Soudan Underground Mine

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A century slips by when you visit this park. Visitors wear hard hats and journey down 2,341 feet via a "cage." On the 27th level, the transportation shifts to a rail car for a ride back into the mine as you listen to the stories of the mining days. Above ground visitors can explore the dry house, drill shop, crusher house and engine house. Visitors also can walk the boardwalk past one of the deepest open mine pits or hike the trails in the park through a northern hardwood conifer forest, past the famous Soudan Iron Formation.

Tell me more about this park's wildlife, history, geology and landscape.

Visitor Alert!

2010 Public Tour Season Dates

The 2010 public tour season dates have been set. Mine tours will begin on Saturday, May 29 and will run daily on the hour until Labor Day. After Labor Day until the end of September mine tours will run every two hours on weekdays and hourly on weekends from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Park will also offer mine tours on the first four weekends in October (this will include Friday, October 22). They will run every hour from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The Park also offers tours of the cutting edge high energy physics lab. The lab tours run daily at 10:00 am and 4:00 pm (just two tours each day) from May 29th until Labor Day. After Labor Day until the end of September and the first four weekends in October (this will include Friday, October 22) lab tours will be offered at noon only.

We are open to group tours throughout the entire year. If you are interested in a group tour, please call the park office at 218-753-2245. There is a minimum charge of $90 per tour for groups ($40 for school groups).

Find out more about Minnesota's first iron ore mine and additional tour opportunities.

Park Notes

Mine Tours:

Underground Mine Tour: Experience the world of underground mining. This 90-minute tour will take you 1/2 mile down into the earth. For more information, visit Underground Mine Tour info.

High Energy Physics Lab Tour: The Soudan Underground Laboratory is the leading deep underground science and engineering laboratory in the United States today. For more tour information, visit Physics Lab Tour info.

Surface Self-Guided Audio Tour: Hear about the inner workings of the Soudan facilities and how what happened on top of the surface influenced everything that happened below. Be sure to grab a copy of the tour brochure before you head out. To download the audio files, visit Surface Audio Tour files and brochure.

Virtual Video Tour: Watch as you travel underground, into the past, and then back to the future! Video | Captioned video

Tour Information: For general park tour information, take a listen to these audio podcasts or download the tour brochure.

No Minnesota State Park Vehicle Permit required!

The Minnesota State Legislature has eliminated the requirement for vehicle permits at Soudan Underground Mine State Park for all vehicles parking in the main parking lot. Annual permits will still be available for purchase in the gift shop. If you have questions, please call the park office at 218-753-2245.

Gift Cards:

Purchase a Minnesota State Parks Gift Card this holiday season!

State Forest Campground:

Soudan Underground Mine State Park manages one DNR state forest campground - Hinsdale Island - located in Kabetogama State Forest. Camping is first-come, first-served. Hinsdale Island is a remote and rustic campsite area accessible by water only. For more information, contact the park office at 218-753-2245.

Firewood restrictions information:

Minnesota has enacted legislation that restricts firewood being brought to or used on DNR lands. Complete information and lists of vendors and locations where approved firewood is available are posted on the DNR Web site.
More information
Vendor List