Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum, Mining museum in Ishpeming, Michigan, United States.
Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum is a mining museum located on a 15-acre property in Ishpeming, Michigan. The site contains three headframes and eight additional buildings where visitors can see how iron ore was extracted across two centuries.
The site began iron mining operations in 1879 and continued extracting ore until the facility closed in 1967. This nearly 90-year span represents the rise and decline of the iron mining industry in the region.
The site reflects the mining industry's central role in shaping the community through displays of worker tools, family photographs, and personal items from daily life. These objects show how deeply the mine influenced the region's identity and development.
The museum is located at 501 West Euclid Street and opens during warmer months from Tuesday through Saturday. Visitors should plan time to walk the expansive grounds and explore the different buildings at their own pace.
Two concrete headframes built in 1919 were designed by architect George Washington Maher and merge industrial function with architectural detail. The structures reach 174 feet high and show how mining and architecture combined in this region.
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