Kentucky Museum's Coal Mine Tours Slowly Becoming Popular

A museum catering to the history of the early coal mining industry has gained a lot of attention with a number of visitors growing from 8,000 to 11,000 in a year. With four floors of exhibition areas, the Kentucky Coal Mining Museum displays artifacts worth a century-year-old and mock mine show about the industry in Kentucky.

Executive Director of the museum, Kathy Olson, told Fox News that they are preparing to have re-enactors perform mining related activities happening during the 1930's at the actual mine sites. The initiative will further boost tourism at the historic spot of Kentucky.

Meanwhile, people can sightsee at the coal mine museum what the workplace of a miner looks like including the tipple, a miner's home and his daily job and other mining activities. There are more than 30 exhibits that contain artifacts, photographs, and equipment that portray various historical time periods in coal mining, starting from 1910 to the present-day.

The coal mine museum designed its floor plan to look like a typical underground coal mine. Visitors will be guided to a 30 to 45-minute tour to see how coal is formed by looking at visuals such as photos and fossil displays.

Also, guests will have a narrated video about the early coal mining days in Kentucky, specifically at Benham and its neighbor city, Lynch. Among the fascinating displays consists of mining company hospital, historic and modern mining tools, and working scale model of a tipple. Mining accidents, famous personalities, and new buildings will also be discussed.

One attraction Kentucky Coal Mining Museum is its two-ton block of coal that was specially cut for the coal mine museum. Additionally, children accompanying the tour will get to climb on a 1940 model electric locomotive used to haul miners in the pit. Country music singer and Coal Miner's Daughter, Loretta Lynn, has her museum on the third floor, depicting her life story and memorabilia.

Admission prices to the museum cost $6 for adults and free for children below three years old. Children starting from three to 12 years old will have to be paid an entrance fee of $3, while high school and college kids get to enter at $4. Seniors have a slight discount of $5 to enjoy the museum.