Silver Mine Tours and Museums
Kellogg is located in the heart of the
Silver Valley, a rich source of mining history and culture. Shoshone County
has earned this nickname because of its famous production of silver from the
surrounding hills.
Silver Mountain is encompassed by what was first formed as a mining community
in Wardner and Kellogg when Noah and his jackass discovered a jackpot of
precious metal on the hillside in the 1880s. The Bunker Hill Lode grew into the
largest mining operation in Idaho. Today, Bunker Hill houses the remnants of the
mining hey days in Kellogg, where silver stories thrive, along with many other
mining operations throughout the valley corridor.
Listed below are the museums and destinations that preserve the Silver
Valley's origins and historical significance. Whether you visit Kellogg, Osburn,
Mullan or Wallace, stop by and be awed by the unbelievably true stories that are
whispered from the Silver Valley hills.
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Staff House Museum,
Kellogg
Shoshone County Mining & Smelting Museum, Inc. has a historic collection
from the Bunker Hill Mining and Smelting Company and the surrounding
Silver Valley. They are located a short walk from the Silver Mountain
Resort.
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Crystal Gold Mine,
Kellogg
Experience underground fun and adventure in a real gold mine! Guided
mine tours are available. An underground mine tour lasts approximately
30 minutes. RV and bus parking and picnic areas are on the grounds. For
mine tour hours, admission costs and other information call (208)
783-4653.
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Sprag Pole Museum,
Murray
The Sprag Pole Museum boasts 10,000 square feet with five connected
buildings. This acclaimed mine museum exhibits panning, hydraulics,
underground dredging and much more. You can also see the world's largest
wood chain at the Sprag Pole.
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Sierra Silver Mine Tour,
Wallace
Go underground with the Sierra Silver Mine Tour. An experienced miner is
your guide as you walk through the main drift of an actual underground
silver mine. Using exhibits and demonstrations of operating mine
equipment, you will learn the historical and modern-day techniques used
to mine on this tour.
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Wallace District Mining
Museum, Wallace
Wallace District Mining Museum, Wallace The Wallace District Mining
Museum and Visitor Center captures the impact of mining history with
artifacts and exhibits depicting the hardships, toil and home life of
the period. The museum is open May through October.
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Pulaski Project (the 1910
fire), Wallace
Ed Pulaski is best known for the firefighting tool he invented, a cross
between an ax and a hoe that bears his name and is still used in
firefighting today. Pulaski's heroics during the 1910 wildfires that
devastated the forests of north Idaho, eastern Washington and Montana
tell an even more compelling story.
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Old Mission State Park,
Cataldo
The oldest standing building in all of Idaho is found here, in the Coeur
d'Alene's Old Mission State Park. The Mission of the Sacred Heart was
constructed between 1850 and 1853 by Catholic missionaries and members
of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.
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