A Community Celebration of Platteville's Rich History and Bright Future!

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About

Celebrate the July 4th holiday in our backyard with a day of games, demonstrations, special exhibits, music, and food.

Free Family Activities Include:

• Antique Cars and Tractors
• Early American Outdoor Games
• Hit and Miss Engines
• Musical Instrument, Woodworking, and Spinning Demonstrations
• Self-guided tour of indoor galleries
• 12 p.m. Reading of the Declaration of Independence
• 12:15-4 p.m. Live Music featuring The Wundos

Also Enjoy:

• Additional Guided Mine Tours and Train Rides (weather permitting) offered all day
• Food and beverages from the concessions tent
• Unique mining-inspired ice cream flavors created by Pioneer Sweets

The Edward Jones Firecracker 5K will take place at the Museum at 8 a.m. (Kids Dash) and 8:30 a.m. (5k). View race details and registration HERE

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Museum Admission, Guided Mine Tours & Train Rides

Guided Mine Tours through the 1845 Bevans Mine and Train Rides on the 1931 Whitcomb Mine Train will run throughout the day for regular price admission. Also enjoy two floors of exhibit galleries displaying the Museum's rich collection.

What to Expect and Accessibility On the Guided Mine Tour, visitors descend a 90-step incline into the earth where Lorenzo Bevans struck it rich more than 150 years ago. The tour also includes a trek to the Hoist House to learn how lead and zinc ore was hoisted to the surface and hand-sorted. The Hoist House is accessed by stairs.

Anyone considering the Guided Mine Tour must be in good physical health, able to negotiate 90 stairs into and out of the mine, and able to walk on uneven terrain. Good walking shoes and a light jacket or fleece are recommended. Open-toed shoes are strongly discouraged. While descending the stairs, visitors feel the humidity rise and temperature change (can be below 60º F in the summer). In the mine, drips of clear water and occasional puddles of water on the irregular stone floor create a natural atmosphere along paths lined with windrows of boulders. Participants may get wet or muddy.

What to Bring for a Guided Mine Tour

• Closed toe shoes suitable for walking on a stone surface with some shallow occasional puddles
• A fleece or light water-resistant jacket
• A flashlight or phone light to look more closely at rock surfaces or artifacts

We Will Provide on the Guided Mine Tour

• A hard hat to borrow for your tour (new hard hats are also available for purchase in the Museum Store)
• A flashlight for your tour guide
• Optional disposable boot covers

Rates

• General (Ages 13+) - $12
• Seniors (Ages 65+) - $10
• Youth (5-12 years old) - $6
• Children (Under 5) - $3
• UW-Platteville Students (with ID) - $1