Platteville’s Spookiest Halloween Tradition

Descend deep into the 1845 Bevans Mine in the back yard of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums for a guided lantern-lit tour to discover historical truths that are stranger than fiction. Our region is replete with 19^th-century ghost stories, many of them passed down by the rowdy, tough, and dangerous men whose job it was to mine lead. These immigrants from Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Germany, and the American South brought their lore and stories with them. What more fitting place to experience the spine-tingling chills of ghost stories than 45 feet underground in a real 1845 lead mine at The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums?

The Museums continue the annual tradition of Haunted Mine Tours this fall on Saturday, October 29^th, from 5-9 p.m., with tours departing every 30 minutes. Above ground, before or after their tour, visitors can learn about piskies, brownies, and other fairies known in Celtic lands and receive a charm bag to ward off unwelcome spirits.

When the Cornish miners came to America in the 1830s to dig the grey gold, they brought with them their belief in the tommyknocker. These small dwarf-like creatures worked in the mines, tapping away and making strange noises deep in the rocks. They were often heard, but rarely seen. One unlucky miner named Eddie became a target of the Tommyknockers. They drove him crazy, pelting him with stones, stealing his tools, and blowing out his lantern. He couldn't figure out why the Tommyknockers had singled him out until one day he heard a voice calling to him from the dark opening of a nearby shaft. “Eddie, I want my five dollars!”

Tickets sell out fast, so book your Haunted Mine Tour now by visiting www.mining.jamison.museum/programs or calling (608) 348-3301. Ticket prices for Haunted Mine Tours are: General (Ages 13+) - $16, Seniors (Ages 65+) - $14, Youth (6-12 years old) - $10. Not recommended for children under 6. We dare you to try out Platteville’s most popular underground Halloween event!

The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums are located on Main Street in Platteville, Wisconsin, in the heart of the historic Upper Mississippi Valley lead-zinc mining region. Founded in 1964, the museum is a nearly three-acre campus with scenic greenspace, an underground 1845 Bevans Mine, and a 1930s-era narrow-gauge mine railroad pulled by a 1931 Whitcomb locomotive. The mission of the Museums is to continue in the pursuit of excellence in the areas of regional and mining history. To achieve that purpose, the Museums are commissioned to be custodians of the past; to interpret the rich lead and zinc mining heritage of the region, as well as to preserve, interpret, and display the artifacts that define Southwest Wisconsin. The Museums are open daily from May to October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cultural programs and special events are offered year-round. Follow The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums on Facebook @MiningJamisonMuseum and visit our website at www.mining.jamison.museum for more information on current and upcoming programs.