A world of wonder awaits below the rolling hills and busy streets of the Bluegrass, a state that’s home to numerous superlative caves and caverns. But the underground adventures don’t stop there; in Harlan, Kentucky, there’s an old underground coal mine that offers an unprecedented glimpse into our state’s history. At Portal 31, visitors can explore Kentucky’s only underground coal mine on an epic tour that belongs on any adventure-seeker’s Bluegrass bucket list.
Portal 31 Coal Mine was a facility owned by the U.S. Coal & Coke Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel, in the early 1900s. The company built the community of Lynch, then the world’s largest coal camp, as a community for miners and their families.
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At its peak in the 1940s, the coal company employed more than 4,000 people from all over the world; its workforce was a melting pot of some 38 different nationalities.
Portal 31
Coal mining was – and is – a dirty, dangerous business that helped fuel our nation’s growth and remains an important part of our history and economy. Kentucky played a big role in this coal mining boom.
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But mining was hard, thankless work, and life at Portal 31 was difficult. The powers in charge prevented miners from unionizing, earning it the nickname “Bloody Harlan.”
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Today, visitors can experience life in the mine by taking an underground tour to get insight into the experience of the miners who at one time worked there.
Visit Harlan County/Facebook
Tourist climb aboard real mining rail cars, which wind through this humbling and harrowing underworld. The tours last 30 minutes and visit eight different scenes which depict various eras in coal mining history.
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Animatronic miners and displays breathe life into this underground cave, bringing visitors face-to-face with life inside this deep, dark place.
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Portal 31 is a unique and immersive way to experience a key part of Kentucky – and American – history. These tours offer a glimpse of the grit and determination of Kentucky’s early settlers; the folks who came to the Bluegrass hoping for a better and brighter life for their families.
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Have you toured this underground coal mine in Kentucky before? If so, we’d love to hear about your experiences! Head over to the Portal 31 website to learn more and plan your subterranean adventure.
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Portal 31
Visit Harlan County/Facebook
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For a deeper dive into Kentucky’s history, head over to Big South Fork, an abandoned mining community that’s the state’s very own ghost town.
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Address: Portal 31, Lynch, KY 40855, USA
