There is no shortage of wonderful attractions in Minnesota. You’ll find beautiful nature areas, interesting art displays, delicious restaurants, and – like the place we’d like to feature today – unique attractions. There’s a train ride at northern Minnesota’s Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park that is unlike anything else you’ll find in the state. Hop on board, and you’ll be taken more than 2,000 feet below ground into an old iron mine. Read on below to learn more about this fascinating attraction that goes almost 1/2 mile underground!

Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park is a park in northern Minnesota's Iron Range. It's about 225 miles north of the Twin Cities, or 90 miles north of Duluth.
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The park covers around 300 acres, offering lovely hiking trails with lake and forest views. But the most famous attraction is the Soudan Mine. Guests can take tours of the old mine's operating equipment. It's a great way to explore Minnesota's mining history.
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There's also a tour that takes visitors underground to see the mine for themselves. Once you arrive, you'll strap on a hardhat, climb onto an old mine cart train...
Timothy Baker/Google

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 Go 2,341 Feet Underground On This Minnesota Mine Tour

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...and go whizzing through the mines, just like a miner would have when the mine was in operation over 100 years ago!
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The tour will take you down to the lowest level of the mine, where you'll be 2,341 feet below the surface of the earth.
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Your tour guide will help you understand how the mine worked, pointing out equipment that was really used and shedding insight on what it was like to be a miner here.
Casey Freund/Google
The train ride is 3/4 mile and lasts 90 minutes. You'll gain insight into this fascinating era of Minnesota's history, and you'll catch a glimpse of what it is like more than 2,000 feet underground!
Timothy Baker/Google

Have you ever been on the train ride at Soudan Underground Mine State Park? Let us know what you thought in the comments! And if you’d like to book a tour, visit the park’s page on the Minnesota DNR website. Also be sure to check out our past article about another Minnesota mine, which you can visit at Hill Annex Mine State Park!

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Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, 1302 McKinley Park Rd, Soudan, MN 55782, USA