We enjoyed the tour and the guide was a wealth of information. Friendly staff welcomed us and were so helpful. Worth the time to tour about 1-2 hours. Be prepared to experience what it was like back then to be a miner. Shoes and jacket would be good to wear to be comfortable.
Went with our 2 children ages 5 and 7 years old. We visited frank slide in Alberta so they already had an interest in mining history. The tour was very well done. We learned a lot and are glad we went out of our way to check out this museum.
Loved the underground tour from an actual retired miner. The virtual tour was great, the guide said it's only been open a few weeks. Lots of staff behind the glass hanging out as we entered the building. Gift shop is severely lacking in options and items. Clean washrooms. Outdoor items could probably use a little extra TLC. Loved the company house as well. Company store was nice, would be neat if it had trinkets or magnets for sale. Didn't eat at the tea house.
We got to do sn underground tour of the mine it was really cool! I do feel bad for the families that lost loved ones in the various disasters associated with the mines, but they just opened a memorial outside the museum. This place is definitely worth visiting, it's an experience you won't get anywhere else.
Very nice place to stop at. Would recommend this to everyone. Tour guide was really good to listen to and talk to after. People were very receptive to all. Heads up, mine shaft is only about 5 ft high take a inch or 2. I’m a tall person 6’7 and walked about with my hands on my knees. Nice interesting to see.
The storytelling by a former miner really helped me understand the poor treatment by the employer, BESCO. It was quite a history that made me appreciate our employment standards today.
The tour into the [fake] mine also helped me experience the cramped working conditions inside the tunnels. There really was no better way to know the feeling if it had all been told purely by pictures or video alone.
My one recommendation to the tour guide would be to use a microphone and speaker during the first part of the tour since the room we were in did not have the best acoustics for projecting sound. Plus it didn't help that it was right next to the virtual tour (i.e. the video introduction) which ran in parallel with the storytelling part.
Overall, I believe the entrance fee of $23 was well worth it.
I cannot say enough good things about this entire experience. Our guide, Wish, was fantastic. As a miner himself, there was not a question he could not answer, nor an experience he had not lived. We walked down into a coal mine and had a glimpse of how Cape Breton was shaped by this industry. I highly recommend this. It is not to be missed.
Great visit as we have been into a few mines across Canada. If you want to tour the mine you have to be prepared to be bent over as the height gets down to four feet high it also took us 1 1/2 hours to complete our visit. My wife didn't do the underground part which was good if you don't like dark damp places. Our guide a former miner added a lot to the experience. If your interested in coal mining it should be on your list of places to visit.
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