About Us

Ashland lies in the anthracite coal region of eastern Pennsylvania. Despite myriad coal mines in the area, in the early 1960s not a single one was open to the public.

So on Labor Day Weekend 1962 Pioneer Tunnel, which ceased operation in 1931, reopened as a place where visitors could experience a real anthracite coal mine.

Part of the tunnel was re-timbered for this reopening, though the other part lies in solid rock and requires no timbering.

Some of our tour guides are experienced miners with a deep understanding of this mine. They teach visitors how anthracite coal is mined and show how coal veins lie between rock and strata and features a gangway, manways, and chutes.

In our early days, visitors would walk into the mine and only see a portion of what we have accessible today. Now they ride 1,800 feet into the side of Mahanoy Mountain in an open-air mine car pulled by a battery-operated mine motor.

We offer a second tour which is a train ride behind a vintage narrow-gauge steam locomotive. Built in 1927 by the Vulcan Iron Works, Lehigh Valley Coal Company #123 takes passengers on a scenic three-quarter mile ride around the side of Mahanoy Mountain. This “Lokie” used to haul coal cars at the nearby Park Place Colliery.

At the end of the line, visitors enjoy a stunning vista and learn about bootleg mining and strip mining. They’ll also see the Mammoth Stripping, an area where an unusually thick seam of anthracite known as the Mammoth Vein, out crops to the surface of the earth.

Both tours are educational, entertaining, and appropriate for people of most ages. We also offer specialized educational programs for children in preschool through twelfth grade. Our programming is directly linked to local history and Schuylkill County's industrial time period. 

Pioneer Tunnel is owned and operated by Ashland Community Enterprises, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1962 as a tourist attraction dedicated to promoting and preserving the history and heritage of the anthracite coal mining region. Ashland Community Enterprises is operated by an unpaid, volunteer board of directors.

We hope to see you soon at Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train!!