List of show mines


This is a list of show mines, that are currently open to the public. Focus is on underground mining activity.

Argentina

Australia

NameStateMunicipalityNotesLocationPicture
Historic Daydream MineNew South WalesBroken HillSilver, started 1882, relatively old mine for Australia
Big Opal MineNew South WalesLightning RidgeBlack Opal
Chambers of The Black HandNew South WalesLightning RidgeBlack Opal
Walk-in MineNew South WalesLightning RidgeBlack Opal
Bald Hill MineNew South WalesHill EndGold
Bobby Dazzler Sapphire MineQueenslandRubyvaleSapphire
Miners Heritage Walk In MineQueenslandRubyvaleSapphire
Wheal HughesSouth AustraliaMoontaCopper, might be closed in 2014
Umoona Opal Mine and MuseumSouth AustraliaCoober PedyOpal, major parts of the city are underground, due to the excessive summer heat
Old Timers MineSouth AustraliaCoober PedyOpal
Douggies Underground Mine ToursTasmaniaQueenstownCopper, 300 m shaft; also named: C.M.T. Underground Mine Tour
Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage CentreTasmaniaBeaconsfieldGold, formerly Grubb Shaft Gold and Heritage Museum
Central Deborah Gold MineVictoriaBendigoGold, offers adventure tours to 228 m depth
Long Tunnel Extended MineVictoriaWalhallaGold, with gold rush ghost town
State Coal MineVictoriaWonthaggiCoal

Austria

NameStateMunicipalityNotesLocationPicture
Terra MysticaKärntenBad BleibergLead
Schaubergwerk KnappenbergKärntenHüttenberg
Seegrotte HinterbrühlNiederösterreichHinterbrühlGypsum; flooded mine with underground boat tours
Schaubergwerk GrillenbergNiederösterreichPayerbachIron
Salzwelten HallstattOberösterreichHallstattSalt; mining since Bronze Age; oldest industrial complex in Europe
Salzwelten HalleinSalzburgHalleinSalt
Kupferzeche LarzenbachSalzburgHüttau, district NiedernfritzCopper, from the 13th century till 1869
Barbarastollen LeogangSalzburgLeogangMining started before the Middle Ages
Schaustollen Mühlbach am HochkönigSalzburgMühlbach am HochkönigCopper; the adit continues through the mountain to the municipality Sankt Johann im Pongau and served as emergency route for the residents, in cases the street could not be used
Schaubergwerk HochfeldSalzburgNeukirchen am GroßvenedigerCopper
Silberbergwerk RamingsteinSalzburgRamingsteinSilver, mining came to an end 1780; everything kept in its original state, without electric light
Schaubergwerk SunnpauSalzburgSankt Veit im PongauCopper; mining started before the Middle Ages
Zinkwand hiking trailSalzburg and SteiermarkWeißpriach, Rohrmoos-UntertalSilver, cobalt, zinc and others; via ferrata to a 300 m long adit, that underpasses the main chain of the alps
Salzwelten AltausseeSteiermarkAltausseeSalt
Silberbergwerk ArzbergSteiermarkArzbergSilver
ErzbergSteiermarkEisenerzIron
Magnesitbergwerk KeltenbergSteiermarkHohentauernMagnesite
Sunfixl caveSteiermarkKohlschwarzUnderground sandstone mine
Schaubergwerk OberzeiringSteiermarkOberzeiringSilver
Paradeisstollen RadmerSteiermarkRadmerCopper; medieval, mining railway
Annastollen BromriesenSteiermarkRohrmoos-Untertal, district ObertalSilver and nickel
Knappenlöcher FieberbrunnTirolFieberbrunnAdits in original state, no electric light
Schaubergwerk UlpenalpeTirolFügenIron, copper, cobalt, pyrite, quartz; could only be reached via the upper station of the cable car Spieljochbahn
Schaubergwerk KupferplatteTirolJochbergCopper
Schwazer SilberbergwerkTirolSchwazSilver; one of the largest silver mines in the Middle Ages; most important financial source for Fugger and the Habsburg dynasties
Schaubergwerk LehenlahnTirolWildschönauSilver; medieval
GoldschaubergwerkTirolZell am ZillerGold
Bergwerk in BartholomäbergVorarlbergBartholomäberg, district Worms

Belgium

NameProvinceMunicipalityNotesLocationPicture
Schieferstollen RechtWalloniaSankt VithSlate
Blegny MineWalloniaBlegnyCoal, UNESCO-World Heritage Site
Bertrix mineWalloniaBertrix, near NeufchâteauSlate; also named: Au Coeur de l'Ardoise
Les minières de silex néolithique de Spiennes à MonsWalloniaMons-SpiennesFlintstone, prehistoric, UNESCO-World Heritage Site
Carriere souterraine de GeromontWalloniaComblain-au-PontLimestone, in-ground, near stalactite cave Grotte de l'Abîme
ArdoisalleWalloniaVresse-sur-SemoisSlate
Carrières souterraines de la MalogneWalloniaCuesmesPhosphate, in limestone

Bolivia

NameDepartmentMunicipalityNoteLocationPicture
Mines in Cerro RicoPotosíPotosíSilver and zinc, for centuries largest silver mine worldwide, still active, with guided tours
Mina San JoséOruroOruroSilver, Zinc

Brazil

NameStateMunicipalityNotesLocationPicture
Mine des Chico ReiMinas GeraisOuro PretoGold, huge size; also named: Encardideirathumb
Minas da PassagemMinas GeraisMarianaGold, they claim to be the largest gold show mine worldwide, over 30 km underground galleries, underground lake
Mina Fonte Meu Bem QuererMinas GeraisOuro PretoGold
Mina VelhaMinas GeraisOuro PretoGold, started 1704

Bulgaria

NameStateMunicipalityNotesLocationPicture
Mining museums of PernikPernik ProvincePernikCoalthumb

Canada

NameProvinceMunicipalityNotesLocationPicture
Atlas Coal MineAlbertaDrumhellerKohle
Bellevue Underground MineAlbertaCrowsnest PassKohle
Bell Island's MineNewfoundland and LabradorWabana at Bell IslandIron; galleries below the sea
Simpson MineOntarioBruce MinesCopper
Cobalt Mining MuseumOntarioCobaltSilver
Mine CristalQuébecBonsecoursRock crystal
Mines CapeltonQuébecCapeltonCopper
Thetford MinesQuébecThetford MinesChrysotile