Hancock, MI
Quincy Mine
4.8· 2,189 Google reviews
Trip at a Glance
Source checked 2026-08-15- TypeCopper-mine heritage tour with a seasonal cog-rail tram ride to the East Adit
- LocationHancock, MI
- Rating4.8 ★2,189 Google reviews
- UpcomingFri, Sep 25
About Quincy Mine
Quincy Mine is a privately operated Keweenaw National Historical Park Heritage Site and National Historic Landmark on Quincy Hill above Hancock. Quincy Mine Hoist Association, an independent nonprofit, preserves the surface buildings and leads the visitor program. The current 2.25-hour full tour combines 30-45 minutes around the No. 2 hoist complex, a short passenger ride on the site's cog tram down the hillside, and an underground walk through the East Adit into seventh-level workings dating to the 1860s. At the August 15 cutoff, the embedded official booking system published 77 remaining regular full-tour dates from August 16 through October 31 plus two 5 p.m. Lights Out departures on August 20 and 24. The general site says tours continue year-round, but its winter instructions replace the cog tram with each party's own vehicle to the adit. Those later no-tram tours are not counted as rail rides, and no November-December 2026 booking date was published at the cutoff.
Plan the Cog-Tram Mine Tour, Not Just the Surface Visit
Choose the visit that fits your groupVisitors who want the actual rail component and can prepare for cold, damp, uneven underground conditions
Book the full tour for the cog ride
Choose a live regular Mine Tour date for the 2.25-hour combination of hoist-house interpretation, cog-tram transport and seventh-level underground walking route.
All visitors, especially weekend parties and travelers coordinating a second timed stop
Treat start times as live inventory
The booking calendar has every date through October 31, but departure times and remaining seats vary. Select party size and date in checkout before planning the day.
Repeat visitors and groups comfortable underground with reduced fixed lighting
Use Lights Out only on its two dates
The 5 p.m. headlamp-led version remains available on August 20 and 24. Do not turn the on-request language into additional public departures.
Travelers whose visit depends on reduced walking, transfers, seating, hearing, vision or service-animal details
Call ahead for mobility assistance
The operator asks for at least 24 hours' notice to arrange its underground transportation vehicle. Confirm tram boarding, transfers and the exact route before paying.
Every full-tour guest, including summer visitors surprised by the underground temperature
Dress for 43 degrees and wet gravel
Bring layers, a hat, gloves and waterproof closed-toe footwear for roughly a mile of walking and more than an hour underground.
Late-fall and winter visitors deciding whether the rail component is essential
Separate winter tours from tram season
Year-round winter tours continue by private-vehicle transfer to the adit, without regular mobility assistance. They are mine tours, but not current cog-tram rides.
Upcoming Events
Official schedule information
2026 special-event calendar
Schedule information was checked against the linked official source. Dates, availability, and operating conditions can change. Check the live official calendar ↗
Plan Your Visit
- ArriveArrive at least 20 minutes early, check in at the Gift Shop beside the Shaft House and complete the waiver sent after booking
- Ride EligibilityThe regular full tour explicitly includes a passenger ride on Quincy's cogwheel tram to the East Adit; surface-only admission and winter drive-to-adit tours do not satisfy the rail-ride gate
- Remaining Regular CalendarSeventy-seven consecutive bookable dates remain from August 16 through October 31, 2026; start times and capacity vary by date in the live Flybook checkout
- Lights Out CalendarTwo additional Mine Tour w/ Lights Out departures remain at 5 p.m. on August 20 and August 24; they use the full-tour format with underground lights reduced and headlamps distributed
- Winter BoundaryThe operator says tours run year-round but its winter page directs guests to drive their own vehicles about 10 minutes to the adit, so winter tours are excluded from the cog-ride calendar until tram service is again explicitly scheduled
- DurationThe current full tour lasts about 2 hours 15 minutes, with 30-45 minutes above ground and more than an hour in the 43-degree damp underground environment
- WalkingExpect roughly one mile of walking, much of it underground on wet gravel; closed-toe waterproof footwear, layers, a hat and gloves are strongly recommended
- FaresRegular full-tour base prices are $40 adult, $20 youth age 7-17 and $20 college student or veteran with ID; active duty is free with ID and children six and under are free without a separate ticket
- Surface OnlyA $15 above-ground-only hoist option includes the steam-hoist interpretation, museum access and Shaft House No. 2 but omits the cog ride and underground portion; call to arrange it
- MinimumA tour needs at least four adult tickets; if the minimum is not reached, the operator may contact guests to reschedule or refund
- MobilityDuring the regular season the operator can provide an underground transportation vehicle for limited walking capacity only with at least 24 hours' advance contact; it does not publish a complete step-free cog-car or securement specification
- Winter MobilitySnow travel and the required private-vehicle transfer prevent the operator from offering its regular mobility assistance on winter tours
- PetsSupervised pets may be on the grounds, but only task-trained service animals are permitted on guided tours
- Restrooms And FoodUse the restroom before the tour; backpacks with snacks and drinks are allowed, but no meal is included
- GroundsThe industrial landscape can be explored free on a self-guided basis, but buildings, tour access and weather conditions remain subject to current staff direction
Find the Depot
The Trains
Quincy's visitor railway is a purpose-built cog tram on the steep hillside between the No. 2 surface complex and the East Adit. A toothed rack between the running rails engages the tram's cog mechanism, and the enclosed red passenger car provides the current regular-season descent and ascent. National Park Service planning material describes it as the Midwest's only cogwheel tram. It is visitor transport rather than preserved Quincy & Torch Lake Railroad equipment, and the operator does not publish a locomotive number or guarantee a particular car. The broader tour interprets the Nordberg cross-compound condensing steam hoist ordered in 1917 and placed in use in 1920, ore cars, the shaft-rockhouse, machine shop and other industrial systems. The hoist is a preserved machine, not the power source for the modern tram. Winter tours substitute private vehicles for the tram and therefore are not presented as rail rides.
History
The Quincy Mining Company began copper-mining activity on Quincy Hill.
Quincy began the long dividend run that established its 'Old Reliable' reputation.
The sandstone Supply Office now used as the visitor gift shop was completed.
Quincy ordered the enormous Nordberg cross-compound condensing hoist for the No. 2 shaft.
The Nordberg hoist entered service and Quincy's continuous dividend period ended.
The company's principal underground copper production ended.
The Quincy Mining Company Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark.
Keweenaw National Historical Park was established with Quincy as one of its two principal historic landscapes.
Regular full tours continue to combine the hoist complex, cog-tram ride and East Adit underground experience.
See full history
The Quincy Mining Company began copper work on Quincy Hill in 1846 and developed one of the Keweenaw's longest-lived mine systems. The current operator describes active underground production from 1846 to 1945 and nearly one billion pounds of copper; the National Park Service visitor listing uses the narrower 1864-1945 span for the mature operation, so this page preserves the 1846 founding while avoiding a false single-date claim about every shaft. Regular dividends from 1868 through 1920 earned the company the nickname 'Old Reliable.' By the early twentieth century the inclined No. 2 shaft extended thousands of feet beneath the hill, and the 1917-1920 Nordberg hoist project represented Quincy's last major technological expansion. The nonprofit Quincy Mine Hoist Association now operates the historic property as a Keweenaw Heritage Site. The modern visitor cog tram was added for access to the East Adit and should not be confused with the former Quincy & Torch Lake industrial railroad that moved copper and supplies around the company's wider works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Quincy Mine ticket include the cog tram?
No. The regular full tour includes the cog tram, while the $15 above-ground-only hoist option does not. Winter tours also direct guests to use their own vehicle to reach the adit.
How many cog-tram tour dates remain in 2026?
The live official calendar publishes 77 consecutive regular full-tour dates from August 16 through October 31, plus two additional 5 p.m. Lights Out departures on August 20 and 24.
How long is the full tour?
About two hours and fifteen minutes. Roughly 30-45 minutes are above ground, followed by the tram transfer and more than an hour in the mine.
How cold and difficult is the underground route?
The mine stays about 43 degrees and can be damp or muddy. The full tour requires about one mile of walking, much of it on wet gravel.
Can Quincy Mine accommodate limited walking capacity?
The operator can arrange an underground transportation vehicle during the regular season with at least 24 hours' notice. Confirm the cog-car boarding and every needed transfer directly before booking.
Is the winter tour a train ride?
Not under the current published instructions. Winter guests drive their own vehicles about ten minutes to the adit, and the operator cannot offer its regular mobility assistance in those conditions.
What does the full tour cost?
$40 for adults, $20 for youth age 7-17 and $20 for college students or veterans with ID. Active-duty visitors are free with ID, and children six and under are free.
Do young children need tickets?
Children six and under are free and need no separate reservation. The operator says they sit on an adult's lap during the cog ride and warns the guided tour may not suit every very young child.
May I bring a pet?
Supervised pets may visit the grounds, but only task-trained service animals are permitted on guided tours.
Where do I check in?
At the Quincy Mine Gift Shop beside the Shaft House at 49750 US Highway 41. Arrive at least 20 minutes early and complete the post-booking waiver.
Sources & Verification
Source-checked August 15, 2026. This free profile has not yet been claimed or confirmed by the operator.
- Current official mine-tour page for cog inclusion, duration, fares, walking, mobility assistance, pets, arrival and clothing
- Current official homepage for daily gift-shop hours, year-round status, address, public contact and 1846-1945 identity
- Current official winter-tour page for private-vehicle adit transfer, no winter mobility assistance, weather and four-adult minimum
- Official nonprofit page for Quincy Mine Hoist Association ownership, mission and visitor-program identity
- Current official upcoming-events page used to exclude the anniversary gala and other non-ride items
- Current embedded Flybook catalog reached from the official Book Now control, with Mine Tour entity 20351 and Lights Out entity 27503
- National Park Service Quincy Mine listing for independent Heritage Site status, cog-rail tour, surface option and Old Reliable context
- National Park Service visitor-strategy record for the exact tour complex, East Adit, Midwest-only cogwheel statement and access limitations
- National Historic Landmark nomination for the 1917 Nordberg order, 1920 service date and largest steam-driven hoist
- Current NPS accessibility page separating the nonprofit-operated Quincy tour property from NPS-operated park facilities
- Exact Wikimedia Commons file records for the eight operator images and their creators, identities and reuse licenses
