Pocahontas, Virginia - Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine

The Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine and Museum is a twenty minute drive from Bluefield Va over Rt. 102. It's the oldest attraction of its kind, opening in 1938. The Exhibition Coal Mine site is part of the renowned Pocahontas Coal Fields. The original coal mine opened in 1882. 44,000,000 tons of coal where mined before it closed in 1955.

It is the only Exhibition Coal mine designated as a National Historic Landmark. Adjacent to the Coal Mine is the Coal Heritage Museum (location of the original Power House), Gift Shop, and Educational Room. [Greg Jones, 09/13/2008]

The nation's first exhibition coal mine is still in operation. The Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine is located in Pocahontas, Virginia and is about an hour-long drive from the similar Beckley mine in WV. This exhibition mine was opened in 1938 and is open daily from April through October.

Pocahontas produced so much coal that many company owners became extremely rich and settled in nearby Bramwell. That small town had the highest number of millionaires per capita of any place in the country. There's a large number of incredible houses in a small area. The local high school sports teams are the Bramwell Millionaires. [Mark Turner, 07/04/2006]

[RA: This mine attraction once allowed you to drive your car underground along 875 feet of the original coal seam. We determined it was best with compact cars, since the turns were sharp (yet we didn't get a scratch on the rental Caddy). The drive-thru was eliminated years ago, so now it's a chilly subterranean stroll on foot.]