|
|
Asarco Mineral Discovery Center1421 W. Pima Mine Road www.mineraldiscovery.com |
| The Asarco Mineral Discovery Center demonstrates the vital importance of mining and minerals in our civilization, provides educational opportunities for students and teachers in the earth sciences, and seeks to preserve the mining history of Arizona and the American West. Our award-winning exhibit center offers visitors an opportunity to learn the natural origin of mineral deposits and to discover how they are developed to produce the metals we all use in our everyday lives. Our Discovery Theater presents a variety of short video topics, and tours of the Asarco Mission Mine and Mill are available to the public. | |
|
Location: |
South on I-19 to Exit 80, Pima Mine Road, then 200 feet west and turn left through the railroad crossing gate. South 1/4 mile and turn right into parking lot. Visit our web site for a printable map to give to your driver. |
| Parking: | Two lots adjacent to the center, space for buses and RVs |
| Hours of operation: | Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., last tour leaves at 3:30 p.m. |
| Admission fees: |
No charge for the Exhibit Center and Discovery Theater. Fee for mine tours: $6.00 Adults $5.00 Seniors (62+ years) $4.00 Children (5-12 years) Children (0-4 years) are free. We offer a $1.00 discount for organized groups of eight or more who make reservations in advance. There is no charge for public and private school groups who make reservations in advance. Funding to cover the cost of school bus transportation is available by application as funds are available. Call our Education and Tour Coordinator for more information. |
| Membership: | No |
| Handicapped access: | Yes |
| Lunch facilities: | Picnic area, snack and beverage vending machines |
| Gift shop: | The Company Store gift shop offers a wide variety of Southwestern arts and crafts, rocks and minerals, videos, books, and souvenir apparel. Students are permitted in the gift shop five at a time with a responsible adult chaperone. |
| Curriculum relevance: | K-12, Earth Science, Geology, Mineral Uses, Environmental Issues, Arizona History, Economics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physical Sciences, Careers |
| Contact person: | Joan Jones, Education and Tour Coordinator, 625-8233 option 2 |
| Arranging a Visit: |
Reservations are required at least 3 weeks in advance. One mature adult chaperone is required for every 8 to 10 students. Chaperones above this ratio will be charged the adult group rate.
The average two-hour tour includes the mine and mill tour, exhibit center, and Discovery Theater. Minimum group size is 10 students, and the maximum is 60. Exhibit material is targeted for fourth grade and up, but younger children may benefit if adequate classroom preparation precedes the tour. |
| Tour description: | Guided tour visits the edge of the open-pit mine, walks into the mill facility, and drives by active environmental reclamation work. |
| Other resources: | A free packet of adaptable curriculum material including posters, booklets, worksheets, and classroom activities is sent to every teacher scheduling a tour to help prepare the group for the visit. Teachers scheduling a tour for the first time are offered two free mine tour tickets to be used for a pre-tour visit to become familiar with our facility. |
|
Outreach programs Call to schedule a speaker to visit the classroom with a presentation on mining and mineral use. Presentations on related topics can be customized to your curriculum needs in many cases. |
|
|
page last updated November 08, 2001 09:48 AM |
|
