If you’re looking for a unique and out-of-the-ordinary museum, this place is it! Built on top of a former coal mine, The Museum of the Coal Industry tells the story of coal miners and how they lived, worked, and struggled to make coal mining a safer industry that paid hard-working people a fair wage.
The museum grounds hold an authentic company store and company-owned housing, familiar from the 1880s to early 1930s. It also has “Tinkerbell,” a locomotive that served the Lynnville mine for over 30 years, and huge, heavy mining machinery. But most impressively, it has a leading museum with one of the most extensive collections of mining artifacts in the United States.
The museum curator, Aja Mason (pronounced “Ay-yuh”), is a veteran miner with a wealth of information and mining stories: a true pleasure to talk to. Do stop by and say hello!
THE MUSEUM IS COMPLETELY FREE and operates on donations only. These generous contributions go towards [specific use of donations], ensuring that we can continue to share the rich history of coal mining with everyone. Yet another fun, free, southern Indiana attraction!
West of Dale, Indiana, but before Evansville, you’ll find a unique gem – the Museum of the Coal Industry at Lynnville, Indiana. It’s a little-known fact that Indiana boasts a thriving coal industry, with significant coal deposits nestled under southern Indiana’s hills. This coal is more than just a resource; it’s the lifeblood of our state, powering homes, businesses, schools, and sporting events for years to come. Southern Indiana is home to 24 active mines that produce over 32 million tons of coal annually, a testament to the industry’s vitality.
The museum started in 1985 and stands on a former coal mine. It has an extensive collection of coal mining artifacts from the 1800s to the present day. On the left is the company store and housing where coal miners would have stayed. In a sizeable main museum, and at the end of the drive is Tinkerbell.
Tinkerbell, a locomotive that served the Lynnville coal mine from 1968 to 1999, is a symbol of the relentless dedication of our coal miners. For over 30 years, it made countless trips to and from the mine, hauling thousands of tons of Indiana coal. The museum is a remarkable tribute to these coal miners, their tireless work, and their sacrifices. It’s impossible not to feel a sense of awe at the massive equipment they operate.
Company Store: Many miners would have arrived by a Greyhound bus to start a new life at a distant coal mine. One of their first stops would have been the company’s store, often the only place to get food and all the necessities of life, including tools. Unscrupulous mines would pay miners a meager wage while charging high prices for company store items. Miners would have to buy items on credit, and their purchases were recorded on a tab. The miners could never get ahead, continually in debt and unable to quit. Some mines even paid their miners with company coins that had no value anywhere but their company’s store.
Life for miners and their families was far from easy. They were provided with tiny company houses that, while modest, were home – a place to rest, a small kitchen for preparing meals, and bare walls until covered. Many resorted to using newspapers as wallpaper despite the fire hazard. Clothes were handmade, stitched together by needle or on early sewing machines if they could afford one. But after a long, hard day at the mine, the most cherished possession was a place to sleep, a testament to their resilience and determination.
Museum: The main museum building contains one of the nation’s largest collections of coal mine memorabilia. It tells the story of the people who worked the mines – their hard work and their struggle to unionize. Unionizing meant that miners could finally receive fair wages in safer working conditions. Looking at the collection of hard hats, you can’t help but think of all the men who wore them – the men who got up each morning and worked the coal mine day after day, year after year, from young men to veterans of the coal mine. There’s an immense sense of pride among coal miners, and to show that pride, men wore coal miner belt buckles with the name of the mine where they worked.
The museum covers the early days of mining and advancements in technology. Before creating modern carbon monoxide alarms, miners took canaries in cages to the mines. If the canaries started to act funny or even passed out, miners knew they were in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning and had to get out quickly. There are many types and qualities of coal, and you’ll see coal samples taken by drilling equipment deep into the earth. You’ll see coal furnaces used in every home and business before electric furnaces. You’ll see advancements in equipment over the years and tools as big as the kids.
Kids can sit in the big chair, put on a hard hat, and have their picture taken as they pretend to operate heavy machinery. There is much to see and experience here, from records about coal miners to figurines. Every wall and display case tells a story you may never have heard. The Museum of the Coal Industry at Lynnville, Indiana – is unique and unforgettable.
