Sierra Silver Mine Tour, Inc.

Our miner and tour guide in the mine named Marty was awesome!! He was informative and very funny! You can really tell he loves what he has done his whole life and wants to share his knowledge so people can understand how important mining has been and continues to be. It's extremely hard work and I have a new respect for the profession. The trolley ride and history tour of the area was equally fun and informative. Overall great experience and highly recommend. The kids really enjoyed it too! You are even given a little souvenir when you leave.

Very interesting and educational! If you have sensitive ears bring earplugs, they demonstrate some of the machinery. It is pretty cold in the mines so bring a light jacket! The trolley ride up to the mines is fun but please be courteous to the other passengers and talk quietly amongst yourselves as the guide is narrating about the history of the town as you ride through.

Mine tour was really unique and the retired miners who lead the tour were AMAZING. It does get very loud in the mine when they demonstrate the tools. We would recommend ear protection for little ones or those sensitive to sounds. It is about 55 degrees in the mine so a light jacket is advised. Absolutely worth making the time to do the tour. We learned a lot and really enjoyed it. The tours do fill up fast and they leave exactly on time.

The Sierra Silver Mine Tour was amazing!! We got to drive around the beautiful town of Wallace on a trolley and learn more about its history and see it's beautiful sights. The tour of the mine was incredible!! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about mining and its equipment. It was really cool! I highly recommend it!!!

Wonderful experience. Educational and moving. Lee, our tour guide, was excellent. He took everyone’s photos with their cameras at the start of the tour without being asked to do so. Small, thoughtful details made it a wonderful experience in addition to his knowledge and genuine interest in teaching.

The tour starts in the town of Wallace, which is already a really nice place to visit, and then takes you to one of the silver mines that's close to the town. I would HIGHLY recommend taking this tour if you are into history and also want to see some really cool scenery (both from the vehicle tour around the town and also inside the mine). Marty was an excellent tour guide as well.

The tour guide actually worked in the mines. He was speaking from experience and not just spouting out info he knows. He was passionate and made the tour very real and taught us so much. He put the antique equipment to use, it was SO COOL!!! Would highly recommend.

Fast Freddy is the best tour guide of all time! This tour was a highlight of our family reunion and I'm so glad we decided to stop! We had 12 kids in all and all of them said it was the best thing they did during our vacation! A must see! You will not regret it!

This tour was far better than I had expected going in. Having done some similar things previously I expected a simple walk through an old mine. Not the case at all. Our guide was fun, interesting and watching him use the old tools originally used in the mine was wild and really gave a better understanding of what miners do. Highly recommend this tour. Even the trolley ride around town before and after the actual mine tour itself was super informative. You get a lot of insight into the town of Wallace and the people there.

This tour is really interesting, informative and "hands on". Our guide, Lee, is knowledgeable and very personable. Wallace and the surrounding area has many activities to offer. The mine tour should be first on your itinerary.

Wow, were we impressed! Even the bus ride to the mine was fun and informative. The tour was given by "Fast Fredie" and was absolutely fantastic. Not only was he a long time miner but knew everything you could want to know about the mine and mining. It was so interesting. He even demonstrated how mining was done and used the old machinery and tools that were used by the miners. The cost of the tour was very fair and we would highly recommend this tour if you are any where near Wallace Idaho.

A fun, historic town with a unique story and wonderful historians to tell it. The trolley tour was great followed by an educational tour of the silver mine.

My husband and I did the tour for our Anniversary we loved it and totally recommend the tour.

Fun tour with lots of history the guide shared with us. The trolley ride to the mine was lots of fun, too!

What a discovery. And the tour guides are awesome. You really get a good idea of what these hardened men went through.

What a fun experience! I was with my husband staying in couer D'Alene for a conference so I broke away to head to this little town of Wallace for some history and a small adventure. The first thing you do is ride a trolley to the mine site. Our trolley guide was super informative of the area and history of Wallace! So not just a ride but a history lesson! When we get to the mine we are handed over to the mine guide, a former miner himself. Marty was very informative of how mines work, how they've changed over time, safety information and so forth. Really enjoyed learning about the process! Back at our starting point there is a store full of local souvenirs to select from. Fun trip!

Really cool experience. The real retired miner tour guide was funny and very knowledgeable.

Excellent tour!! Interesting, informative and entertaining . The guide(whose name I don't remember) was a retired miner and knew a lot.

I first discovered this mining tour while on a back country motorcycle trip with some buddies. Then a couple years later, I was on a trip with wife and kids to Coeur d'Alene. When I realized we were only an hour away from Wallace, I insisted that we take the kids to so the mining tour. Both times, my tour guide for the mine was Lenny. Yeah, the silver in the mine is the intended treasure, but Lenny was the real treasure! Both visits, he made the tour so interesting and fun, letting our kids take turns operating the equipment and being extremely engaging with his audience. I cannot wait for my next visit to see Lenny and the Sierra silver mine! Thank you Lenny for making both of my experiences memorable!

John was so good! I never experience a tour like this before! Very genuine guy with tons of experiences to share as a 40 yr. miner himself! Actual use of mining equipment was an unexpected plus! Tour bus driver/guide was a bust! She drove and read a script taped to the dash. Very unsafe and unprofessional!! Aside from the driver, put this on your list to see. You will not regret it! JA

If you weren't already familiar, get ready to dive into the world of mining because this is going to get up close and personal. Logistics first: you can either call ahead or walk into the store to book a tour time. The first tour starts at 10am and the last one is at 4pm. They leave every half hour so get to the trolley a couple minutes before your scheduled time. If you're there early, you can walk around the store which has a small exhibit and souvenir shop that includes shot glasses, clothing, and huckleberry jam. The total tour time lasts about 1 hour 15 minutes. The prices for the tour are as followed: - $16 (adults) - $14 (seniors) - $9 (children 4-16, free for 0-3) - $49 (2 adults with 2+ children 4-16) - Also note that you get 15% off with a AAA membership card! Now that the logistics are out of the way, let's get to the juicy stuff. Once on the trolley you'll take a short ride to the mine which is five minutes away. Once there you'll meet your tour guide, put your hard hat on, and get some intro info on the mine and the tour. My tour guide Marty is a retired miner and is also a fourth generation miner, so I knew I was in good hands with insight information. Once you walk in the mine, you'll feel a huge cool breeze. You'll go through a real mine and the guide will talk through all aspects of the work and the life that the miners lived. You'll see tons of large equipment which was used in the mines and your tour guide will use some too. Just be warned and prepare your ears because that the equipment is LOUD! You'll continue with the tour learning more tidbits on the way until you reach the end where you take off the hard hats and wait for the trolley to bring you back. The cool thing is they have some souvenirs of rocks that you can take with you! This was just amazing and really a must-do in Wallace to learn about the amazing history of this great town.

Wasn't planning on taking a tour but sure glad I did. Both tour guides (bus and mine tour guide) were super friendly and informative. Learned a lot of history from the tour and had some good views from the bud. I think the tour was about an hour. My tour guide at the mine was a former miner and such a cool dude. Kid or adult, anyone will enjoy this tour.

My husband and I went here today and had an amazing time. I highly recommend but if you have issues with loud noise there are several times when they show you the working equipment that you might want ear protection... Great learning experience... We really loved it.

This tour was super informative and fun to see some of the old and new ways of mining. Our guide Lee, a retired miner, was eager to share his knowledge made our experience outstanding! Thank you Lee and team!

Great people and great time! Such a fun tour in an awesome little town! I highly recommend doing this tour

Went there one day with the family while visiting Wallace, tour included a fun drive up to the mine itself on an open bus getting a mini tour of the town. Once we got there the tour guide was very knowledgeable and informative (he was a retired miner of 40+years experience). Kids got to interact on the tour as well. Overall good experience would recommend.

First, the town of Wallace is really cool and has lots of interesting history. The tram taking you to the mine makes a quick tour of the historic downtown so you know what to explore later. Once at the mine you are met by a retired miner who leads your tour. Our guide was Lee who spent almost 30 years working the local mines. He was a real character who told great stories. Lee was actually the highlight of the tour.We learned so much about hard rock mining and the search for precious metals like silver. We definitely learned that we would not want to be a miner in the old days working by candlelight! We live in the CDA area and it was a great day trip.

John was a great tour guide. He was funny and very knowledgeable. After working in the mines for many years, it makes a wonderful little retirement job to show people about what life was like in the minds. It was a great tour.!

This is a must see tour. The tour guide was a former miner and provided us with lots of information on the mine and stories from his days as a miner, not only was the tour informational but also fun! The tour guide and trolley driver were very gracious and friendly. Both had stories of the old days in Wallace. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Wallace.

The AM Trolley car driver 7/11 was great - especially with our grandson. When I could hear his stories about the places we passed, it added an interesting element to the ride. The mine tour itself was safe & handled efficiently. What we saw and were told was really informative. And we actually got to see and hear some of the machinery in action! It was a worthwhile tour for adults & a 10-year old boy.

Though I can't find record of it online, you can take a narrated trolley ride of Historic Wallace (40 minutes, about $7) separate from the mine, so it's a cheap diversion that makes for one of two stops in Wallace. It's not the most exciting tour in the world, but I learned some interesting facts to follow: *SPOILER ALERT* It was once housed the richest people per capita in America, it contained the only stoplight on the highway between Washington and Boston, it's the birthplace of Lana Turner, and it was affected by the Great Fire of 1910. That's hot.

I'm a geologist thru-and-thru and I'm pretty sure if you tapped my veins I'd bleed Mercury instead of Iron. Yes... I'm also a Virgo and this doesn't help with the Mercury matter. Anyway, I special in minerals, rocks, and volcanoes so mines (most but not all metals and lithium come from volcanic/igneous sources) are a topic that have always been of interest to me... In fact, this might have been my first ever mine tour :)! I came here with my family on our way to a family reunion in Montana when I was a wee one (about 3-5 years old). It was way over my head then, both literally and figuratively, but man did it stick. Metal ores still fascinate me over two decades later. I enjoyed the Sierra Silver Mine Tour as a kid, and that we got to wear hard helmets for safety. Though I also found that slightly frightening, as we were getting our helmets I was trying to figure out if that meant something bad 'would' happen to us or 'could' happen to us. The wordage troubles I had as a wee one. Maybe still do. The inside of the mine was cool in terms of temperature, and fun to walk through. Even though we walked approximately in single file on the tour I managed to get lost/separated from my parents, saw a woman wearing a top about the same color as my mom's so went over to her and held her hand. Then I looked behind me and saw my mom. OOPS. Yeah, that's a family story that still gets told to this day.

Our tour guide was great!! Told great stories and we learned so much! Our trip on the trolly was a real treat too. We learned a lot about Wallace and hope to visit again soon!

This tour was amazing! We would do it again. The guides were so fun and we learned so much. What a blast!

Great tour- very informative and interesting. Trolley ride through town also informative.

Amazing and educational experience led by a professional miner with over 30 years of experience! The trolly ride added additional town information. One of the best things we did on our week long trip to Idaho.

Get your hard hat on and get ready for some real mining education. This tour was a great value and you actually get to walk through a small, actual mine. Tour guide was polite, experienced and even had a sense of humor. We got to see some real machinery running while learning the history of mining. Note too steep, easy to walk through. Not too deep for those with a fear of tight places. Thanks Wallace for the good times.

We had a great time on this tour. It doesn't take a long time but it's worth the time spent. The trolley driver gives you some history of the town on the way up to the mine and on the way back down. Our guide, Lee, was awesome. As a former mine employee, he filled us with anecdotes and interesting facts about the miners, the history and the machinery used. I do caution future participants, this a very dog friendly group but the machinery is VERY loud and it causes a vibration, too, that might upset your pup. We had a service dog that is trained to not react at loud noises and she was spooked. It just depends on your dog. Overall, a great experience and I do recommend it highly. I would also like to encourage anyone who heads wary out of Wallace to to exit at Exit 54 and stop at the memorial for the Sunshine Mining disaster. It is impressive.

This was an awesome experience! The guide was funny and educational in a non boring way lol. The trolly ride itself is fun and you get a free tour in the way to and from the mine. The mine itself was much smaller than I had though it would be , but the experience was much better than I thought it would be. You don't go down very far at all but you walk a ways back in. The cool party is all the equipment both modern and primitive. They actually use the stuff and let you have some hands on fun with some of it as well.

Fun and interesting tour. Never knew how hard work was for these miners. Marty was our miner tour guide. He was great. Can get a little cold underneath so I would bring a sweater or jacket. They also do demos of a few of the power tools so you want to being ear plugs or cover your ears. Don't forget to TIP these guys.

An interesting underground experience. It is hard to believe the working conditions for these miners. Lots to learn here. Our guide was well informed, had actually worked in the mines, and now teaches mining to high school students.

We really enjoyed our tour with Fast Freddy. When he grabbed the drill and started jackhammering into the wall, it was quite an experience! He looked like he was transported back to his 20s with the energy he showed holding that unbelievable piece of equipment. He was so knowledgeable and very enthusiastic about all of the aspects of the mine. Thank you to all the miners who worked so hard and risked their lives over the years. It's a very dangerous job

Awesome tour. The tour guide was awesome! He was a veteran of the mining world for 30+ years. He shares his knowledge plus very funny! Would definitely go and do the tour again! Makes for a cheap entertaining history lesson! Five stars

Great experience. We were running late due to unknown construction and a festival in town blocking the street we had planned on parking at. The staff got us right to the trolley just as it was about to depart so we were really grateful for their effort. The tour was neat. They showed several different mining techniques and ran some equipment. It was very hands on with some of the smaller kids getting to operate them.

The town was beautiful and the tour was amazing. I've never been on a tour where they actually demonstrated the equipment. Lenny's stories were informative and funny too!

Great information. Very friendly and knowledgeable guides. Fun for all ages. Good for someone who can only walk short distances or needs breaks. The tour takes several breaks within the mine to talk about the history. Benches available at most of the stopping points. Was comfortable wearing a light sweatshirt, shorts and sandals. Great demonstrations too (possibly loud for little ones or sensitive ears).

Tour of Wallace in a open air trolley vehicle. Great tour of a silver mine! Docent was extremely knowledgeable & interesting! Great tour!

Pretty fascinating tour. I had zero understanding of mining and Mr. Lee dropped the knowledge bomb on us. The tour gave me an appreciation for how difficult that labor was, and how complex mineral extraction and refinement are. Lee's enthusiasm and persona were so great - ask him ALL your questions and he will be stoked.

What a tremendous tour! I was so impressed with the knowledgeable tour guides, especially the retired mine operators who led us through the mine. They operate the equipment, share firsthand experience as a hard-rock silver miner in the valley, and we're really engaging. Highly recommend spending an hour and $15 on this tour. You will learn a lot, and get to spend an hour underground learning about mining in a hands-on way.

The trolley ride was very fun and the driver lady was very interesting to listen to. She knew a lot about the history of Wallace and made the trolley ride very pleasurable. The mine tour was too long and drawn out, especially for very young children. The guide went into way too much detail......and made jokes / swore / and used language inappropriate for children. I understand he's supposed to look & sound like a miner.......... but it was still inappropriate.

We had a blast on this tour, between the trolley car and the live demonstration of mining tools it was a lot of fun. Not much of actual minerals inside the mine which was understandable as that mine did not ever strike silver

My husband and I had such fun! Marty was knowledgeable, fun and an entertaining guide. We never realized how much training and know how went into silver mining. We had a lot of questions he patiently answered. We had a hands-on experience. Well worth the reasonable price. Our driver of the trolley also took us around the quaint town of Wallace. She was full of stories. Recommend it to everyone.

Had a total blast and is an absolute must do in Wallace to appreciate some North Idaho history and culture! Lee was our miner guide and he's not only hysterical and super personable, but spoke to his 16 year experience working in the mines and was incredibly informative and insightful. The mine is legit, the stuff he demonstrated and used is real, and the brief city tour was neat. *Pro Tip* We picked up a 15% discount coupon at the Lookout Pass Ski Area when we rode the Hiawatha in the morning.

A must do while in the Coeur d'alene area. Less than an hour drive to Wallace, this tour is a must! Lee, a real life miner, was our tour guide and he was very knowledgeable and funny. It wasn't all just facts but it was hands on as well which made the tour that much more engaging and exciting!

My Daughter discovered this tour about 2 years ago. When we explored Spokane. So as we were planning our 7 days in Montana. I thought we would end our vacation with this tour. She said it was worth waiting two years for this tour. She's 12 now. When we booked this tour towards the end of our vacation we became accustomed to the different time zone. As we left our hotel room in Missoula, Montana. We plotted the directions in the phone. Didn't take long to realize we are going to be there way earlier than our scheduled time. The staff was accommodating in getting us an earlier tour. As we waited for our new time slot. There was a lot to look and purchase in their store along with ice cream. Yes we couldn't resist bringing home more souvenirs. We thought we were going to just tour the mine. As we boarded the open trolley bus. We were told after the mine tour. We will go on a tour and history of the city. When we went on the tour mid July masks and social distances are optional. We had to wear the hard hats provided. Not sure if they were sanitized between groups. Along with the various tools you can touch. The guide was willing to take the photos if us holding the tools. At the end of the mine portion if the tour each guest was able to pick a core sample to take home.

Super informative and fun for all ages. Length of tour is perfect time to hold little one's attention. Loved how knowledgeable staff was. Highly recommend this tour!

Wonderful tour. Who would think this gem is nestled in the little sleepy town of wallace. So informative and run by passionate knowledgeable guys who have worked in mines for years. I would recommend this to anyone in the area.