Mayrau Mining Open-air Museum – tour with former miners as your guides

The mining museum Mayrau is open-air museum in the former place of Mayrau Mine, located in the village Vinařice near Kladno, 30 km west of the capital Prague.

It is devoted to the mining of coal in Kladensko and Slánsko and offers tours focused on the technical documentation and presentation of mining to visitors.
A coal company Prague Iron began with mining operations in Mayrau in 1874. At that time the Kladno district was the largest supplier of coal in the Czech lands. A shaft, deep 527 m and named after the then Chairman of the Board Dr. Kajetán Mayer, soon became popular among the Kladno mines. About 10 years later, a compound shaft Robert was mined. During 120 years there were extracted 34 million tons of coal.

Before the closure of Mayrau there was established a museum, which was opened to the public on 19th August 1994. The exposure model was applied "last working day", that means there is situation as if people who worked there, just left yesterday. Visitors walk through authentic places and experience the miner's working day from the canteen to the shaft. Guides are former miners who worked at the pit.
The museum exhibits three winding machines (secession machine Ringhoffer is displayed running to visitors), in 130 m long drift is an exposure of fully mechanized coal stope. There is also an exposition of mining rescue work, a lamp-house and interlocking control or chain cloak-room.
For children there are 130 meters of mining tunnels, which are full of ghosts.
The museum also organizes walking tours of old mines with guides and collaborates with artists who hold art symposiums and other events here.

The museum is open year round: Monday - Sunday from 9 AM to 3 PM.