Mine Museum

We had planned to go to the Ice Cave today but the weather was so cold and windy that we decided to go to an indoor exhibit. The Mine Museum is a simulated Uranium Mine here in Grants. When Uranium was discovered in the area around Grants it produced a boom for the town. The population went from 1200 to 20,000. Grants became the largest producer of Uranium Ore in the country, producing about 63 percent of all Uranium ore mined.
The mine simulation was very interesting and well done since of course you wouldn't be able to tour the real mine because of radiation. From the first floor museum, where there were exhibits that explained the history of Grants and the mining industry, you took an elevator down to the mine. You walk through the simulated tunnels with regular stops that tell you about the machinery you are looking at, there is a button at each stop to push where one of the men that worked in the mine further explains what you are looking at and how it is used. The tunnels you are walking through are well designed to make you feel like you are in a real mine. For further information on Uranium mining in Grants and a short history of Grants go to the link below. One of the interesting tid-bits you will learn is that at one time Grants was the carrot capital of the US.
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/HC-Grants.html
The first two pictures will expand if you click on them, I don't know why the third one won't.

This sign explains the picture of the drill bit below.

Drill bit used to sink shafts at the Uranium Mine.

This is the engine they used to pull the ore cars. It was battery operated. The driver in this case isn't. :-)