Colorado is famous for its mile-high elevation, but have you wondered what the exact opposite would look like? No, we don’t mean the famous pancake-flat states (a la Kansas, Delaware, and North Dakota, to name a few), but rather what is below our own feet! If you are ready to travel far underground, make plans to visit Colorado’s historic Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine:
Located in the "World's Greatest Gold Camp" (Cripple Creek), the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine invites guests to descend 1,000 feet underground in what is the only vertical shaft gold mine tour in the country!
Founded in 1891 by Mary Catherine Gortner, the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine was indeed the first of its kind, not only for all the gold it turned out from its opening until the early 1960s, but because it was claimed and named by a woman.
During your tour of the mine, you will go a whopping 100 stories underground, where you will discover the evolution of mining through the years, view in-tact gold veins, and even ride an underground tram air locomotive.
Have you ever wondered just how they found and mined all of that gold? Wonder no more, as you will even get an up-close look at some of the original equipment!