This Ride Through An Old Coal Mine In Pennsylvania Will Take You Back In Time

Climb aboard an open mine car and travel into the side of Mahanoy Mountain for a trip straight back into Pennsylvania's vibrant past, back to when the coal mining industry thrived. Tucked away in Ashland, the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine invites visitors to experience an old coal mine on this coal mine tour in Pennsylvania.

Start your journey into the mountainside aboard a battery-powered open mine car, where you will travel 1,800 feet into the side of Mahanoy Mountain to the old coal mine. Business at the coal mine ended in 1931.

Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine's foreman inspects the mine daily while state mine inspectors visit regularly to ensure your adventure is a safe one.

Disembark from your car once you enter the deep confines of the mine, where you'll get a firsthand look at the challenges miners faced when mining anthracite.

Your seasoned tour guide will help make history come alive as you explore the mine by foot. The tour typically takes about 35 minutes.

Listen as your tour guide explains how the coal miners worked each day. Pictured below is the emergency phone miners used to contact the outside world.

Head to the old-fashioned steam engine, upon emerging from the old coal mine. There, embark on a 30-minute ride aboard the Henry Clay, which will give you an up close look at strip mining in the area.

Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine welcomes visitor from April through October. Visitors are advised to dress comfortably and bring a jacket or a sweater as the temperature in the mine stays at a steady 52 degrees Fahrenheit.

General admission tickets are available for the coal mine, the steam train ride, or a coal mine/steam engine train ride combo.

End your day's adventure with a quick bite to eat at The Jellybucket Cafe, which serves such aptly-named sandwiches as Centralia, the Mammoth, the Pioneer, and the Henry Clay.

A children's menu is also available along with such favorites as French fries, pierogies, chips, and cookies.

Click play above to take a virtual tour of the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine as produced by Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau.

Click play above to take a virtual ride on the old steam engine that awaits when you visit Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine. (Video by Joseph Fusco)

Tour an old coal mine in Pennsylvania then climb aboard an old-fashioned steam engine train for a relaxing, educational afternoon at the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine. Have you been on this coal mine tour in Pennsylvania? Share your experience in the comments! If you enjoy traveling back in time, take a virtual tour back to the 1940s in Pennsylvania.