Bellevue Underground Mine — Attraction in Alberta

Honestly, this was an absolute gem that my wife stumbled upon. When she gustily suggested it, I just figured it would be easier to agree than to be yelled at for what, I would probably consider, too long if I vetoed her idea.

So off we went; with no idea what to expect.

Now, they tell you it gets cold, and it does. The mine reaches almost zero; full see your own breath and 'getting the sniffles' zero. Light winter wear will make it so much more than the fascinating endurance event it was for me and my children. We wore sweatshirts, and shorts. (Face palm)

The tour guide was amazing, a real seasoned pro, a tall stern sounding brunette who brought the whole tour into a strange kind of tangibility. The tour is fascinating, terrifying, and makes you appreciate whatever it is you do for a living, just a little bit more. WHATEVER you do.

And? Best part? In my opinion...the reverence for the subject matter. The tour guide we had made it seem like the effects of the disaster that happened there aren't simply something to be learned about, but something that the people who live there still suffer from and mourn.

It's a haunting experience in so many ways.

And there's a lil keepsake at the end.

The tour takes a little bit over an hour, but it's great for the whole family. All of my kids came out with glowing reviews, as did my wife; no doubt basking in her sweet sweet vindication for suggesting the entire trip.

I've been recommending it to friends and relatives so much that you'd think I worked on commission...

A great place to visit whether you're just passing through and want to take a break for an hour or less, or staying in the Crowsnest; they have lots of tour times available. I've gone on this tour 4 times now with different guests visiting from out-of-province. Each time is unique, with the same main information provided, but different anecdotal stories of what sorts of things happened in the mine, people who worked there, etc. The counter staff are always friendly, the tour guides interesting, funny, personable, and knowledgeable. It's quite fun to wear a real miner's hat with headlamp before entering the mine, too. While waiting for your tour, there is a great little gift shop with unique and local items at reasonable prices, a variety of interpretive exhibits and artefacts to explore, a little picnic area down by the creek, etc. On one visit, we had our small dogs with us and had nowhere to keep them as we were not allowed to leave them at our accommodations unattended, and it was very hot out so they could definitely not stay in the car. As dogs aren't allowed on the tour, the counter staff graciously agreed to look after them for us. :) I don't know that this is something they could always manage, but is just a nice example of how considerate the staff are. Oh, and the tour price itself is very reasonable. Highly...

It's FREEZING in the mine, literally! There was frost on the walls at the end of the mine. A hoodie was not enough for kids, teens nor the adults in our Canadian party. It is ZERO DEGREES CELSIUS in the mine on a hot August day. Bring a good jacket or winter attire.

The tour was very informative and it was such a neat experience. You are able to take home a complimentary piece of coal from a wheelbarrow near the mines entrance.

Entry is based on the time/hour you booked. The 10am tour had 3 people. The 11am tour had roughly 6 families.

Hardhats with headlamps are provided. A hoodie was lended to a teen to who only had a tshirt and shorts on.

I had joked (and scared a kid) that there might be bats in the cave but we didn't hear of or see anything like that.

Overall, it was a truly neat experience and I’m glad we partook in this...