Vulcan, Michigan: Iron Mountain Iron Mine Tour

Tour is only an hour at most. Nice store, free ore samples outside after the tour. Don't miss - but be aware that little ones may be afraid when they blow out the candle.

A giant flat cutout sign -- a happy miner with pick and helmet -- is called "Big John" and stands outside "America's Favorite Mine Attraction" (a claim by the promo brochure, not us). The tour is long, plan to spend a couple of hours, and immersive in a fun way. Visitors are outfitted in bright yellow rain slickers and safety helmets, then loaded onto the rail cars with benches. The tour wanders 400 feet underground through old iron mine tunnels.

Big John, of Big John's Iron Mine. The attraction is a retired iron mine, where they dress you in yellow rain slickers and take you on a train ride through the mine itself. There are actually TWO Bunyans at that location-- the metal sign that can be seen from the road that advertises the mine, and another one deep INSIDE the mine, located across a huge pit from a stop on the tour. The guide kills the lights so you're immersed in total darkness, then shines a light on the Bunyan on the other side of the cavern, which looks very tiny from that distance. Then they tell you, that Big John is the same size as the Big John outside on the roadside, and everybody goes, "Ooooooooh!"