BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine & Youth Museum has been announced as one of the top 10 history museums in the country for 2022 by USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice program.
The site, which originally opened in 1962, is the first historical locale dedicated to the education of the public on the coal mining industry. The site’s inclusion on this year’s USA Today 10Best list falls fortuitously on the 60th anniversary of its operation.
Initial nominees for the ranking were selected by a panel of experts in conjunction with editors for the 10Best program. Once the nominees were determined, the entries which made the final top 10 list were decided upon by popular vote.
Historical sites joining the Exhibition Mine in the top 10 include the USS Constitution Museum in Boston, MA, The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, NV, and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH, among others.
The mine, though not active in coal production, recently underwent updates to maximize safety and longevity. These additions, the first major work to be undertaken on the site since the 1990s, are expected to sustain the site for another 60 years.
Though the adjacent Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia remains accessible to the public on a year-round basis, the mine itself operates on a seasonal schedule, opening on April 1st each year and closing on November 2nd.
More information on the winners and 10Best program can be found here.