea. Yet the Duma, made up of rich people, did not bite the bait: after all, they all lived in the centre of the city and never rode overcrowded trams.
After five failed proposals before the Duma, the Moscow Metro finally threw open its doors on May 15, 1935, 18 years after the revolution, and carried the first passengers on its moving staircases, escalators, and the padded seats of its new wagons (unlike the wooden seats in trams). The first metro line – from Sokolniki to Dvorets Sovetov (now known as Kropotkinskaya) -- was 11 km long and had 13 stations. Now, the Moscow Metro has a track of over 300 km with 12 lines and 182 stations. The city’s development outline for 2020 envisages that, by then, another 120 km will have been added to the existing routes.
For the first 20 years of its history, the Moscow Metro was named after Lazar Kaganovich, the “iron commissar” and Stalin’s right hand man, who was in-charge of construction of the first stage of the metro (incidentally, he personally blew up the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in December 1931 as a part of the Proletarian Capital project). In 1955, however, the Metro was renamed after Vladimir Lenin. Although Russia has long since changed its political track, you can still find the images of the former leader at over 10 stations, including, for instance, busts of Lenin at Belorusskaya and Komsomolskaya stations, impressive mosaics at Baumanskaya and Kievskaya stations, a tile panel in the passage between the Borovitskaya and Biblioteka Imeni Lenina stations. By a bitter irony of fate, Lenin’s full-face and side-face images decorate the Tsaritsyno (translated as the Tsarina’s Estate) station (dubbed Lenino up until 1990) – images of the very person who ordered the shooting of the royal family. You will not, however, find any images of Stalin in Moscow’s underground. A symbol of Russia's victory, he was omnipresent in the late 1940s. After his death in 1953 and the denunciation of Stalin’s personality cult, his images were gradually withdrawn from the Moscow Metro.
“Architecture developed along the same lines, both above and below the surface. Anything that emerged above ground had a reflection underground. It is equally true that vice versa never occurred: good architecture underground but bad architecture above the ground,” says Nikolay Shumakov, chief architect of the Moscow Metro. The first metro stations, up until the mid-1950s, were conceived and built as luxurious “palaces for the people”, great architecture for a great state. Art historians insist that the richly-decorated underground was a deliberate ideological move to eulogise the young Soviet country. Stations built between 1937 and 1955 are characteristic of the first architectural period. Everything completed at this time is worthy of special attention. For instance, look at the ceiling at Mayakovskaya and Novokuznetskaya stations to see mosaic panels based on designs by artist Alexander Deineka – 24-Hour Soviet Sky and Heroic Labour of the Soviet People on the Home Front. The mosaics were assembled by famous mosaic artist Vladimir Frolov, author of the mosaic icons in St. Petersburg’s Church of the Saviour on Blood. The Ploshchad Revolutsii station was decorated with 76 bronze sculptures of workers, soldiers, farmers, students and other Soviet people. You can even find a frontier guard with a dog and rub its nose for good luck. You may also note that all the figures (except pioneers) are either sitting or bent, which engendered the sad joke – “Any Soviet man is either in jail or on his knees.”
Elements of decoration in Moscow's metro. Photos by Alexandr Ganyushin
1955 heralded the end of the good times for Russian architecture – both underground and above ground – after the Communist Party issued a decree "On elimination of extravagance in design and construction.” Dull stations, without any stucco work, mosaics, original columns or other “unjustified” elements, were built under the slogan “Kilometres at the expense of architecture”. Things were the same above the ground, where entire cities were built of commonplace five-storey apartment blocks, all looking the same, nicknamed ‘Khrushchevkas’ after the then leader, Nikita Khrushchev. To get a sense of this period’s architecture, see the few stations built in the 1960s-1980s like Tverskaya, Kitay-Gorod and Kolomenskaya. In 2002, with the reconstruction of the Vorobyovy Gory station, the development of the Moscow Metro entered a third stage, which could be defined as ‘renaissance’. The platform of the station offers a splendid view of the Moskva River, the Luzhniki Olympic Complex and the Academy of Sciences building. Architectural canons of the 1930s-1940s were once again in use in the design of underground stations. By the same token, artists once again become involved in decorating the stations. As such, the Sretensky Bulvar station boasts silhouettes of Pushkin, Gogol, and Timiryazev and Moscow sights; the Dostoevskaya station is decorated with black-and-white panels featuring the main characters from Dostoyevsky’s novels The Idiot, Demons, Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and the Maryina Roshcha station flaunts its pastoral mosaic landscapes. In 2004, Russia's first monorail transport system was launched into service – an elevated track (running 6 to 12 metres above the ground) in the northern part of Moscow, linking the All-Russian Exhibition Centre and the Timiryazevskaya metro station. The evolution of the Moscow Metro goes on. It’s still a work in progress, with ambitious plans to move the Moscow Metro even closer to passengers over the next ten years, not just by adding an extra 120 km to its total track. “We want to strip the stations of everything we can,” says Nikolai Shumakov. “We are trying to show the passengers their very framework, what the metro is made of. Cast iron and concrete are beautiful.”
Joy ride: Read Gogol, Dante or savour art
The Aquarelle Train. Source: Reuters/Vostock-Photo
With any luck, you can ride in a retro train, a moving art gallery or a library. The trains are actually a part of the general traffic (i.e., they do not run to any special schedule) and are used on certain lines. The Reading Moscow Train , an ordinary train on the face of it, features extracts from literary works for adults and children. Each wagon has its own selection, from children’s fairy tales to Gogol. Circle Line. The Poetry in Metro Train carries an exposition, updated this year, dedicated to Italian poets Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarch, Giacomo Leopardi, etc. All the poems are featured in two languages, Russian and Italian. Filevskaya Line. The Sokolniki Retro Train looks exactly like the first Moscow Metro train, both inside and out. Painted brown, it has padded seats, typical wall decorations and retro lamps. Sokolnicheskaya Line. The Aquarelle Train looks like a cabinet painted with flowers and fruit on the outside. Inside, it is an art gallery featuring art reproductions from the Vyatka Apollinary and Viktor Vasnetsov Art Museum. Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line.
Revolution Square station (built in 1938) is close to the Red Square area. There are 72 sculptures in the station, depicting the people of the Soviet Union, including soldiers, farmers, athletes, writers, industrial workers and school children.
All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
to our newsletter!
Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox
This website uses cookies. Click here to find out more.
THE BEST OF ST.PETERSBURG WITH THE BEST GUIDES Professional licenced tour guides. Individual and group tours, tailor-made itineraries.
CHEAP FLIGHTS TO LOS ANGELES Flying has never been so affordable! Now you can save up to 65% on cheap flights to Los Angeles year round.
- Preplanned tours
- Daytrips out of Moscow
- Themed tours
- Customized tours
- St. Petersburg
Moscow Metro 2019
Will it be easy to find my way in the Moscow Metro? It is a question many visitors ask themselves before hitting the streets of the Russian capital. As metro is the main means of transport in Moscow – fast, reliable and safe – having some skills in using it will help make your visit more successful and smooth. On top of this, it is the most beautiful metro in the world !
. There are over 220 stations and 15 lines in the Moscow Metro. It is open from 6 am to 1 am. Trains come very frequently: during the rush hour you won't wait for more than 90 seconds! Distances between stations are quite long – 1,5 to 2 or even 3 kilometers. Metro runs inside the city borders only. To get to the airport you will need to take an onground train - Aeroexpress.
RATES AND TICKETS
Paper ticket A fee is fixed and does not depend on how far you go. There are tickets for a number of trips: 1, 2 or 60 trips; or for a number of days: 1, 3 days or a month. Your trips are recorded on a paper ticket. Ifyou buy a ticket for several trips you can share it with your traveling partner passing it from one to the other at the turnstile.
On every station there is cashier and machines (you can switch it to English). Cards and cash are accepted. 1 trip - 55 RUB 2 trips - 110 RUB
Tickets for 60 trips and day passes are available only at the cashier's.
60 rides - 1900 RUB
1 day - 230 RUB 3 days - 438 RUB 30 days - 2170 RUB.
The cheapest way to travel is buying Troyka card . It is a plastic card you can top up for any amount at the machine or at the ticket office. With it every trip costs 38 RUB in the metro and 21 RUB in a bus. You can get the card in any ticket office. Be prepared to leave a deposit of 50 RUB. You can get it back returning the card to the cashier.
SamsungPay, ApplePay and PayPass cards.
One turnstile at every station accept PayPass and payments with phones. It has a sticker with the logos and located next to the security's cabin.
GETTING ORIENTED
At the platfrom you will see one of these signs.
It indicates the line you are at now (line 6), shows the direction train run and the final stations. Numbers below there are of those lines you can change from this line.
In trains, stations are announced in Russian and English. In newer trains there are also visual indication of there you are on the line.
To change lines look for these signs. This one shows the way to line 2.
There are also signs on the platfrom. They will help you to havigate yourself. (To the lines 3 and 5 in this case).
Admission and Contact Info
Tour-ed mine & museum. one of the most unique things to do with the family in pittsburgh, general admission*, group rate (minimum of 25)*, schools, groups and organizations, payment methods, school field trips, group and organization tours start in may 2023 make your reservations now, we are open to the general public memorial day (may 30) thru labor day (sep 5). wednesday thru sunday. tours are by reservation only. please make reservations at least 24-hours in advance to allow us time to respond. a representative will email or call to confirm. tour times are 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm. please note: 2 pm tours are reserved for groups of 15 or more., address and contact info, please complete and submit form for group requests and individual reservations..
Explore and navigate throughout the park when planning your Tour-Ed Mine & Museum adventure. Start exploring
Schools & Groups
School Field Trips & Group Tours. Looking for a “Real Coal” school field trip or group adventure? The Tour-Ed Mine facilitates large groups at discounted rates and is one of Pittsburgh's most unique science and history filled field trip. Learn More
Also Featuring
- An Authentic Pittsburgh & Shawmut Railroad Caboose - An above ground strip mine with equipment - A 1785 log home - An amazing Pittsburgh museum with thousands of authentic, historical, pieces on display - And lots more
COMMENTS
Coal mining at this site began in 1850 and continued for more than 100 years. Finally, in the late 1960s, the mine was closed despite there being a large amount of coal still in the ground. In 1970, the newly-renamed Tour-Ed Mine as was open for tours and education about coal mining. Today, the Tour-Ed Mine is still open for those wanting to go ...
The Haunted Mine. Pittsburgh's Most Unique Haunted Attraction. Screams Start Fridays & Saturdays in October. Learn More. Tour-Ed Mine & Museum is an educational and fun attraction in Pittsburgh where people of any age can take a Man Trip into a real Coal Mine and learn about the science and history of the coal mining process.
The Tour-Ed Coal Mine and Museum is open between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Admission prices are adults $9.50 and children 12 & under $9.00. Visitors ride these enclosed mine cars for a half-mile into the mine. The Tour-Ed Coal Mine and Museum is located at 748 Bull Creek Road, Tarentum, PA 15084. The Tour-Ed Coal Mine Museum resembles an late ...
The Tour-Ed Mine & Museum is located at 3004, 748 Bull Creek Road in Tarentum, PA and is cash only. After your visit, go grab a beer at the Leaning Cask, ice cream at Glen's Custard, or go hike at Deer Lakes Park! The Tour-Ed Mine & Museum in Tarentum, PA, was once an active coal mine that converted to a museum to share the history of mining to ...
Ira Wood then decided he wanted to share the history of coal mining and began plans to create one of the most unique Pittsburgh attractions. After modifying the coal mine for visitor comfort and safety, Tour-Ed Mine and Museum was officially opened as a Pittsburgh attraction in 1970. Since then, over 1-million coal mine tours have been given by ...
Tour-Ed Mine is one of the Best School Field Trips in Pittsburgh! Our field trips are really coal! We provide one of the most unique educational field trips for schools in Pittsburgh. We combine mining history and earth science with an incredible hands-on experience 1/2 mile beneath the earth's surface. The Tour-Ed Mine is a perfect fit for ...
About. Experience what it was like to be a coal miner in the 1850s and today. Your guides are real coal miners who will treat you to an amazing, educational tour 160 feet below the earth's surface. It's one of the most unique family attractions in Pittsburgh! The earliest record of mining activity at the site of Tour-Ed Mine was in 1850.
Western Pennsylvania has a proud and rich mining tradition. Learn more about mining and its heritage at the Tour-Ed Mine by touring an actual mine with an experienced miner. The museum contains mining tools dating back to the 1850s as well as state of the art tools. Also check out the "Mine Village", sawmill and other attractions.
Go beyond the typical tour and get really down-to-earth with a trip under Fawn Township. Dubbed the "Coalest" Pittsburgh attraction, Tour-Ed Mine and Museum in Fawn offers educational underground coal mine tours 160 feet below ground. Dating back to the 1850s and formerly the once-active Avenue Mine, its workers provided
Tour-Ed Mine in Pennsylvania Offers Lessons in Underground History . By Joyce Hanz. June 4, 2019 - Go beyond the typical tour and get really down-to-earth with a trip under Fawn Township in Pennsylvania.. Dubbed the "Coalest" Pittsburgh attraction, Tour-Ed Mine and Museum in Fawn offers educational underground coal mine tours 160 feet below ground.
The Tour-Ed Coal Mine Museum is a perfect mix between a living history museum and an awesome adventure underground, which is the best of both worlds. If you're looking for an adventurous family friendly afternoon, the Tour-Ed Coal Mine is the perfect place. -Roadtrippers Before your underground tour, you'll learn the ins and outs about coal ...
Hotels near Tour-Ed Coal Mine: (6.76 mi) Hampton Inn & Suites Pittsburgh/Harmarville (1.53 mi) Camping (glamping) in a 100+ year old former church at The Clement (9.26 mi) The Mainstay at Saxonburg (4.18 mi) SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pittsburgh Mills (7.11 mi) Oakmont Inn; View all hotels near Tour-Ed Coal Mine on Tripadvisor
2 Ira Wood Park. 3 Mine. 4 Museum. 5 Picnic Pavilion. 6 Mine Rescue Vehicle. 7 Stage Pavilion. 8 Saw Mill. 9 Strip Mine. 10 Railroad Caboose.
Tour-Ed Mine. 748 Bull Creek Road, Tarentum, PA 15084. Map Location Latitude: 40.609289 Longitude: -79.756504. Email Address: [email protected]. Click here to go to the company web site. Description. The Tour-Ed Mine and Museum shows authentic mining tools and methods, from the 1850's through to the most advanced mining techniques and ...
Go beyond the typical tour and get really down-to-earth with a trip under Fawn Township. Dubbed the "Coalest" Pittsburgh attraction, Tour-Ed Mine and Museum in Fawn offers educational underground coal mine tours 160 feet below ground. Dating back to the 1850s and formerly the once-active Avenue Mine, its workers provided coal for Pittsburgh's steel industry, including Allegheny Steel and ...
Tour-Ed Mine & Museum, Tarentum, Pennsylvania. 489 likes · 2 talking about this · 6 were here. Tour-Ed Mine & Museum is the "coalest" Pittsburgh attraction, where a real coal miner will take you
Milestones From 13 stations in 1935 to 182 in 2011, Metro also attracts thousands as an underground museum; plans to add another 120 km track by 2020.
The Tour-Ed Museum is a Pittsburgh attraction that has thousands of authentic, historical pieces on display for our visitors. It's not just a coal miners museum, there are many general store items, countless tools and unique antiques. In fact, our museum houses one of the most extensive and unusual collections of antiques in Pittsburgh.
The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours' itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin's regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as "a people's palace". Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics ...
History of the Moscow Metro (see Moscow metro scheme) The Moscow Metro was initially built under the 1930's Moscow general plan designed by Lazar Kaganovich and was named after him ("Metropoliten im. L.M. Kaganovicha"). The first line opened on 15 May 1935 between Sokolniki and Park Kultury. The construction of the first stations was based on ...
Will it be easy to find my way in the Moscow Metro? It is a question many visitors ask themselves before hitting the streets of the Russian capital. As metro is the main means of transport in Moscow - fast, reliable and safe - having some skills in using it will help make your visit more successful and smooth. On top of this, it is the most beautiful metro in the world!
Explore the Tour-Ed Park Map. Tour-Ed Mine & Museum sits on 13-acres with various attractions for your entertainment. The map below will help you navigate throughout the grounds when planning your Tour-Ed Mine & Museum adventure. There are park maps at the admission office for your use. Our entrance is off of Ridge Road at the Tarentum exit 14 ...
A Representative will email or call to confirm. Tour times are 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm. Please Note: 2 pm tours are reserved for groups of 15 or more. The Haunted Mine Fridays & Saturdays in October 7pm to 11pm Address and Contact Info Tour-Ed Mine & Museum 748 Bull Creek Road Tarentum, PA 15084 724-224-4720 [email protected]