The fact that this huge copper mine is called the Bingham Canyon Mine is sort of joke. Bingham Canyon is gone. The mine swallowed it and the communities that existed in Bingham Canyon some time ago. The mine is very active is getting deeper everyday. We drove out to it on one of our day's off. A $5 entry fee (donated to charity by Kennecott) is required to see it. The visitor center is almost world class in terms of presenting information. It is very informative. There is a lot information about the mine, the processing of copper ore, the mine's history, copper and how and where it is used . I lingered at each display for some time. The visitor center is full of simple but effective displays. Look for a little booklet about Copper Mining Communities and Their People that tells the story of the various communities that once existed in Bingham Canyon. There is also a good gift shop with lots of copper related items.
Going to see a big hole in the ground may not be some people's idea of a good way to spend an afternoon, but we really enjoyed it. The mine is one of the few man-made things that can be seen from space. It is 2.5 miles across. Where there was once a mountain there is now a hole.
We were watching the movie How the West was Won several days ago and there is a shot of the Bingham Canyon Mine at the end of the movie. It is shocking how much deeper the mine is now. The movie was made 40 year ago.
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