The Quincy and Delaware mine tours are now open full-time for summer tourism. The Quincy mine will be offering a special from last year, allowing visitors to tour the Quincy smelter after purchasing a full mine tour, and the Delaware mine is aiming to add a maritime museum to what is offered at the mine.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP and DELAWARE, Mich. (WLUC) - Now that warmer weather is here, tourist attractions around the Copper Country are opening their doors.

Starting Friday, the Quincy Mine will be opening full-time, offering tours throughout the week.

Tours are available for both the mine area and the Quincy smelter along the Portage Canal.

For those who want to see both, they have a special option.

“We are continuing to run the special we had last summer,” said Quincy Mine Manager Tom Wright. “For anybody that does the complete tour here at Quincy, the smelter tours are bundled in as a value-added package. So people can come to Quincy, and then can visit the smelter at any time.”

Wright said he encourages people to come out and discover the history and geology of the location.

“The importance of Quincy Mine and copper mining in the Keweenaw, in general, cannot be overstated,” continued Wright. “It is a pivotal part of our history in supplying what today we might call a strategic metal that was a pivotal part of the nation becoming industrialized. And it is a story that is largely forgotten about or unknown.”

And further north, in Keweenaw County, the Delaware Copper Mine is also open for tours weekly.

It is now in its 46th year of operation.

The tours are self-guided, allowing people to explore the area as they see fit.

“When you come here, we show you a short video to explain it,” said Delaware Mine Owner and Operator Tony Poynter. “Then you get to take your time and walk through the mine on your own, and it takes about 35 minutes to 45 minutes to do that. We also have some nice walking trails.”

Poynter said he also working on adding an addition to what can be viewed at the mine.

“We’re working on a small museum here that will be based on maritime shipwrecks, things like that, and some of my interests in steam engines, old engines, and trains,” added Poynter. “Hopefully, we’ll have some of this open by the end of the summer.”

Additionally, the Delaware Mine has a mascot, a skunk named Snickers, who visitors can interact with as they explore.

Both mines are Keweenaw Heritage Sites, a program that aims to preserve the history of the copper mining industry in the area.

They will be open full-time until mid-October.

To learn more about the Quincy Mine and its tours, click here.

For more about the Delaware Mine, you can check out it’s Facebook page here.