If you’ve spent any time in Minnesota, you’re likely aware of the state’s long history of mining. Mining is so important to Minnesota, in fact, that operations are still taking place today. But there are plenty of mines that have closed since the industry’s heyday many decades ago. Some have transformed into recreation parks and beautiful natural areas. Still others, like the Sudan Iron Mine, have been turned into places where you can learn about Minnesota’s mining history firsthand. When you visit Soudan Underground Mine State Park, you’ll have a front-row seat to the history of iron mining in northern Minnesota. The highlight of the park is an underground mine cart ride! Here’s what you need to know before you go:
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Soudan Underground Mine State Park is a 300-acre state park in northern Minnesota. It is near the small town of Tower, about 225 miles north of Minneapolis, or 93 miles north of Duluth.
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The park preserves the Soudan Iron Mine, an old mine that opened in 1882. Mining lasted until 1962.
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Today, visitors can explore what remains of the old mining operations. Buildings and machinery paint a vivid picture of what it must have been like when iron mining was still happening here.
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One of the most fascinating parts of the park is the underground mine tour. It takes you 2,341 feet below the earth’s surface, to the deepest level of the mine.
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Here, on a 90-minute tour, you’ll get a close look at what it might have been like to be a miner at the Soudan Iron Mine all those years ago.
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Donning a hardhat, you’ll get a guided tour of the underground facility. The guide will point out important features and machines.
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The highlight of the tour is the underground mine cart ride! You’ll even have the chance to hop aboard an old mine cart! The mine cart ride spans about a mile of this iron mine.
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You’ll speed move through the dimly lit mine, nothing but a tunnel of rock stretched before you.
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This fascinating ride is a must-do activity in Minnesota! Not only will you have a one-of-a-kind mine cart experience, but you’ll also learn a lot about Minnesota’s long mining history.
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The underground tour is $12 for kids 5-12 and $15 for people ages 13 and up. For more information, visit the DNR website.
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Have you done the underground mine cart ride at Soudan? What are your other favorite tours in Minnesota? Let us know in the comments!
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Address: Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, 1302 McKinley Park Rd, Soudan, MN 55782, USA
