A Visit to Sterling Hill Mining Museum & The Franklin Mineral Museum
With everything going on in the state of New Jersey people tend to forget about the history that the state has. Recently I took a trip to Ogdensburg NJ to visit the Sterling Hill Mining Museum. Ogdensburg, which is a small town located in Sussex county holds home to the last operating zinc mine.
The museum holds over thirty acres of exhibits, displays and historical buildings. Part of the experience of the museum is taking a tour of the underground tunnel.
The tunnel curves in and out of the mountain displaying amazing views of rock formations and minerals. The tour continues through a section of the tunnel called the Rainbow Tunnel. In the Rainbow tunnel the tour guide used waves of ultra violet lights to illuminate the tunnel and exposing its various samples of glowing rock. The tour guide was full of knowledge about the history of the area and the process of the entire mining culture he did a great job of giving many details and answering the many questions our group had.
The tour is almost two hours long, but do not worry for all the claustrophobic people out there you do not spend the entire tour in the mine! The tour starts inside the exhibit hall which contains a variety of mining memorabilia, fossils and rock samples. While you are there take a look at the shop you can purchase books, memorabilia on mining and grasp an even better concept of what mining has done for the state of NJ.
The one tip for the tour is, bring a jacket! No matter what time of the year you go it is always cold in the mine. Consequently this is why the mine tours are closed from December to March.
While you are enjoying the Sussex county area visiting the Sterling Hill’s neighbor is a must! Located in the close town of Franklin NJ is the Franklin Mineral Museum. This is a non-profit museum and educational institution located at 32 Evans Street.
The museum houses hundreds of varieties of minerals from over centuries of zinc mining and they are all on exhibit for your viewing pleasure. When you are here be sure to check out their display of fluorescent minerals. They also use an ultra violet light to bring out the colors within the rocks; this was probably the most amazing display of colors you have seen.
The museum is full of beautiful and educational displays be sure to read and interact with the displays. This is the only way you with truly understand the rich history of mining and how important it was to NJ.
A must out of all the exhibits is the mine waste pile just outside the Franklin Museum. You can collect mineral specimens and test them for fluorescence. This is fun for the kids to check out hopefully it will help them understand about the process of mining. Plus it is always fun to find a surprise in a pile of mining waste.
Be sure to call ahead to both the Sterling Hill Mining Museum and the Franklin Mineral museum for schedules and prices. While the tour is great for people of all ages keep in mind it may be a little long for younger children.
Additional Information on the Sterling Hill Mining Museum:
Address: 30 Plant Street, Ogdensburg, NJ
Phone: (973) 209-7212
Website
Additional Information on the Franklin Mineral Museum:
Address: 32 Evans Street, Franklin, NJ
Phone: (973) 827-3481
Website
Author: Jessica Barberia
Jessica is originally from Nutley, and now a Caldwell resident. She loves running, biking and pretty much anything outdoors. She also enjoys trying new places to eat and drink… and anything & everything to do with the NY Mets.
