Our museum is situated in the centre of Keswick, the town which saw the arrival of the first mining experts from Germany in 1564, the town which was the cradle of Cumbrian mining. In those early days, Copper and Lead were the treasures which were sought. Later on Keswick was to become the centre of the Pencil industry based on the famous Borrowdale graphite, the first discovery of this mineral in the world and never bettered in quality. With the coming of the railway, Keswick prospered still further and rapidly expanding Slate, Coal, Iron, Baryte and Gypsum industries ensured its continued prosperity.

This was the first mining museum to be established in Cumbria and it hosts the finest collection of mining memorabilia in the country. This includes the acclaimed Ian Tyler Collection, The Willie Shaw Collection of Minerals and part of The William Creighton and The Willie Hemmingway Collection.

The displays provide detailed information, artifacts and ephemera on all aspects of mining in Cumbria and the North. In our Geology and Mineral Room learn about how the Lake District was formed, how our mineral veins occurred, the forming of Fossils and what life was like when Dinosaurs walked the Earth. You will be amazed by the Glowing Rocks in our Crystal Cave where Fluorescence in Minerals is displayed.

Mining and smelting techniques are covered from the Stone Age to the present day and there are extensive displays of Cumbria's Gunpowder manufacture and use, the Mines Rescue Service, the lives of the miners, the Elizabethan Period and the history of Keswick Town

GOLD PANNING!! Try your hand at making your fortune - well, having a lot of fun anyway. You will easily find lovely little pieces of sparkling silver, coloured crystals, garnets and Fool's Gold and all these you can take away with you. The gold is a bit harder to find!