Coal mining has long interested me, and I've been to a half dozen tourist coal mines across PA, WV, and KY. For the underground part, this was the best of them all. We spent about 90 minutes underground as the guide, a retired miner, explained how coal was mined across multiple generations of equipment. What was especially neat about the Tour-Ed Mine was that the equipment in their displays actually runs, and they'll turn it on so you can understand how it worked.The tour was excellent. The museum on top is smaller but informative, especially if you're new to coal mines. This is a great, fun educational site to visit in the Pittsburgh area.

If you want a great field trip and want to know about real coal mining and experience part of it, this is the place to come! This place is amazing and the people who run it are kind and knowledgeable because they were miners themselves. I was with the PA Cyber School Group visiting this educational mine and my granddaughter, Hunter learned so much in their guided tour. A shout out to Bob (our tour guide) and the rest of the staff for an outstanding experience.

June 11, 2025Very educational! Military ten dollars, Adults eleven dollars! Any that is a docent here has at one time been actual coal miners! Our docent was Joseph, he had been a coal miner for fifty years! They, coal miners, can start as early as age nineteen, so he had to be over sixty nine years of age!First they start you in the cabin area! They tell you of coal mining, there are exhibits of different items such as record players, such as food they ate in those days! Then they actually take people in the crates that coal miners actually used to every day go to the mines to do the coal mining! One part, they show the equipment used to coal mine, I ask did any become permanently deaf? Joseph says yes, most did become permanently deaf, plus permanently hunched over, arthritis of the hands and the knees! One can buy souvenirs such as post cards and tee shirts!Recommended! Nice to learn of coal mining!

What a great experience. We went to an actual mine that was in operation until 1986 and saw displays of the evolving nature of mining coal from pick axe to modern machines. The tour guide (Joe) was a retired coal miner and had many interesting stories to tell. The museum is quaint and home grown. I recommend this to anyone in the area.

This is one of the best tours I’ve ever been on. It consists of a museum, educational presentation, and an experience inside a real coal mine all provided by real miners who are retired. The facility has a museum with interesting artifacts some of which bring back many childhood memories. The presentation gave fascinating insight into the history of coal and mining. The mine tour takes you into mine via a miner’s transport vehicle where you get a real appreciation for what it was like for miners. The mine is laid out to show coal mining progress over the years with real functioning coal mining equipment! The sights, sounds, low ceilings, dimly lit conditions provided a wonderful experience for visitors. All of the folks who give the tour are friendly, welcoming and very knowledgeable. If you like history and immersion experiences, this place is a must.