coudersport ice mine

Though the Ice Mine is not normally open this time of year (October 11, 2014), the owner was nice enough to open it for the Judy Bolton Weekend visitors to see. Though there was not much to see, I am determined to try to come back when they are open and hope all my friends will try to see this unusual mine.

The Ice Mine has a Facebook page and be sure to check it before heading out. Right now it is open Thursday through Sunday 10-6 Memorial Day through Labor Day. That being said, our family enjoyed learning about the site. There was no ice at the time, and you learn about why that is during the lecture, so we were not charged. If you like history and/or geological anomalies, you will enjoy this pretty area and interesting lecture. Don't forget your sweatshirt! It's 33 degrees inside.

Ok. It's not the Grand Canyon or Mt. Rushmore, but for the area, it's a neat little place to visit. There wasn't much ice in it when we were there, but it is cold! Friendly people, nice little gift shop selling soveniers. It's worth a trip, the setting is beautiful!

Okay, so it was just restored after being closed for most of my life. I wanted to go. Maybe it's just because in that time I've seen many caves, but this was a let down. The new construction and path in are gorgeous! The pit they call an Ice Mine (which was never even mined for ice!) is just that. A pit, dug out by people mining for something completely different, with a platform built above and around it. There was no ice but the very informed young man said there is much more in the later summer. To top it all off, people through money down into the pit, not very environmentally friendly and not good for the natural state of the pit. Disappointing at best.

The Ice Mine had been closed for 25 years and this year reopened it's doors after countless hours of hard work and dedication by the new owners. The Ice Mine has been brought back to its the early days of a being a fantastic natural curiosity.The Coudersport Ice Mine was accidentally discovered in 1894 by Billy O'Neil while he was using a divining rod to try and locate a silver mine which was thought to be somewhere in Ice mountain. When Mr. O'Neil started digging, he found layers of ice, not silver. Edwin Swift Balch has described the Ice Mine as a true "glaciere naturelle" or natural refrigerator. He states that even though the Coudersport Ice Mine is small, it is the most impressive one known in the eastern United States. The Coudersport Ice Mine has a gift shop with some locally produced items, lots of novelty and items reproduced from the original Coudersport Ice Mine style...including post cards, t-shirts and booklets. A patio area overlooks the hillside and has plenty of bench space and picnic tables available for enjoying a bit of warm sunshine before or after the cool trip into the “cold area”. Coffee, ice cream and various snacks can be purchased at the gift shop.This isn't a long tour but it is a great place to stop on a hot summer day to enjoy the natural beauty of Potter County.