2026 Opening Of Northern Minnesota’s Popular Underground Mine Tours Announced

For anyone hoping to explore Minnesota's deepest public underground mine tours, it's been difficult to find opportunities to visit in the last several years.

As I had mentioned in an article last year, the Soudan Underground Mine on the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota has been largely unaccessible to visitors for the last number of years.

The mine, located within the Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park on the shore of Lake Vermilion, has been closed to the public more than it has been open over the better part of the last decade.

A combination of he COVID pandemic and a multi-million dollar restoration project kept visitors from touring the mine from 2020 through May of 2024. Only a few short weeks after reopening to the public in 2024, torrential rain on the Iron Range caused flooding that forced the attraction to close to visitors in June of 2024, with cleanup and repairs impacting visitors through the rest of 2024 and into 2025.

READ MORE: First-Of-Its-Kind Campground To Open Summer 2026 At Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park In Northern Minnesota

In what will hopefully be a return to normal for the mine, the 2026 season is getting ready to kick off to welcome visitors to tour the mine that goes nearly a half mile underground.

The Soudan Mine operated as an iron ore mine from 1882-1962. The now-closed mine has been used for scientific experiments and has welcomed tours to explore the 27th level of the mine, 2,341 feet down the mine shaft from the surface.

Tours last about 90 minutes, giving visitors a look at the historic mine. On the tour, once underground, visitors board a train and ride nearly a mile to the last and deepest area that was mined. While on the tour, you'll hear the true stories of miners that worked in the mine as well as learn about the nnovations and safety improvements of the mine, and learn firsthand about the working conditions that existed in this historic Minnesota iron mine.

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The Minnesota DNR says reservations for this popular tour are open as of today (April 1), with plans to open tours to the public for the 2026 season on May 23. The 2026 mine tour season will run from May 23 until October 18, 2026.

Reservations for these tours can be made via the mine tour page on the state park's website. The cost to take a tour is $15 for adults, $10 for kids ages 5-12, and it's free for ages 4 and under.