West Virginia coal mine attraction closed for renovation

West Virginia coal mine attraction closed for renovation

The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, one of West Virginia’s most popular tourist attractions, will be closed this year while a new visitors center is built and other improvements are made.

The new 14,000-square-foot visitors center will replicate a coal company store and will house an extensive collection of coal camp artifacts, according to a report in The Charleston Gazette.

New parking, pedestrian areas and outdoor exhibits also are planned.

The $3.5 million project is being paid for with federal, state, city and private funding sources.

The underground coal mine, which last produced coal around 1910 and is normally open from April to November, will remain closed through the spring of 2008. It has served as a tourist attraction for 45 years, attracting some 50,000 visitors annually.

Source: www.post-gazette.com

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