hopemore mine tour

Really amazing and informative tour of an active mine. Excellent presentation and history of mining in the area. Highly recommended!

A comprehensive history and detailed overview of the mine's operation was given by the owner followed by a informative physical tour of the mine itself. We enjoyed the give and take of questions and answers.

This is one of the most fascinating tours I have ever been on. It engages all ages and you get a true to life understanding of what it is like to work underground. The mine owner gave us our tour and we were the first of the 2014 season. He gives tours Friday and Saturday. Leave a message and he returns your call to set up your tour. It was very easy to book. He was very friendly and informative and willing to share the history of the mine and area. He loves what he does. We learned about mining and how it helped the war effort with metals of all kinds. Some of the spaces are a bit tight but not for long. There is plenty of room for all to see. If you are in the area it is well worth the trip. They have extra jacket and all of the necessary safety equipment to go into the mine but wear shoes it can be wet. What other tour can you book that offers all this for $20.00 and last about 2 hours. And you get a sticker and rock samples to take home.

As a mining engineering student I am very interested in mining history. I found the owner and tour guide to be extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and well versed in the local mining history. The tour its self is quite interesting as one can see numerous mineral veins, pieces of mining equipment and underground mineshafts. Overall the tour is authentic, fun and led by a true hardrock miner!

Well worth the effort. the tour is interesting, the history of mining is great, the views from around the mine are amazing, the drive up is easy enough for all cars. Make a reservation- the tour lasts almost 2 hours so you don;t want to drop in and have to wait. Bring a coat-but they have extras if you need any.The trip in the mine is fascinating.

Be sure to read the review below titled "The Real Thing" - says it all.The Hopemore Mine is about 3 miles from downtown Leadville. I made a reservation via phone for my family of 5. We all signed a lengthy liability waiver and then sat down for an informative and entertaining presentation from the mine owner right there in his ramshackle office. Then, we put on hardhats and coats and dropped 600 feet down the old shaft in an elevator built in 1907!The owner took us on a short walk through the tunnels and demonstrated the old and modern techniques for mining in a very thorough, 90-minute tour. Lots of fun and interesting too. Well worth the $20/person ticket.After the tour, check out the local Mineral Trail around Leadville. Made me wonder when all the century-old mining mess will ever get cleaned up.

This mine is still in operation as a working mine. The owner is also the tour guide. He is extremely knowledgeable on both current and historical mining methods in the Leadville region. Our group found him funny and friendly but with a slight distrust of strangers that might "jump his claim." Perfect! Very entertaining and recommended for the whole family.

Let me start off by saying THEY ARE NOT CLOSED. I believe they might only do tours in the summer due to the frigid temperatures 600 feet underground in the mines. This tour is a little out of the way from the town but definitely worth the drive to it and the price of the ticket. They should be pricing $50 for such a great tour instead of $20. I recently went and it was a fascinating, gritty, and very real tour. None of that touristy crap. This tour is hosted by the owner and experienced miner who gives you a quick lesson of the area and extensive tour of a real mine. Now a word of advice; wear good shoes, jeans, a big coat, gloves, and bring a flashlight! He has flashlights you can borrow and it is lit up, but you'll want to see as much as you possibly can.

I have taken several underground mine tours, but the Hopemore is a real lesson in the history and experience of hardrock mining. Other tours have been "sanitized" - smooth walking surfaces, dry, and well-lit. The Hopemore is a working mine and be prepared for some water and dampness, walking on planks between the ore cart rails, and a few (but adequate) work lights. Bob is the tour guide, and he is a true hardrock miner and the mine owner who looks the part. He knows what he is talking about. Casey, his assistant, operates the hoist that lowers the visitors 600' vertically to the working levels of the mine. The tour is very safe and not difficult, but it is authentic. Bob initially provides an enlightening history of Leadville and the local mining, before preparing the visitors for the descent in the hoist. 600 feet down, the visitor is exposed to the process and rigors of underground mining, both from a hundred years ago and present-day. You get a feel for what the old miners went through when Bob turns off the electric lights and the miner's candle is the only available light source! And when he briefly drills a hole in the tunnel wall with a modern rock drill, cover your ears! Long pants and a warm jacket are advisable - it is a constant chilly 40 degrees underground. A small personal flashlight wouldalso be useful for examining the mineral formations and mine structures up close. For me, the two hour plus tour for the very reasonable fee of $20 was the best tour yet. But, make reservations by phone - in 2013, Bob gives the tours on Fridays and Saturdays only, and space could be limited.

The tour of the Hopemore Mine near Leadville is outstanding. Bob, the owner, knows all about the history of this mine as well as the entire mining district. This area was the scene of the greatest silver strike in the nation, and was the home of many millionaires and famous people in the 1880s. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Leadville to see first hand, the history and story of this famous mine and hear about the mining history in the area. People of all ages will enjoy the tour immensely. Call ahead for tour information before you want to take the tour. You will enjoy it and recommend it to others. Dan

The Leadville mine tour is a very interesting and informative setup. I took a friend when he visited from out of state since he has not been around any mining history. I was impressed with the layout and information I gathered from the exhibit. It does not take very long to walk through so you wont burn up most of your day. The rock collection is pretty cool as well. This is worth your time.

If you ever want to see what hard rock mining is really like, this is the place for you to go.Great fun and well worth the time and money.

Just took the tour again this year for the second time. Still excellent! Totally cool experience, totally authentic, very interesting and educational. Bob is a wonderful tour guide! He said he may sell the mine so if you want to go, go soon! He also said he may start giving tours of his other mine, so that's something to look forward to.

Bob took me by storm with his incredible presentation and field trip excursion~ What a tremendous lifetime experience this was for me~ Talk about history and getting in touch with mother earth~I believe Casey is the name of his employee who was also impressive and made quite the remarkable impression on this unexpected gift to visiting Leadville~Respectfully,Craig A Lang - blue sunglasses

Bob Calder is one of the nicest people we have ever run across in our years of travel. As another reviewer stated, his passion for the mining industry is contagious. The $20 entrance fee is a real value. This tour alone is one good reason to put Leadville on your Colorado vacation itinerary.