We visited the Quincy Mine in Hancock Michigan on July 5 2023 and took the mine tour. The mine tour lasted approximately 1.5 hours and the following is a description of our experience. The tour starts and ends in the Shaft No. 2 hoist house. We selected hard hats which must be worn during the tour. There was a brief introductory video, then the guide took us into the part of the building where the hoist is housed. The hoist is an absolutely gigantic machine which must be seen to be believed. Our guide explained the history and operation of the hoist and how it was used to pull copper ore from the mine and transport workers. The guide gave a detailed explanation of how the hoist operator controlled the machinery. Very interesting. Then left the hoist building and entered a cog railway car to be taken down the mountain to the mine entrance. This was a slow ride but in a unique vehicle. We exited the cog railway car and walked a few yards to the mine entrance. The shaft you walk along into the mountain is horizontal and spacious (about 15' by 15'). The footing is good and the shaft is well lit. We were dressed in long pants and had jackets and we were glad because when they say the mine is at 43 degrees they are not kidding. The mine is wet with water dripping from the ceiling in spots but we were able to stay dry by watching where we walked. We walked about a half mile into the mountain with various stops where the guide explained the mine layout (most of the lower section is now flooded), how the miners drilled and blasted and removed the ore, and there was a good view of one of the original shafts (No. 5 I think) which was quite impressive. Then we walked back out and rode the cog railway back up to the hoist house and that was the end of the tour. There are other mine facilities you can tour on your own (the rock house is particularly impressive) and an excellent gift shop. Our tour ticket of the mine also included a tour of the Quincy copper smelting facility located elsewhere in Hancock and we toured this facility as well. Again, fascinating. We enjoyed our visit very much. It provides a window into a little known piece of history. Check it out if you get the chance! We didn't have any children with us but others in our tour group did and the kids seemed to enjoy it.
