Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine

N 19th St & Oak Stree, Ashland, PA 17921, USA

Address:	N 19th St & Oak Stree, Ashland, PA 17921, USA
Phone:	+1 570-875-3850
Site:	pioneertunnel.com
Rating:	4.7
Working:	10AM–3PM 10AM–3PM 10AM–3PM 10AM–3PM 10AM–3PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 19

Good for most ages you wont be disappointed by all there is to be offered here. A park with pavilions and picnic tables, swings, slides, etc., basketball and open field baseball areas, kiddie playground, restrooms. Then theres the gift shop and "Jelly Bucket" lunch shop for quick eats. Next is a ride around the mountain for a brief tour and explanation of bootleg and excavation (strip) mining where staff can field questions and photographs can be taken while you stretch your legs. Then its back to the tunnel where youve the option to go inside and experience underground mining with well versed staff to answer questions. Take a jacket as its about 50 degrees inside. If thats not enough theres the mining museum nearby too. Most pricing is reasonable. Pack a lunch and spend the day with family. Very young children may not take to the tunnel. Check with the park office for questions. Stays busy in summer and school trips, especially on weekends. Group tours "after-season" can be arranged by calling ahead. Upgrades and refurbishments are year round.

David Heindel

A little pricey, but the kids thought is was pretty cool. I wouldnt make this a destination, but it was a great "travel stop" on our way from upstate NY to TN. The mine tour and train ride are scheduled back-to-back. If you want to do both, it is very smooth to buy both tickets, and just walk from one tour to the next with less than 5 minutes of wait time. If you are budget conscious, dont bother with the train ride. The engineer told some good stories about coal mines at the far train stop, but other than appreciating PA scenery, theres not much else it offers. Just stick to the mine tour. :-)

Danielle Harvey

On a day trip to knoebels, it started to rain, so when I googled what else there was around to see and do, this place popped up. It was terrific. You get to go down and ride and walk through an actual old coal mine, plus theres a steam engine train ride, a cafe, and a terrific park and playground across the street. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Although the weather that day cleared up, we forgot about knoebels and made a day of this place. Fun, interesting & educational. A total win.

Angela Hedemann

I cannot describe how pleased I was with this tour. Wonderful for kids, but its especially great to do as an adult because you can fully appreciate the experience of wandering through an anthracite coal mine, where brave and hard working men lived and died not so long ago. Our guide was knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the culture and history of coal mining in this area. I would recommend this tour to anyone.

Liju Anna Bennett

We did the coal mine tour and it was a different and awesome experience. The staff are extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about the history and procedures about mining and they explain very well. The tunnels are spaced well enough to be comfortable during the ride and the interiors of the mine are big..There is a snack shop here too.We did the steam train ride too, it was good but a very short one.

Ed Ellks

My grandfather worked in a coal mine for 40 years, so we took the opportunity to see what he went through. It does give you a real appreciation for what these men and very young boys went through. Wear a jacket and a hat or something as the mine is around 50°F, and there is some dripping water. The mine closed in the 30s then reopened in 1962. Lots of history in the area. Its well worth the time.

Lisa Touchton

There was a group of us that went this past weekend that ranged in ages from 10 - 65 and included a few teenagers. Every one of us enjoyed the experience very much and learned so much from it! I would highly recommend this experience to anyone that enjoys history. Our tour guide was very candid and passed on tons of interesting history and facts!

Tim

Great time and fun for the whole family. Learn some history and see some artifacts of a past almost forgotten about. Probably the only once working coal mine in the world the public can tour, right here in PA. Plus its cool in the summertime! Knowledgeable guides and staff. Also great to support the operation as its not state or local funded.

Eliot Gross

We were expecting a mom and pop operation with a hokey little tour. Both the train ride and mine tour were fun and informative. The tour of the mineshaft was very interesting. It was nice that it was about 50 degrees down there. The tour was led by a guy who used to work in a coal mine. He did a nice job explaining how the mine worked.

Joseph Fann

Nice blast from the history. it was really fun visiting the mine and saw how everything worked. It wouldve been nice if there are more contents inside the mine and not rushing through the tour. but for the affordable price you cant demand much. Unless you have children, you can skip the steam train ride and just go for the mine tour.

Josh melnig

Great place for the family, I have a 2 year old that is so smart she wanted to go for a ride after the train stopped and instead of yelling at us they trusted me to keep her safe :) very knowledgeable as well, my whole family worked in the mine and I grew up around it, nice reminder how tuff the older generation used to be

Britt Skrivanek

Interesting look at the history of coal industry in the area. Also some appreciation for the dangers workers face in a mine. Great for a hot day. Dont leave the house without a jacket or sweatshirt as its in the 40s in the mine shaft and a bit breezy on the mine tram.

Terra Yeager

Tunnel ride and tour was great ..Tour guide was entertaining and knowledgeable..my four kids 10-14 all loved it. Train ride had nice views unfortunately it down poured, but gift shop had great prices for dry sovenier shirts..all in all a great stop for family

Sherry Musser

Very nice day trip. My 7 yr old grandson and I went and had a nice time. Educational, good tour guides. Food was fresh and tasty. Would definitely recommend this place. Also they have a nice playground and picnic area. Souvenir prices are very reasonable.

douglas oconnell

Nice picnic grounds, facilities store etc.. Old school mine shaft. You even get out of car, walk around and learn a few things, excellent experience for all ages. Youll always remember the day you went 1600ft. into the earth.

Kristen Gaughan

I really cant say enough about this great place. My son and I had a great time. The staff were all friendly, funny, and extremely helpful. Every one went above and beyond my expectations. I highly recommend it.

christine corey

Going into the coal mine is a good educational experience for kids over about 10, fun for younger kids, and there is a train ride as well. Gift shop offers unique souvenirs, and there is a snack bar too.

Kelly Crawley

The entire experience was great from the ticket purchase to both the Looki tour and mine tour. Very friendly staff willing to answer your questions. Highly recommended and dont forget to visit the museum.

Valentin Rodriguez

I love history and this place gave a snapshot of mining history and experience. Went down a coal mine, road a steam train, got to learn new fun facts. Also bring a jacket, quite chilly down in the mine.