It’s no wonder they call the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum the “The Smithsonian of the Rockies”. This place is amazing! Not only does it have minerals, gems, and crystals from all over the world but it also has a lunar exhibit with meteors. Also, it has three replicas of underground mines and caverns. As well as mining equipment and techniques and how they’ve evolved over the years. I never expected this little museum to have so much information and interactive exhibits. With so much to see and learn here, this is truly a great site to visit.
In all, there are over 25,000 square feet of informative and interactive exhibits! Including an elaborate model railroad, a gold rush room, mining equipment, and over one thousand gems and minerals from all over the world.
One of my favorite exhibits was the fluorite mineral exhibit. Because the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum placed them under a black light. So that you can actually see their fluorescent colors. Since most other museums don’t do this, you may not see this anywhere else. And quite honestly it makes the rocks look almost magical.
Another part of this museum that I enjoyed a lot was the gold rush room. With over 25 Beautiful dioramas depicting the history of the gold rush in the area.
Overall, this has been the best mining museum that I have ever visited. Even though it’s a ways from Denver, it’s definitely worth the detour!
| Sunday – Saturday | 9:oo am – 4:45 pm |
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day
$12
$10 Students/ seniors/military
Since there is so much to see, plan to spend at least two hours here.
For the closest accommodations, you will need to book your hotel in Leadville, CO. Best of all, you don’t need to look anywhere else. My link will search through all the online sites to find you the best price available! And if you purchase your vacation through my link, this site will earn a small commission on your purchase. However, rest assured that it will not cost you anything extra! In fact, the only difference is that this site will earn a commission instead of another booking site. Thank your sponsorship!
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