We were looking for something different to do and came across a place in Northern Jersey that had a few interesting things to see. The Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey is home to a mine that had the worlds richest zinc ore deposits. It no longer functions as a mine, but you can walk through the steps of New Jersey miners and see different parts of the mine’s first level. During the mine tour you get a chance to see a room full of fluorescent rocks called the “Rainbow Tunnel”. Once the lights are turned off, the rocks glow a variety of different colors because of the mineral composition. It’s a beautiful sight! You even come across a gorgeous underground lake. When the lights are dimmed, the lake looks like it glows. Perfect photo op! One special visitor will also have a chance to set off the dynamite during the tour. The dynamite makes a big explosion. Don’t forget to count the number of blasts.
After exiting the mine, there are two guided museums to walk through with more interesting finds! There are more fluorescent rocks from around the world, old mining equipment, carvings, and even fossils and a scavenger hunt.
The grounds surrounding the mine have old mining equipment, a train, and more. If you bring along a pickaxe you can even go to the mineral dump or buy some geodes and break them open on your own!
On our trip, we bought two Moroccan Geodes and they were gorgeous after being broken!
The Sterling Hill Mining Museum is a great trip, whether it’s to see the fluorescent rocks and underground lake, or if it’s just to break open a few geodes.
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