Portal 31 Coal Mine & Tour — Attraction in Lynch

Portal 31 Coal Mine and Tour in Kentucky is a truly unique and fascinating attraction! It offers an incredible opportunity to step back in time and learn about the rich history of the coal mining industry and the town that grew around it. The tour takes place on a rail trolley that brings you into the actual coal mine, which is an amazing experience in itself. Along the way, animatronic displays provide historical representations of the workers and the mine’s history, making the tour both educational and engaging.

The mine has a long and storied history as part of the Appalachian coal mining legacy, and the displays do a great job of showing what life was like for miners during different eras. The animatronics and narration really help bring the story of Portal 31 to life.

When I visited, only one worker was running the entire operation—selling tickets, running the gift shop, and operating the trolley tour. This meant he had to lock up the gift shop and ticket counter while conducting tours, which caused some wait time for guests. While it was a bit of a challenge, the worker managed everything with great professionalism, and the experience was absolutely worth the minor inconvenience.

This is a rare attraction that offers a glimpse into an important part of American history. If you’re in the area, don’t miss this chance to ride into a real coal mine and learn about the people and stories that shaped the region. Highly recommend it for history buffs, families, and anyone looking for a...

I read several reviews so I won’t repeat those details. We loved the tour and Devon was a great guide. We were surprised that it a 1-person show (at least most of the time). So if you don’t get through on the phone to make reservations definitely leave a message for a call back. There was a group that showed up, hoping to fit into a tour, but they were not able to accommodate them. If your route takes you across Black Mountain, make sure you allow plenty of time Thankfully, we did, as we were close to our destination, a tree had fallen across the road. We learned from the locals to not panic. Someone will come through at some point and most of the locals carry a chain saw in their truck. There is no restroom facility. There is a coffee shop across the street And Devon just asked if you did go over there to use the restroom too please purchase something from them… They try to work in conjunction with each other. We did go over after the tour and had a delicious chicken salad croissant and they have a wide coffee &...

We had called to make sure they were giving tours before we made the jaunt there, that was about 1:00pm. When we got there, there was a sign on the door stating they would be underground and the next tour would be at 3pm. So…we had to find a way to spend two hours before the tour. We went across the street to the coffee shop (which was amazing) and talked to them . They said we should be back at about 2:45 to make sure we were there for the 3:00 tour. We arrived back at the mine about 2:40, ready to go. We walk up to the door and there’s a new sign. “Underground, next tour at 4:00pm. At that point we’d already waited two hours for this. We are from SC and was visiting KY for the first time. This tour was on our bucket list for the trip. We were so disappointed. Needless to say, if you want the tour, be careful, you don’t waste your day. Not sure what to suggest, we couldn’t...