soudan underground mine state park

This place is definitely worth a visit. The entire site is interesting and the tour of the mine is great. They warn a lot about bats before the tour but I didn't see many and the ones I did see kept to themselves. If your interested in learning about mining history in Minnesota this is a great place to go.

You can't beat this tour. For only $12 you get an elevator ride 2300 feet underground.Our tour guide was not that impressive or knowledgeable. Her information was only from a script. When asked about the mines ventilation , she just ignored the question. There are bats flying around.

Of the 70 of Minnesota's state parks I have been to this year I would rank Soudan Underground Mine State Park in my top 5 best parks. This place is truely phenomenal. Aside from the tours the park itself is a true one of a kind gem. The historical buildings you can explore for yourself and watch the videos in the buildings. The open pits are gaping maws you can peer into. The exposed rocks are a kaleidoscope of colors and jagged surfaces. The trails go down to other open mines and show different stages of the mining industry being claimed by nature and moss. The large boulders strewn about are reminders of what once happened here but also add to the fantastic views and feeling of this place. At one point on the trail I came across some exposed bedrock with intricit lines and details almost akin to an agate. I have never seen rock so cool and beautiful. This park has so much to offer and is really one of Minnesota's greatest.

Went with friends and took both tours. The Physics Tour was first with the trip down into the mine being very cool (literally)! It was given by two guides that both said they do not usually give the physics tour. It was fairly interesting but I don't know if I see the relevance of the experiments that are/were being conducted there. Also, it was very difficult to hear what the guides were saying. It wasn't until the last five minutes of the tour that a microphone was used. I spent the majority of the tour trying to get as close as I could to the speaker so I could hear. The history tour was very interesting. It was given by one of the same speakers as the physics tour but she was much easier to hear in the mines than in the lab. The information we were given was fascinating and it was great when she explained what it was like for the miners in a typical day. I would recommend asking a lot of questions because they really know a lot and it seems that if you don't ask they don't volunteer information that is really interesting. We happened to ask about how they used to move the train cars and found out they were moved by mules that were lowered into the mine and kept there for six months or so before getting a month off. They never would have mentioned it if we hadn't asked!

In this tour, you are taken 2,300 feet down in an iron ore mine which was started in the 1880's. The U of MN maintains the safety of the mine nowadays. We had a guide who wanted to answer questions and tell us the history of what we were seeing. He spoke clearly and did rush his talk. He was informative and friendly. He was also about 70. Hurrah for the older guys!

Never had opportunity to visit a large mine like this. We have done caves in past, but this was first mine. Very interesting and our guide Pete, ( who really looked the miner part) was fantastic. Now I wish we had added the tour of the underground physics experiment. This is a must for any Minnesotan, to understand the history of the arrowhead region. And importance of mining to this area.

Not too many people get the opportunity to tour an underground former iron ore mine. Take the time - it's well worth it. The mine closed in 1962 and was given to the state who turned it into a state park. The tour starts with a short informative video and then you all grab your hard hat, climb into the elevator and go down 2300-feet below land surface to the lowest level the mine worked before closing. The tour guides are very knowledgeable, explain well, and answer all your questions. For geology geeks, you get to see banded iron and greenstone (close to 2 billion years old). They turn out the lights and you can imagine what it was like to work as a miner. If you get a chance, take the tour!

We would recommend the first tour of the day at 10:00. We had a great tour guide, Jerry I believe was his name. There was not a question that he didn't have the answer to. It was very informative and so awesome! We are on a one year ride across America and this truly was a surprise and a tour we will not forget! It was worth well more than $12.

This tour was the highlight of our time in the Tower/Ely area and we highly recommend it! Traveling 2,341 underground was amazing and our tour guide was experienced and a former Taconite mine operator. It is 52 degrees Fahrenheit under the earth so I suggest you wear warm clothing. On the day we went, I had shorts and sweatshirt on and although it was cold, I handled it fine most of the time except on the train which produced wind!One note: I would suggest, that this tour would not be appropriate for young children who have a difficult time keeping still and quiet. We had a couple young ones in our group whose hats kept falling off underground and every time it happened, the noise because of the echoing was quite distracting to the group and it was difficult to hear our tour guide. We also had a child who kept shuffling her feet in the gravel underground and again, because of the echo, was hard to hear the tour guide.

We took the Physics lab tour and LOVED it! Very interesting and enlightening. If you like science you must take this tour.Well worth the drive!

They do an excellent job of explaining the mine and it's significance. The ride to the 27th level is a gas. Clatters like a roller coaster and you watch the rock whiz by through the window. You get to see the hoist mechanism in the engine room. Follow their advice, bring a jacket, it is surprisingly chilly in the mine. It is cool and you are moving.

Wonderful guided tour of underground iron mine. Starts with introductory history video at visitor center followed by ride down the shaft to a former working level; then visitors ride an electric, underground mine train to a former working area for an up-close view of the rock, the ore, and the conditions early miners experienced. Our tour was led by an experienced, local who had worked in the surface iron mines of the Messabi Range during his career. Surface structures and an old glory hole are part of the self-guided visit above ground. Limited historical display, including photos and ore specimens, in visitor center museum. It's cool underground, so wear a jacket. Hard hats are provided.

We loved this tour. Very informative and educational. Our 3, 5 and 7 year old loved it too. Make sure to use the bathroom before heading down the chute.

Wonderful trip back in time to the mining days of the 1800s. Loved the journey half a mile underground and the tour guide was wonderful.

This ranks as one of the most interesting and exciting attractions I have ever been to IN THE WORLD. This is a REAL mine - just as it was - and an experience of a lifetime. Knowing what I know now, I do not think there is another place in the world that could be like this (and if there were, would you really want to go down in a mine in China or Turkey or Russia? Really?) You can all read details on the website, so I won't repeat them here. I only went here because I was visiting a friend who lives in this remote part of the US and he arranged it. (Thanks, Jer!) Disneyland can never be the same again! You just won't have an opportunity like this anywhere else.There are two different tours, the "scientific" and the "historic" and each one is separate (requiring going up and back down again.) Both last about approximately 90 minutes.For those who are claustrophobic: yes, it is a challenge. depending on your degree of impairment. Guides are accommodating about this and will let you get on a less crowded car and stand by the door. You go into a small lift car (see photos attached) with around 8 other people including the guide (this used to hold about 18 miners!) and they close the door and you descend - noisily and in darkness, with only the a small bulb for illumination in the car - for a little over two minutes. (To be honest, this was a little "stressful" for me.) But then the door opens into a huge cavern. At that point, you could be on the 27th floor of a skyscraper or in a subway, so if you can manage that, you'll be fine. (Going back up should be no problem - hey, you're going UP and OUT, right?! How good is that?! ) The scientific tour is fascinating, and every child from middle school up should see it. For younger grammar school kids it could be a little boring and over their heads.The "historic tour" concentrates on mining operations and is like Disney's "Indiana Jones" on steroids - and them some! You descend into the same mine shaft and then take the electric trolley cars for about ¾ of a mile through the shafts, with a few twists and turns to the caverns where the miners used to work. Fun, educational and fun again. Your ride on these cars at a fairly fast clip ½ mile below the surface will spoil you forever for one of those 30 second fake Disney rides...ADA: elevators and ramps are available, and most mobility-limited visitors can probably be accommodated one way or another.) It's cold down there and a long-sleeve Polartec fleece and a baseball cap is a must for all.The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and importantly, passionate. These are local people who's parents, grandparents and maybe great-grandparents were miners, many of whom worked right here. You can feel the pride and the passion when they speak.This is a wonderful opportunity to do something (truly) unique, memorable, fun and educational. You will learn so much about science and mining history, and come away with a great appreciation for both, all while inside the real deal - no "reconstructions" or "imagine if you wills" or imitation anything. This is the real thing. Absolutely worth it.