Came here with my husband and my son. My son was 1 at the time. We were able to do the train tour and the processing plant tour. The train ride really is done in a 90 year old locomotive so do not think k it's going to be smooth and nice. It is the opposite- very rough and loud . We were unable to do the mine portal hike because my son was too young but hopefully in the future!! read more

What a nice little outing. We took the portal mine trip and the train ride. It ain't Disney. But if you want to learn about coal mining and the past, the guides are really nice. You don't go far into the mine. You do get hard hats with lights on them. The only tough part is walking up hill but they stop frequently enough. I'm not in great shape but it was a very doable walk uphill. A lot of kids and older people on the trail and nobody had issues. I'm not sure why they require special shoes but it's required. read more

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I went here with my boyfriend yesterday afternoon before driving back home to Edmonton. We almost didn't go because of the cold weather, but we're so glad we did! We took the tipple tour which allows you to go up the last wooden tipple in Canada. Our tour guide was very informative and made for a great experience. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to stay longer and do the tunnel tour as well. With the tunnel tour we got to put on a hard hat with a light and go through the conveyor tunnel and into the entrance of the mine. It gave us a great insight on what these men and boys went through while working at the mine. When the mine was shut down they had to block off the first 100 feet of the entrance. They have slowly uncovered the first 40 feet of the entrance and as they get more funds, they hope to get through the rest. I'd love to come back when that happens! This was such a unique and interesting experience! I would encourage everyone to check-out. There are some steep inclines and you really need to watch your step. You wouldn't be able to do the tours if you were in a wheel chair or had a child in a stroller. read more

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Great Piece Of History! We love visiting the Atlas Coal Mine for a taste of the past! Learn how coal mines operated and the local history attached to this historical area. Many things to see and do, but be aware that not all of the site is accessible to the mobility challenged. read more

When visiting Drumheller most people don't think about visiting a coal mine museum but I definitely think this is a unique experience you probably can't get anywhere else. I really had an awesome time when we visited this museum. We took a tour of the tipple tower which also included a short ride in the coal cart train. Our tour guide was full of info and had tons of stories to share of famous workers and incidents that happened in the mine over the years. They also have a tour where you get to go inside the mine. I definitely want to try that one day but my kids were not interested as I guess it can get quite dark in some areas and the trek up to the mine opening is quite vigorous. read more

So I guess this is the last coal mine in the area to shut down, & is a neat little historic site. You can walk around the area for free, but have to pay for guided tours for the parts you'd probably really wanna see - the tunnel and the tipple (the big building where they sorted coal). The price is pretty decent- each tour is like $10-15, and once you've done one tour, they give you a discount on any additional tours that day. So it ends up being pretty affordable. I did the train & tipple tours here (we were on our way out of Drumheller at the time, & didn't have time to do the tunnel tour, unfortunately). The train tour was kid-oriented, so for me it maybe wasn't the *best*, but it was still fun nonetheless & if you have kids, they'll probably love it. The tipple tour was really cool- you get to see all the different areas of the building, and the guy who did our tour really gave you a sense of what it'd be like to work there,. The guides for both tours were really friendly & knowledgable, and told lots of cool stories about life in the mines & how they did everything. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area :) read more

Toured the mine museum in June with family and we were blown away by the insights the experience gave us into the backbreaking work and dangerous life of the immigrants who made coal the "king" source of power from the turn of the 20th century. Riding in the coal cars gave us a physical jarring with frequent stops to hear our guide describe the process of transporting the coal from high on the cliff face, down the steep series of wooden sheds perched on "matchsticks", to the gates inside the pitch black tunnel, which would be opened by a child, and emerge on the train track route to the nearby trestle and the waiting box cars. The Badlands clearly show the coal seams, so it was not surprising that Coal was King in the Drumheller Valley. What is shocking is the extent to which immigrants escaping the poverty and desperation in Europe were prepared to sacrifice themselves for a job and the possibility of a future for their families. The school is a great peek into the quality of life for the children of these labourers--all but four of whom note their home country as somewhere other than Canada--and for the teachers who would end up working in such a colonial outpost of the Dominion. The staff are not only knowledgeable about everything to do with the history of the life of Atlas, and the 139 other coal mines in the area, their enthusiasm is infectious, and everyone leaves talking about it. I recommend this historical site to anyone of any age. Judith Vancouver, BC read more

This review is for the Atlas Coal Mine #3 It had been years since my last trip to Drumheller - I had been to this coal mine before when I was young, but was able to really appreciate the whole experience visiting as an adult all growed up and stuff (well, most days)! There are several tour options (guided or not) ranging in price ($7 for general admission to the museum grounds up to close to $30 I believe for a much more expansive guided tour). We opted for the middle option - at $15/person we received a guided tour up through the conveyer belt to the entrance to the abandoned coal mine and back down. Our tour guide was great - she was informative, friendly, funny, helpful - the works! First she gave us some background info on the mine in the wash house, and then we were equipped with hard hats and head lamps for our assent up into the mine (we learned that this mine, in particular, was of the drift mine variety). We travelled some 550 feet upwards alongside the conveyer belt to the entrance of the mine, with a stop at the goldsmiths shack at the top. To give you an idea of how short I am: while travelling up the conveyer shaft, EVERYONE had to duck down in a few places (BF was lucky he was wearing the hard hat or he may have come out slightly concussed) EXCEPT for me... We made it up to the entrance of the mine - turns out that back in the day when it was first shut down, rule was that they had to block the entrance for 100 feet. Excavators have made it 40 feet through the blockage, and are slowly working through the next 60 feet. I will definitely be back (in 10 years or so) when they get through the rest!! Truly an interesting experience. I would love to explore more of the mine and would certainly consider coming back for one of the other tour options. This particular tour is not great for small children as the hike up and down is notably strenuous at times (strollers would not work here), but would be perfect for any young explorers (about 7 years +). read more

Had a super time with the family using our day pass. For 3 of us, it cost $99.75. We took the tipple and tunnel tour, wandered around to look at the old machinery and learned some fun new facts about Alberta's coal mining industry. Both tour guides were fun and highly knowledgable. Our 10 yo son loved going into the tunnel. Hard hats with lights are mandatory and be prepared to crawl into a dark, narrow space. Do NOT take this tour if you are afraid of heights or claustrophobic. You will be hiking about 250 feet up and into the side of the mountain and see the conveyor belt used by miners who extracted coal. The tipple was fun too as you'll see how different sizes of coal was sorted and placed into boxcars for transport. This is the last remaining wooden tipple so it's worth checking out. We ended our tour with a short pony wagon ride which was included in the day pass. read more

Drumheller is not just dinosaurs and hoodoos...it has so much history as well. The main industry for years was the coal mines. The Atlas Coal Mine is a must see and experience. The one hour tour is fantastic as you go into a coal mine and get a glimpse into the life and work of a coal miner. I highly recommend and one of the key tours when family and friends come to visit. This is a must do on anyone's visit to Drumheller. Go check it out! read more