Platteville Trip Overview
Your underground adventure awaits! The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums is located in the heart of the Driftless Area between Madison, Wisconsin, and the Mississippi River, surrounded by hilly farm country. A guided tour from May to October also includes the underground 1845 Bevans Lead Mine and a ride through campus in a 1931 mine train.
Museum exhibits document the history of Platteville and rural life in this nook of the Driftless, and especially the history of lead and zinc mining in the Upper Mississippi Valley mining district — the place that Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposits are named for.
These limestone-hosted lead-zinc deposits created a famous Lead Rush in the 1820s that led directly to Wisconsin statehood and earned Wisconsin the name “the Badger State.” The zinc minerals sustained the region through the two World Wars until the 1970s.
The mining industry and UW-Platteville is the reason Platteville Mound sports the world’s largest “M” commemorating this heritage!
Additional Info
Duration: 1 hour
Starts: Platteville, United States
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Platteville Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Platteville, Wisconsin, United States
Your underground adventure awaits! The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums is located in the heart of the Driftless Area between Madison, Wisconsin, and the Mississippi River, surrounded by hilly farm country. A guided tour from May to October also includes the underground 1845 Bevans Lead Mine and a ride through campus in a 1931 mine train.
Museum exhibits document the history of Platteville and rural life in this nook of the Driftless, and especially the history of lead and zinc mining in the Upper Mississippi Valley mining district — the place that Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposits are named for.
These limestone-hosted lead-zinc deposits created a famous Lead Rush in the 1820s that led directly to Wisconsin statehood and earned Wisconsin the name “the Badger State.” The zinc minerals sustained the region through the two World Wars until the 1970s.
The mining industry and UW-Platteville is the reason Platteville Mound sports the world’s largest “M” commemorating this heritage!
Stop At: The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums, 405 E Main St, Platteville, WI 53818-2834
Enjoy a one-hour guided tour of the 1845 Bevans Mine and hoist house, and a ride on a 1931 Whitcomb mine train through the lovely outdoor museum campus. A self-guided tour of the Rollo Jamison Museum cultural collections is also included. You may visit the Jamison collection before or after your Bevans Mine Tour at your leisure.
Duration: 1 hour
