Welcome to a new perspective

Explore The Wonders Found Underground

Mon-Sat | 9:00AM – 4:00PM, last entry at 4:15PM

Sun | 10:00AM – 4:00PM, last entry at 3:15PM

Purchase Tickets

Mon-Sat | 9:00AM – 4:00PM, last entry at 4:15PM

Sun | 10:00AM – 4:00PM, last entry at 3:15PM

Purchase Tickets

Welcome to a new perspective

Explore The Wonders Found Underground

National Mining Museum

Matchless  Mine

National Mining Hall of Fame

GROUP VISITS

School and Summer Camp Visits

Learn about metals and where they are found. See how they are mined and used. Learn about the dangers of mines, as well as mine safety. Walk through life-sized mine replicas. Find information on mind reclamation, mining sustainability, and NASA efforts to mine in space. And much more!

LOREM IPSUM

Research

Interested in using our library or collections for your research or academic use? Access to our material may be granted upon request. Requests for access must include reason, type of research and outcome (will it be published, personal use, etc.).

If you would like to make a research request, please contact us.  If you would like to visit the museum, an advance appointment is required so that we can prepare workspace and supervision. Please contact us.

Please be aware, there will be a research charge of $10.00/hour after the initial free search for desired materials.

LOREM IPSUM

Photography

We allow personal photography in all areas of the museum. If you would like to take professional photographs for commercial or publication use, please review our Photography Policy for proper procedure.

Interested in donating an artifact to our collections? Learn how to donate artifacts.

SO MUCH TO SEE

Story of the Matchless Mine

Purchased in 1879 by silver king Horace A.W. Tabor, the Matchless Mine at first looked like a dud. But it soon became one of the richest silver mines of the era, estimated to have produced $7.5 million.

THE STORY

A Scandalous Affair

During this time, Tabor made a scandalous decision. Married to Augusta, a successful and respected businesswoman, he began an affair. The community scorned him for pursuing the sweet-faced Elizabeth McCourt Doe, known as “Baby Doe,” and subjected his new love to scandal.

Undaunted, Horace Tabor and Baby Doe married in Washington, DC, in 1883 during Tabor’s term as United States senator. Their wedding invitations, made from solid silver, and Elizabeth’s elaborate wedding dress flaunted their fabulous wealth.

See Reviews

THE STORY

Riches to Rags

Tragically, the Tabors’ high-flying lifestyle was not to last. After a few years of extravagant spending, the value of silver crashed, and the Tabor fortune vanished. Tabor died in 1899, leaving his wife and daughters nearly penniless.  For the next 36 years, Elizabeth struggled to profit from the Matchless Mine. She leased the property for various mining operations, but its wealth was…

Learn More

Testing Video Upload Lightbox

VIDEO

Video Example (Youtube Embed)

Watch the video to the right.

Highlights

Sparkling crystals, in long sword-like formations and in geodes as big as your head.
A model railroad showing life in a historic Colorado mining town. Can you find the monkeys someone added just for fun?
The minerals in your life: in your toothpaste, soaps, and china, in your milk, greens, and Oreos!
Fascinating stories of real-life miners in the Hall of Fame.
A tin can in its early days: the raw forms of this familiar mineral.
A video on how to catch asteroids in space and mine them. Yes, it’s a thing!
Old-time photos and stories of the Tabors’ legendary Matchless Mine, which you can visit in person from Memorial Day to early fall.

The story of the Climax mine, the largest resource of molybdenum in the world, just 13 miles from the museum.
A shiny red 1923 car made by Wills Sainte Claire, which used Climax molybdenum steel in its gears, shafts, springs, and wheels.
Hand-carved dioramas depicting an 1800s hunt for gold—and a joyous find—at Colorado’s ClearCreek.
Memorable walk-through mines with dim lighting, the sound of drilling, mazes of ore cart tracks, and mannequins of miners and mules doing their jobs underground.
Fluorescent rocks glowing bright orange and neon green in the dark.
Fun facts about gold. Did you know that one ounce can be stretched into a wire five miles long?

More Information

Price

$20

**Your ticket includes entry to both the Museum and the Matchless Mine Historic Site. You will be able to go to both on different days until the end of our summer season (Labor Day)

Hours

Monday-Sunday 10am-2pm

*Last entry at 1:15pm

Location

Leadville, CO 80461

About

Objects

The objects collection encompasses personal mining artifacts including helmets, uniforms and other adornment; communication artifacts including personal symbols, awards, and other memorabilia; tools and equipment for mining; and rock and mineral specimens.

Library

The library is composed of published materials including books, periodicals, serials, and atlases in relation to the mining industry.

Photography

The photography collection contains photographic materials ranging from film negatives and transparency slides to digital prints and photo albums, all in relation to the mining industry and/or the Hall of Fame.

Memberships Include

Free admission for one  year

For the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum and Matchless Mine

10% discount on Gift Shop purchases

Eget phasellus est scelerisque vitae sit vitae ac gravida fringilla.

Invitations  to special  events

Eget phasellus est scelerisque vitae sit vitae ac gravida fringilla.