Take a tour at the Exhibition Coal Mine on a staycation at Beckley, West Virginia
January 13th, 2010
Coal is the lumpy, black foundation upon which West Virginia rests, both physically and economically. A recent flap of mine explosions and cave-ins reminded us that West Virginia is still chock full of deadly holes where men toil to heat our homes. There really is no attraction better suited to this state than a coal mine.
Don’t let the “Exhibition” in the name of this place fool you. Beckley’s isn’t a phony, like the fake factory at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Pennsylvania. This once served as a working coal mine. It closed in 1910, the city grew up around its entrance, and the area surrounding it became a city park. In 1960 the mine was re-opened as a tourist attraction. We’ve been on plenty of underground tours, but never one where the main thrust is to tell you how to blast a bigger and deeper hole in the ground.
Into the mine.
You’re seated in mine cars and driven in what is essentially a big loop under a hillside, with plenty of stops so that your guide — an ex-coal miner — can point out displays in the murky darkness and fill your skull with mine arcana.
Beckley was a low seam coal mine. “Low seam” means a low ceiling — a fact that you need to remember when you visit. The ceiling is only an inch or two above your head in your mine car. If you stand up while the train is in motion, you will die. This is a grungy tour — full of arcane facts and with nothing really attractive to see. It’s not really geared for kids or the ladies, though our tour includes a mix of family units. You never get out of your seat, and it’s cold and damp in a coal mine, so bring a sweatshirt.
Exhibition Coal Mine
Address:
513 Ewart Ave, Beckley, WV
Directions:
I-77/64 exit 42. Hwy 16 (Valley Drive/Robert C. Byrd Drive) north into town, follow the signs. Cross Hwy 3 (Harper Rd), then a left on Paint St. into New River City Park.
Phone:
304-256-1747
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Have FUN!
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