Peak District Mining Museum
BEST FOR
Ages 4+
ENTRY
from £5
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Matlock
What it’s like
An underground guided tour through a real lead mine, plus a museum where kids climb mock tunnels and pan for minerals.
The big thing here is going underground. Temple Mine gets a proper guided tour, at least an hour, down a steep slope and through the sort of low passages that make an eight-year-old feel like a real miner. Above ground, the museum has mock climbing tunnels to scramble through and a spot for panning for gold and minerals, which is the bit most kids end up remembering over anything behind glass. Once a month there's a candlelit tour on the first Sunday, which sounds like the one to save for when they're a bit older and less likely to find it more scary than atmospheric.
It suits four upwards, mostly because the mine involves walking or being carried through tight, uneven spaces, and there's no getting a pushchair or wheelchair in there. The museum's ground floor is fine for buggies and wheelchairs, but the upper level is stairs only, so you'll be leaving the pushchair downstairs if you want to see everything. Budget 1 to 2 hours for the museum alone, or 2 to 3 hours if you're doing both museum and mine, which most people seem to.
You don't need to book for a normal visit, but the mine tour has limited places and fills up, so ringing ahead is the sensible move rather than turning up and finding it's full or shut for a pre-booked group. Prices are separate for each: £8.50 for an adult and £5 for a child (4 to 17) gets you into the museum, and the same again for the mine, or £16 for an adult joint ticket covering both. Food on site is cold drinks and confectionery rather than a café, though Matlock Bath itself has plenty of places to eat once you're done.
Toilets are staff only inside, with the nearest public ones a 20p walk to the north end of the village.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Ages 4 and up, once they can manage the mine's steps and slopes
- Booking
- Mine tours book up quickly. Booking recommended to avoid disappointment
- Parking
- 2-hour pay-and-display car park adjacent
- How long to allow
- Museum 1-2 hours. Mine tour 1 hour minimum
- Food
- Cold drinks and confectionery on site
- Pushchairs
- Ground floor fully accessible. Can be left downstairs for upper level
- Wheelchairs
- Ground floor wheelchair/pushchair accessible
- Getting there by bus or train
- Easily accessible by car, bus and train
- Worth knowing
- Museum tickets valid for 1 year for unlimited return visits
- The mine can close at short notice for pre-booked group visits, so a phone call before you set off is sensible.
- Museum tickets last a full year, handy if the mine tour is fully booked and you want to come back.
- There's no ramp to the museum's upper floor, just the stairs, so plan around that with a pushchair.
- Cash, card or app all work at the cheaper Masson Mills car park nearby if the 2-hour one fills up.
Plan your visit
Do we need to book?
Not for a regular visit, you can just turn up. The mine tour has limited places though, so it's worth calling ahead to make sure there's room, especially since it can also close for pre-booked groups.
How much does it cost?
£8.50 for an adult and £5 for a child (4-17) for either the museum or the mine on their own, or £16 for an adult joint ticket covering both. Groups of 10 or more get a discount.
How long should we allow?
An hour or two for the museum, and at least an hour for the mine tour. If you're doing both, allow 2 to 3 hours.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
The museum's fine from a young age, but the mine is walked or carried only, no pushchairs, and it's listed from age 4 upwards.
Can wheelchairs or pushchairs get around?
The museum's ground floor is fully accessible and you can leave a pushchair downstairs while you see the upper level, but there's no ramp up. The mine has a steep slope and steps inside, so it isn't accessible at all.
What food is available?
Just cold drinks and confectionery on site. Matlock Bath has other cafés and places to eat nearby.
Is there parking?
There's a 2-hour pay-and-display car park right next to the museum, plus a longer-stay one about 10 minutes' walk away.
What about toilets?
Only staff toilets on site, though they'll let you use them if you ask at the shop. The nearest public ones are 20p, at the north end of the village.
Are there candlelit tours?
Yes, on the first Sunday of every month at 1pm, as a different take on the usual mine tour.
Do tickets let you come back?
Museum tickets are valid for a year, so you can pop back for repeat visits without paying again.
Can you get there by public transport?
It's in Matlock Bath and easy to reach by car, bus or train.
Do they do birthday parties or school visits?
Both are listed as things they cater for, alongside group bookings.
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