tarentum pa coal mine tour

Uncovering Pittsburgh’s Mining History at the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum

It is well known how Pittsburgh’s steel industry helped build the city, the region, and the country, but few think about the raw materials that are required to power such enormous factories.

While a variety of raw materials are needed to fuel the plants, coal was one of the most important. While coal is typically more associated with the anthracite fields of northeastern PA, there were (and still are) coal mines in western Pennsylvania.

The coal mined in southwestern PA was often turned into coke, which would then power the steel mills at places like Carrie Furnace at the Homestead Steel Works.

One of these coal mines was the Avenue Mine near Tarentum in the northeastern corner of Allegheny County .

Coal mining at this site began in 1850 and continued for more than 100 years. Finally, in the late 1960s, the mine was closed despite there being a large amount of coal still in the ground. In 1970, the newly-renamed Tour-Ed Mine as was open for tours and education about coal mining.

Today, the Tour-Ed Mine is still open for those wanting to go underground and learn more about the history of coal mining, how it was done, and how it impacted the region.

The Tour-Ed Mine is located atop a hill just off of Route 28 near where Allegheny County meets Armstrong, Butler, and Westmoreland Counties.

The above-ground portion of the museum features a cabin from the late 18th century that was moved to this spot in the 1970s and features a short, but rather old film about coal. While the cabin is neat to see given its age, the video probably isn’t worth watching unless you need to kill some time before the tour starts as most of the information is covered in the introduction given by guides.

The second building is where you buy tickets to tour the site, a gift shop, and the mine’s museum.

The museum features many great artifacts, but many lack signage making it a bit hard to decipher what the pieces are and how they fit into the context of the mine. However, there is a miniature model of the mine as it would look without the ground above it, which does offer some great perspective and helps you better understand the layout when you go underground.

The chance to go underground into a real coal mine is, not surprisingly, the highlight of any visit to the Tour-Ed Mine.

Tours start from the basement of the museum building and begin with a video that offers a bit of history on how coal is formed. While it is definitely a bit old, it does do a good job of showcasing the information.

Tours are led by old coal miners and they are able to offer a ton of fantastic information about how coal mining works and what life was like for the miners who worked here.

It’s also worth noting for those that may be leary of going inside an old coal mine, the mine is inspected daily by certified mine inspectors, and it is also regularly checked by state officials to ensure its integrity.

After grabbing hardhats (If you are over 5 feet tall, you’ll really appreciate having one), tours continue by hopping into a yellow mining vehicle that takes you deep into the mine. This vehicle sits quite low to the ground as the passageway into the mine is sometimes less than four feet tall.

If you’ve toured other coal mines in Pennsylvania, the trip in follows a flat path into the mountain like the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine Tour and the Number 9 Coal Mine in northeastern Pennsylvania.

After about half a mile, the mine car comes to a stop more than 150 feet underground in the heart of the mine.

Even with your hardhat, be careful exiting the vehicle as the ceiling is quite low here. This is a common theme throughout the mine. Fortunately, at every stop we made, I was able to either find a spot where I could stand without an issue or there was a bench I could sit on. (For reference, I’m 6’2″, so if you’re taller than me, you might have a bit of an issue. On the other hand, if you’re under six feet tall, you should be fine for the most part.)

There are a handful of stops on the walking tour of the mine, and at each stop, visitors are shown a different era of mining and how coal was removed from the ground. I thought this was an excellent way of showing mining history, and it really gave me an appreciation for how the technology changed and made the work of the miners safer and easier. 

My favorite part, however, was that each stop on the tour had working pieces of machinery. These ranged from small, hand-powered tools to very large automatic mining machinery. These working pieces of equipment really brought the experience to life, especially having visited other coal mines, like the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in Scranton , that have great information, but more static displays.

All told, tours last about an hour, of which about 30 minutes is underground inside the mine. After exiting the mining vehicle at the end of the tour, guides show visitors a few more large pieces of modern mining equipment that are located next to the mine entrance. These newer pieces really complete the story of mining in western Pennsylvania.

Overall, I really found the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum to be quite interesting. While the museum could use a bit of modernization and extra signage, the time underground is well worth the cost of admission.

So, if you want to learn more about the industrial history of Pennsylvania or simply want to see what it’s like in a coal mine (It’s really different from a cavern), definitely take time to visit the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum in Allegheny County, PA .

Looking for more places to visit in the Pittsburgh area ? Check out the Depreciation Lands Museum , the Saxonburg Museum , the Todd Nature Reserve , and the Hyde Park Foot Bridge .

Tour-Ed Mine and Museum

See map below for other area attractions., great places to stay in pittsburgh.

• Renaissance Hotel - One of the city's highest-rated hotels on Trip Advisor.
• Residence Inn North Shore - The perfect hotel for sports fans
• Hampton Inn and Suites - The only downtown hotel with free parking
• Hyatt Place - Great value near great attractions
• Find more great places to stay on Vrbo!

Click the map to see more nearby things to do

More nearby places worth exploring

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Visiting the Western PA Model Railroad Museum for a Holiday Open House

Visiting the Covered Bridges of Washington County, PA

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Find more things to do in the pittsburgh region.

Jim Cheney is the creator of UncoveringPA.com. Based in Carlisle near Harrisburg, Jim frequently travels around Pennsylvania and has visited, written about, and photographed all 67 counties in the state. He has also traveled to more than 30 different countries around the world.

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Tour-Ed Coal Mine - Tarentum, PA - Coal Mine Tours and Museum

Located at 748 Bull Creek Road in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, Tour-Ed Coal Mine is just 20 minutes from downtown Pittsburg. It is off of Route 28 at Exit 14. Tour-Ed Coal Mine was once a working coal mine. Mining operations began at the mine in 1850. The mine was modified for visitor safety and comfort prior to being opened to the public in 1970 as a tourist attraction.

Tour-Ed Mine provides visitors with the opportunity to see authentic mining tools and methods. Visitors learn about the mining tools and methods used throughout history, from the 1850s until today. The guides that work at the mine are all experienced miners, and they give live demonstrations of mining equipment in order for visitors to get an idea of what it would have been like to work in a coal mine.

Visitors are taken into the mine in groups of no more than 25 individuals so that all visitors are able to see the guide's demonstrations. For their protection, all visitors must wear a hard hart while in the mine. Since the year round temperature in the mine averages between 52 and 55 degrees, it is suggested that visitors bring a light jacket when touring the mine.

Guides give a short presentation on the various items miners have used, such as a variety of hats, rescue gear, and lamps. In order to get to the mining display, tourists get to ride in mine cars that will take them approximately 160 feet below the surface. Upon reaching the mining display, the mining tour typically lasts 30 minutes.

In addition to the mine tours, a surface tour is also offered. The surface tour includes the saw mill, the strip mine, and the auger mining display. An authentic caboose from the Pittsburgh and Shawmut Railroad is also located on the grounds. A log house that dates back to 1785 is just one more feature that visitors can enjoy while touring the area.

Tour-Ed Coal Mine is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day from 10:00am to 4:00pm Wednesday through Sunday. The mine is closed on Tuesdays. General admission is $8 per adult (ages 13 through 64) and $6.50 per child (age 12 and under). Senior citizens (age 65 and over) receive discounted rates. Group rates are $6.50 per adult and $5.50 per child. In order to obtain group rates, the group must have a minimum of 25 individuals.

Tour-Ed also features a museum. The museum is a recreation of the home of a typical coal miner in the 1850s. Visitors can learn about how coal miners and their families lived. The museum houses thousands of historical pieces, including tools and general store items. The mine's souvenir shop features unique gifts. Visitors can purchase souvenirs, such as miner's hats, pieces of coal, and novelties. Candy, snacks, and drinks are also sold in the souvenir shop.

Tour-Ed Coal Mine is home to a 13-acre park that visitors can use to enjoy a picnic lunch. A covered pavilion is available free of charge, but group reservations are recommended.

For additional information about Tour-Ed Coal Mine, interested parties can call 724-224-4720.

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Tour-Ed Coal Mine History

History made into one of the “coalest” pittsburgh attractions.

The earliest record of mining activity at the site of Tour-Ed Mine was in 1850. Known later as the Avenue Mine, it was operated by Allegheny Steel and mined by the Leechburg Mining Company. The coal extracted during this period was used locally at the Allegheny Steel Plant in Brackenridge and also shipped by rail throughout the nation.

Our late founder, Ira Wood, acquired the mine in 1964 and provided coal to many local concerns, including Tarentum Power, PPG and the Allegheny County Workhouse. Ira Wood then decided he wanted to share the history of coal mining and began plans to create one of the most unique Pittsburgh attractions.

After modifying the coal mine for visitor comfort and safety, Tour-Ed Mine and Museum was officially opened as a Pittsburgh attraction in 1970. Since then, over 1-million coal mine tours have been given by experienced miners and staff.

Souvenir Shop

Our Souvenir shop has many unique gifts and souvenirs for any age including crafted pieces of coal and miner hats to novelties, candy, drinks and snacks.

Canary in a Coal Mine?

Miners would take canaries into a coal mine to detect the presence of dangerous methane gas or carbon monoxide. Today, coal miners have sophisticated equipment to detect and remove these dangerous gases.

You Load Sixteen Tons and What do you Get?

In the 1800s, miners dug coal by pick and shovel and loaded it in a cart next to them. The miner would attach a brass tag with his identifying number on the cart, then the mule pulled the cart loaded with coal to the top of the mine to be weighed. Miners were usually paid by the ton in company scrip, which could only be spent at the company store.

How Dark is Dark?

You'll experience what it is like to be in a coal mine with no light. Don't panic! It's only for a moment. Now this is Dark!