Curriculum Connection
Pittsburgh History Field Trips
The Industrial Revolution Comes Alive Underground
The Industrial Revolution Comes Alive Underground
Tour-Ed Mine and Museum provides one of the most unique and educational field trips for schools in Pittsburgh. Your students will learn how coal was mined to fuel the steel-making furnaces in Pittsburgh during the American Industrial Revolution and how immigrants from all over the world were recruited to mine coal.
This isn't a lecture — it's a hands-on journey through Western Pennsylvania's coal mining heritage, guided by experienced miners who bring history to life 160 feet underground.
How coal powered the steel industry that built Pittsburgh and transformed America from an agricultural to an industrial economy.
How immigrants from around the world were recruited to mine coal, the conditions they worked in, and the company towns they lived in.
Miners were paid by the ton in company scrip that could only be spent at the company store. See authentic scrip and general store items in the museum.
See how mining evolved from pick and shovel to hydraulic machinery. Live demonstrations of mining equipment bring the progression to life.
Group tours by appointment. Memorial Day through Labor Day. First 2 teachers free.