Ducktown Basin Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1978 |
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| Location | 212 Burra Burra Street Ducktown, Tennessee, United States |
| Type | History museum, heritage center |
| Owner | Ducktown Basin Museum |
The Ducktown Basin Museum is a history museum and heritage center in Ducktown, Tennessee that chronicles the history of copper mining activities in the Copper Basin, a geological region in Polk County, Tennessee. The museum is located adjacent to the Burra Burra Mine, which was the most productive mine in the basin.
History
The Copper Basin, also known as the Ducktown Basin, is a geological located mostly within Polk County, Tennessee which contains extensive deposits of copper ore, as well as many other minerals. Copper from the basin was extensively mined between 1847 and 1987. Mining activities began to decline in the mid-1950s, and in 1978, the museum was established by a group of local citizens intent on preserving the heritage of the mining activities in the basin. Initially, the museum was located on Main Street in Ducktown. In 1982, the museum was moved to its present location. The adjacent Burra Burra Mine was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) the following year.
Exhibits
The museum is located in a building that formerly served as the headquarters of the Tennessee Copper Company, one of the major entities that operated mines in the basin. This site, jointly known as the Ducktown Basin Museum & Burra Burra Mine State Historic Site, is owned by the Tennessee Historical Commission, and consists of 10 buildings on 17 acres.
Images for kids
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Mining machine parts and tools scattered about the Burra Burra Mine site
