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Photo: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Pioneer Mine was an underground iron mine in Ely, Minnesota, United States, in operation from 1889 to 1967. It is one of only two such mines on the Vermilion Range whose above-ground structures are still standing, the other being the Soudan Mine. The Pioneer Mine Buildings and "A" Headframe were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1978 for their state-level significance in the themes of engineering and industry. They were nominated for being some of the last vestiges of a once-common mining technique on the Vermilion Range.
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(TTY relay service dial 711). Summer schedule from mid-May through mid-October open daily (hours vary). Winter schedule from mid-October through mid-May open weekends only. $15-9 (kids under age 3 free).
Retired iron ore mine with tours operated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Descend half a mile below the surface on an elevator to the 27th level of the mine, where the tour begins. See how ore was produced and how the miners worked.