Sterling Hill Mining Museum - Ogdensburg, New Jersey

Shelly C.

What a cool place! The florescent rocks and the mine itself were amazing! The tour was a little longer than necessary and a bit dry. (There were too many people for one tour group.) The former miner's firsthand experience was fascinating!
I would recommend this tour for families with children older than 10.

William G.

Great scout trip!
Quality mine tour. Impressive museum collection of mining artifacts. Colorful mining equipment outdoors. Nice glass enclosed lunch space. Snack bar. Fair price. Adults can skip "rock discovery" add on, but good souvenir for kids. Gift shop has a good selection of authentic items at reasonable prices.

Jonathan L.

I recently visited the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, and it was an incredible experience from start to finish! This hidden gem offers a perfect mix of history, geology, and hands-on learning that makes it enjoyable for both kids and adults.

The guided mine tour was fantastic—our guide was knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about sharing the rich history of the mine and its unique fluorescent minerals. Walking through the tunnels and seeing the glow-in-the-UV rocks in the Rainbow Room was truly mesmerizing!

Beyond the mine, the museum itself is packed with fascinating exhibits, including rare minerals, mining equipment, and historical artifacts. There’s also a great area for kids (or adults!) to try gem mining, which was a fun way to take home a souvenir.

If you’re into geology, history, or just looking for a unique and educational outing, I highly recommend Sterling Hill Mining Museum. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that leaves you with a deeper appreciation for the Earth’s natural wonders!

Michael B.

This is the best tour in northwest NJ. The 2.5 hour tour includes a multimillion dollar mineral and fossil museum, the Rainbow Tunnel and demonstrations of some aspects of the former zinc mining operations. I wouldn’t recommend taking kids under 4, as it’s quite long, some puddles and low clearance that makes carrying children difficult. Wear sturdy shoes and something for your head (hood or hat) because the ceiling drips —groundwater working its way down.

Michael S.

First time at the mine and loved it. The website says no reservations are required. Arrived at 12:30 for the 1:00 tour. Quickly bought our tickets and were on our way shortly after. We were put into a group of 35 with one tour guide.

We entered the mine, learned about what the miners did and a great, interesting history of the property. Was shocked to learn the mine actually goes down over 2,500 feet, however because it was closed in 1986 and the water pumps stopped, the lower floors have all since been flooded.

Towards the end of the mine portion of the tour you enter the rainbow room and get to see all of the rocks glow under UV lights. At the end of the mine portion, you enter the UV mineral collection and explore three rooms of glowing rocks and other artifacts. Next, you enter the museum portion and get to explore everything from dinosaur footprints to mining equipment to Native American artifacts to a meteorite that crashed into a NJ home. Really cool stuff and really well done.

In total the tour was about two hours. It was incredibly well done.

Highly recommend checking this hidden gem out!!

Chris M.

Place was very informational staff. I’m a local and very cool history brought my friends from the city to explore what it’s like in Sussex nj. Great stay again I would do this agian. Gift shop was cute.

Regina V.

Unfortunately we didn't get on the tour that day, but we visited the museum room where there were different types of stones. It's very beautiful and indescribable how unpredictable nature is with its gifts.

Piyush S.

The museum is nice and the tour guides make the tour interesting. The mine is not functional for almost 50 years yet, there are some great rocks and the museum team has tried to protect the mine. It is a must go for the kids interested in mining