Leadville Colorado

We visited Leadville, Colorado with my sister and brother-in-law and enjoyed lunch at a 1880's Silver Dollar Saloon and learned all about mining at the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum.

John and Carol with the menu

The back bar is pretty spectacular 

Julie points out the picture of Maggie 'Molly" Brown and her husband J J Brown. The Browns made their fortune with the discovery of gold after the silver crash of 1893. She became known as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" after her survival of the sinking of the Titanic.

Fabulous displays of minerals were found throughout the museum

One of my favorite displays at the museum is of the model railroad that recreates the connections between the various mines in the area.

This cutaway shows the workings of a typical stamp mill of the time period.

There is a model of the ice palace that was made one winter in Leadville. It was quite the extravaganza whose time was cut short by an early spring thaw.

Another favorite display is of the various vignettes which show the history of mining technology as it matured. 

There are full size replicas of actual mines that show techniques used.

You can find plans to make a rocker box to allow you to search for gold in Colorado streams

One display includes rubber gloves that allow you to pan for gold while staying dry

View from the mining museum balcony

This is my favorite display which shows the above and below ground workings of a mine