Surface Level Tours
Tour the Captain’s Office, Shaft House, and Hoist House from the ground level on a guided tour to learn about how the site operated and its importance in the history of the copper mining industry. This is the most expansive of the tours taking the visitors to all Painesdale Mine & Shaft’s buildings to explain how each played a part in the copper mining process to extract copper from beneath the surface. Experience a site full of historical documents, photos, tools, equipment, and machinery left as it was when the miners left.
Cost: Free!
Times: Saturdays 1pm-2pm, 3pm-4pm with tours beginning on the hour.
Requirements: Closed toed shoes, curious mind.
Accessibility: There are moderately uneven surfaces in and around the Shaft House and on parts of the grounds (2-3” diameter mine rock). There is a metal staircase that leads from the upper level parking area to the lower level of the site. It is built to modern standards and has handrails on both sides. For those unable to use the stairs, there is a gravel drive that can be walked or driven on to gain access to the lower level of the site. A moderately unlevel but fine gravel (crushed mine rock) walkway leads from the lower level of the Shaft House to the Hoist House. The Captain’s Office is near the upper parking area, off the road, and has an ADA compliant ramp and entrance.
Rock House Tours
See the newly opened upper levels of the Shaft-Rock House. This is a Shaft-Rock House tour unlike any in the region. This tour focuses on the Shaft House and highlights all of the machinery that brought the rock out of the ground and performed preliminary processing on the copper rock right after it came out of the shaft. Most of the original machinery is still in place, just turned off, with rock even waiting to fall through the crushers. Follow the path that the copper rock would have taken into the heights of the Rock House, to the rock crushers, and down to the main rock bin for a view into where the ore was stored waiting for the trains. This is a Shaft-Rock House tour unlike any in the region.
Times: Saturdays Noon-1pm, 2pm-3pm with tours beginning on the hour. Subject to volunteer availability.
Cost: $10 per individual
Requirements: close toed shoes, hard hats (provided), safety glasses (provided), must be able to climb up and down 3 flights of steep steps unassisted, ability to duck under obstacles ~5’ above walking surface.
Accessibility: There are moderately uneven surfaces in and around the Shaft House and on parts of the grounds (2-3” diameter mine rock). The tour proceeds up a straight 1.5 story steep metal staircase (there are handrails both sides). Level 2 has a head height of roughly 5’-10” so some ducking may be required. There is a second set of stairs that leads to the third level (there are hand rails both sides) where there is full head height but a few structural obstructions near head height that require ducking as well as some uneven (but secure) decking. The stairway to level 4 (rock crusher floor) has the lowest obstruction at about 5’ above the step surface and requires ducking at a single point when climbing the steps (there is a handrail on one side). Most decking on all walkways is level with a few uneven thresholds. All decking is well secured to framing. There is an
optional ladder to climb for a view into the rock bin from below.
Captain’s Special Tours
Private tours of the upper levels and surface levels are available. This is perfect for family reunions, organizational groups, or large families.
Times: Coordinated with tour guide. Email [email protected] for information.
Cost: $50 plus $10 for any number of individuals over 5. This payment is required ahead of time to reserve a time slot with a tour guide as guides are limited.
Requirements: See the requirements for the tour you are interested in.
Accessibility: See the accessibility for the tour you are interested in.