Western Museum of Mining & Industry facts for kids

Western Museum of Mining & Industry

A huge 500-horsepower Corliss steam engine you can see at the museum.
Established	1970
Location	225 North Gate Boulevard Colorado Springs, Colorado
Type	Mining museum

The Western Museum of Mining & Industry is a cool museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It's all about the history of mining and the amazing technology used in the western United States. If you're curious about how people dug for treasure and built the West, this is the place to visit!

The museum first opened its doors in 1970. It is known for its excellent exhibits and has been officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums since 1979. You can visit the museum from Monday to Saturday.

What Can You See Inside?

Step inside the museum building to travel back in time. You'll find giant, antique mining machines and powerful steam engines that once powered the industry.

Machines That Move

Some of the most exciting exhibits are the pneumatic machines. These machines are powered by compressed air, and the museum hooks them up so you can see them in action! It's like watching history come alive as the gears turn and the parts move, just like they did over 100 years ago.

A Look at a Gold Rush Town

The museum also has a recreation of an old assay office. This was a very important place during a gold rush. It was where miners took their rocks to find out if they had struck gold or silver. You can also see detailed models of what mines and mills looked like, helping you imagine the busy world of a miner.

What's Outside?

The adventure continues outdoors! The museum has several large exhibits you can explore.

• Live Burros: Meet the museum's friendly live burros. These hardworking animals were essential partners to miners, helping them carry heavy tools and supplies.
• Giant Steam Shovel: See a massive steam shovel, a machine that could move huge amounts of earth and rock.
• Operating Stamp Mill: Watch a real stamp mill at work! This machine was used to crush ore (rock containing valuable minerals) to get the gold out. It's loud, powerful, and an amazing thing to see in operation.

More to Discover

The museum is more than just its main exhibits. It also hosts special events like lectures and has new, rotating exhibits, so there's often something different to see. For those who want to do deep research, the museum has a library full of books and documents about mining history.

Images for kids

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  This 40-foot-tall steam stamp engine was used to crush rock in the Michigan copper mining area around the year 1900.