A mine tour near Tucson, Arizona is an excellent alternative to the mineral miracles and overwhelming mineral beauty that is the Tucson Gem Show.

The mine tour is about 20 minutes South of Tucson, and the mine tour begins at Mineral Discovery Center of the Asarco Mine, a 24/7 working copper mine owned by Grupo Mexico, http://www.asarco.com/about-us/our-locations/asarco-mineral-discovery-center/mine-tours/.

The mine tour is $10, and reservations in advance are required. American Geode suggest early arrival to walk the interesting grounds near the discovery center, full of natural foliage and fauna, and antique mining equipment. The discovery center is also home to a great gift shop, minerals on display, great mineral and mining related souvenirs, and short films about the mine, and what to expect on the mine tour.

The mine tour begins by loading on a bus, led by a tour guide, then the bus takes you through the area surrounding the mine. On our mine tour, we saw wild horses, wild steer, and a bobcat!

Then the rest of the tour continues at an outdoors location, giving you a full landscape of the mine. Then the tour is indoors, where you learn all the challenges, economic, financial, and environmental that must be overcome to manage a successful mine.

We won’t spoil the tour, but it is worth the $10, and we would even return next year. The mine tour is a delightful and relevant option before returning to the gems, minerals, fossils, and artwork of the Tucson Gem Shows.

Continue to read about what to do, where to go, what to avoid in Tucson during the Tucson Gem Shows from American Geode:

http://www.americangeode.com/blog/tucson-gem-show-guide-for-first-time-visitors-part-3-tucson-art-scene/

http://www.americangeode.com/blog/tucson-gem-and-mineral-show-guide-for-first-time-visitors-part-2-where-to-drink-and-eat/

http://www.americangeode.com/blog/tucson-gem-and-mineral-show-guide-for-first-time-visitors-part-1/

American Geode posted some laughable quips about our experience at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show over Twitter.

Read American Geode’s live Twitter updates for some real laughs:

https://twitter.com/AmericanGeode

Got questions about Tucson Gem and Mineral Show? Contact American Geode through the “Contact Us” button on the American Geode homepage: http://www.americangeode.com.