Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site
HomeVisit UsMine HistorySchoolsSpecial EventsTunnel VisionAtlas Coal Mine National Historic Site - Drumheller School Field Trips
Group Information
Are you organizing a tour group to Drumheller, or coming on a school field trip? Be sure to schedule one of our engaging group tours! Our dynamic guides make an Atlas tour memorable and enjoyable. Your guests should dress for walking and for the weather. Our tours run rain or shine, but we reserve the right to modify a program if conditions are unfavourable.

To book a tour, contact us at 403.822.2220 or info@atlascoalmine.ab.ca

School and Youth Groups: 16 Tons of Fun
School and Youth GroupsSchool and Youth GroupsSchool and Youth Groups
Experiential learning rules at the Atlas. Dynamic guides are coached by a teacher with 23 years experience in heritage interpretation. Let us enliven the curriculum! Dress for the outdoors.

For pre-visit worksheets and other learning resources, see Schools.

TUNNEL TOUR
Venture underground through 210 feet of newly re-timbered tunnel and walk the path of the miners up to the mine terrace, mine entry and newly restored Blacksmith shop! Students will don helmets and lights and hear the stories of real men who worked underground. This tour does not include the tipple or mine train. Good footwear is essential.

Curriculum connections: Dynamic Communities, Communities in the Past, Coal, Simple Machines, Electrical Technology, Mechanical Systems, Occupations, Alberta: History and People

$5.50/per student
90 minute guided interpretive program


TIPPLE TOUR

Explore the mine site with an entertaining guide. Climb the last wooden tipple in Canada and hear stories of young men who worked high above the ground sorting coal. Students will love the guided explorations and hands-on learning. This tour does not include the underground tunnel or mine train.

Curriculum connections: Dynamic Communities, Immigration, Communities in the Past, Coal, Simple Machines, Electrical Technology, Mechanical Systems, Occupations, Alberta: History and People

$4.50/per student
75 minute guided interpretive program


Which Side Are You On? The Story of Unions and Strike Breakers

Which Side Are You On? The Story of Unions and Strike Breakers
While exploring the nation's most complete coal mine museum, discover the turbulent rise and fall of Unions in Canada. The Drumheller Valley was a hotbed for union activity with stories as dark as the mine. Engage in hands-on activities that reveal how lives were lost and risks were taken to improve conditions for all workers. Debate the merits and short-comings of organised labour and vote whether to strike!

Curriculum connections: Immigration,  Occupations, Alberta: History and People; Labour and Management, Unions, Economy

$4.50/per student
75 minute guided interpretive program


MINE TRAIN TOUR

MINE TRAIN TOUR
Have you ever played with trains? No one ever outgrows their love of trains! Hop in a coal car and let our licensed motorman take you for a ride aboard our 1936 Mancha Mule battery locomotive around the surface plant of the Atlas Coal Mine. Learn about haulage, transport, fish plates and dangerous frogs! Perhaps you'll be promoted to brakie and help the motorman throw rail switches.

Curriculum connections: Dynamic Communities, Immigration, Communities in the Past, Coal, Simple Machines, Electrical Technology, Mechanical Systems, Occupations, Alberta: History and People


$4.50/per student
60 minute guided interpretive program

 



Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the tour?
Most of our group tours run a little over an hour. If you are in a hurry, we will customize the length to meet your schedule. Allow time for your guests to visit the gift shop after their tour.

How long is the walk?
For most of our tours, the entire route could be traveled in 10 minutes, by a brisk walker. We take lots of stops, and there are a few places to sit down. If your tour includes the tipple, the climb is up a 50 meter long inclined ramp. A Mine Hike is longer.

If you choose to do a Tunnel Tour, you would walk up a 300 foot conveyor gantry, through a 210 foot underground tunnel and do a short hike up a hill. The Mine Geo Hikes are longer and more strenuous than a surface plant tour. Good shoes are essential and a fair level of physical endurance; but there are many interpretive stops along the way for both the Geo Hike and the Tunnel Tour.

Can guests with limited mobility manage the tour?
Let us know about mobility issues when you register, and we will customize an offering for them. We regret the site is not wheelchair accessible.

Do we go underground?
Yes! We have 210 feet of newly re-timbered underground conveyor tunnel to tour. The underground experience is available through the Tunnel Tour program only. The other programs that do not go underground provide equally fulfilling experiences.

Can we have lunch at the Atlas?
We have picnic tables and washrooms available for your group. We sell drinks and snacks in our giftshop but we do not have a full cafeteria. Alternately, the East Coulee School Museum has a Tea Room. This charming museum is just 5 minutes away and can be contacted directly at: 403.822.3970.

Where else can we book an educational group tour?
East Coulee School Museum
5 minutes away at 822-3970
Reptile World
15 minutes away at 823-TOAD.
Homestead Antique Museum
20 minutes away at 823-2600.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum
25 minutes away at 823-7707.
See www.traveldrumheller.com for maps and more to see and do.
Tour Buses and Adult Groups:
Alberta History at its Dirtiest
Tour Buses and Adult Groups
Your clients will have fun stepping into the days when "coal was king". Walk the Tipple Trail, explore the underground, investigate some mine buildings, and hear stories of men who mined the black. Atlas Coal Mine tours are led by entertaining, knowledgeable guides. Each tour is customized to meet the needs of your group, call 403.822.2220 for more information.

75 - 90 minute programs
10% discount for pre-booked groups consisting of 10 or more


Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Park


Fun & Fascinating National Historic Site
Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site

Box 521, 110 Century Dr.
East Coulee, Alberta, Canada
T0J 1B0

Phone (403) 822-2220
Fax 822-2225

info@atlascoalmine.ab.ca

© Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site