Quincy Mine — Attraction in Quincy Township

We visited the Quincy Mine in Hancock Michigan on July 5 2023 and took the mine tour. The mine tour lasted approximately 1.5 hours and the following is a description of our experience. The tour starts and ends in the Shaft No. 2 hoist house. We selected hard hats which must be worn during the tour. There was a brief introductory video, then the guide took us into the part of the building where the hoist is housed. The hoist is an absolutely gigantic machine which must be seen to be believed. Our guide explained the history and operation of the hoist and how it was used to pull copper ore from the mine and transport workers. The guide gave a detailed explanation of how the hoist operator controlled the machinery. Very interesting. Then left the hoist building and entered a cog railway car to be taken down the mountain to the mine entrance. This was a slow ride but in a unique vehicle. We exited the cog railway car and walked a few yards to the mine entrance. The shaft you walk along into the mountain is horizontal and spacious (about 15' by 15'). The footing is good and the shaft is well lit. We were dressed in long pants and had jackets and we were glad because when they say the mine is at 43 degrees they are not kidding. The mine is wet with water dripping from the ceiling in spots but we were able to stay dry by watching where we walked. We walked about a half mile into the mountain with various stops where the guide explained the mine layout (most of the lower section is now flooded), how the miners drilled and blasted and removed the ore, and there was a good view of one of the original shafts (No. 5 I think) which was quite impressive. Then we walked back out and rode the cog railway back up to the hoist house and that was the end of the tour. There are other mine facilities you can tour on your own (the rock house is particularly impressive) and an excellent gift shop. Our tour ticket of the mine also included a tour of the Quincy copper smelting facility located elsewhere in Hancock and we toured this facility as well. Again, fascinating. We enjoyed our visit very much. It provides a window into a little known piece of history. Check it out if you get the chance! We didn't have any children with us but others in our tour group did and the kids seemed...

AWESOME TOUR DO NOT MISS IT. My wife and I are 75 years old and took the MOBILITY tour. It was wonderful!! We visited the enormous mine hoist with its huge drum. Then our guide Ben drove the train down to a shaft that went 2000 feet into the mine. We road a tram into the shaft lined with electric lights while others walked. The shaft is cold about 45 degrees so dress warmly. On the tram Julia was our guide and she did a great job. We stopped along the way and learned about how this shaft was dug out to its current diameter. At the end of the shaft Ben gave us a tour of what it was like to work in the mine. He ran a compressed air drill (very loud) and then he turned out the lights. The miners worked by candle light! It was too expensive to run copper wire for electric lights.This gave us a deep appreciation of how hard the miners had to work to get the copper ore out. You drill holes in the rock face, put in some dynamite and blast the rock so it falls onto the floor. You pick it up by hand and put it in a cart that you push to the shaft. Ben pushed the cart and that was not easy. Then Julia drove the tram back the 2000 feet to the entrance of the tunnel and Ben drove the the train back to the top. We had a wonderful time and learned so much about the hard work required to get the copper ore to the top of the mine. Ben pointed out that most of the copper was in small holes in the rock. They processed 2000 lbs of rock to get 40 lbs of copper. There were some chunks of pure copper but they weighed hundreds of lbs and they could not be lifted out. They had to be chiseled apart which took too much time, so they were left behind. I could go on because we learned so much. I highly recommend taking the full tour! The guides...

This is a very interesting place! I recommend visiting. Buy a tour in advance on their official website. The tour consists of an interesting excursion lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes. The excursion is outdoors, in unheated rooms and inside the mine. So take warm clothes with you. The temperature inside the mine is about 43° F and the excursion inside the mine lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes. So it is quite a cold place. Also wear comfortable, closed and safe shoes. Since the mine can be slippery, there are small puddles in places and there are stones on the road. If you go in the fall, it is definitely recommended to take warm clothes. Comb your hair and gather it in a ponytail if you have long hair, since you will need to wear a helmet for safety, and it is uncomfortable to wear it with loose hair. Arrive 10-15 minutes before the excursion to register and visit the toilet before the excursion. This is a very interesting tour and excursion, I was impressed! There is a restaurant across the street. And have souvenir shop. Many thanks to the city and the owners of this historical place for turning it into a museum. It helps to attract tourists and make the city lively, get funding. The people working there love their jobs. The tour guides are wonderful people. Thanks!!! I will not post many photos, because other users have already uploaded them before me and this is true. I will only add a few photos with interesting information. I wish everyone...