Quincy Mine
Surface ruins, the 1918 hoist, a cog-rail tram, underground tour, machinery, and workers’ stories reveal the extraordinary depth and infrastructure of Keweenaw copper mining.
Artwork inspired by Gwen Frostic
Quincy’s “Old Reliable” reputation depended on geology, capital, patents, immigrant labor, dangerous underground work, timber, water, rail, and smelting. The hoist is impressive because it connected miles of shafts to an industrial landscape, not because it operated alone.
Take the surface orientation before descending so the mine map, rock layers, and hoisting system remain intelligible underground. Tours are cold and damp even in summer, involve protective gear, and may change with maintenance or weather.
- Nickname
- Old Reliable
- Industry
- Native copper mining
- Surface landmark
- 1918 steam hoist
Quick guide
- Begin with
- Follow copper from shaft to hoist
- Look closely at
- Read the underground adit as working infrastructure
Follow copper underground and back to the hoist
- Start above ground
- The No. 2 hoist establishes the machinery needed to move deep rock
- Ride the tram
- The descent reveals distance and grade before the mine entrance
- Expect real conditions
- Cold, wet, uneven passages require provided gear and steady footing
- Choose access honestly
- Surface exhibits are more accessible than the underground tour
Good to know
The tour enters an adit rather than carrying visitors to the mine’s deepest workings; advertised depth describes the historic system, not the visitor route.
Notice these
- No. 2 hoist house
- underground adit
- cog-rail tram