A Trip Into Coal History In McCreary County, Ky.
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In Stearns, visitors can begin their journey to discover what life was like for Kentucky coal miners and their families in the mid 1900s.
The Stearns Coal & Lumber Company operated mines in McCreary County until the 1960s. Now, the area is a popular destination for travelers. Tourists can visit a reconstructed coal camp, hear the voices of those who lived there, and view museum exhibits that teach about the coal itself and of the people living it its dust.
Big South Fork Scenic Railway
With coal scattered by the side of the track, the Big South Fork Scenic Railway gives you a train ride that takes you along part of the path of the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway. It’s a beautiful if noisy ride — the locomotives breaks screech like nails on a chalkboard amplified 100 times.
The Stearns Coal & Lumber Company operated mines in McCreary County until the 1960s. Now, the area is a popular destination for travelers. Tourists can visit a reconstructed coal camp, hear the voices of those who lived there, and view museum exhibits that teach about the coal itself and of the people living it its dust.
Big South Fork Scenic Railway
With coal scattered by the side of the track, the Big South Fork Scenic Railway gives you a train ride that takes you along part of the path of the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway. It’s a beautiful if noisy ride — the locomotives breaks screech like nails on a chalkboard amplified 100 times.
The 3-hour round trip includes vividly colored rocks and a waterfall, as well as a tunnel and several camps. The train returns to the station by going backwards along the same track, so to see what’s on both sides of the train, you should sit on the opposite side of the train than when you rode in.
The train stops at the Blue Heron Coal Mine Camp for more than an hour, which gives you plenty of time to explore the camp before hopping the train back. However, if you want to explore the hiking trails around the camp as well, you might consider going on a Saturday, when the train runs twice, allowing you to take the morning train to the camp, and riding back to Stearns on the afternoon train.
The depot is located just off of RT 92. Ticket prices are $18 for Adults, $16.50 for seniors, and $9 for children under 12. They also offer special seats in the engine and caboose. The Saturday day-pass is $25 for adults and $15 for children. Please see their web site for the train schedule.
McCreary County Museum
Included in the cost of a train ticket is a trip to the McCreary County Museum. If you skip the train, the museum costs $5 for adults, $4 for Seniors and $3 for children 6 to 12. It’s just a short walk from the train depot.
Exhibits teach more about the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company, as well as give a peek into family and community life by recreating typical rooms in their homes, such as kitchens and bedrooms, as well as a general store and post office.
Blue Heron and Barthell Coal Mine Camps
If you bypass the train ride, you can drive to the Blue Heron Coal Mine Camp, located off of US 742 (take the left fork in the road). The camp is filled with ghost structures, which are frames set to give a sense of the size and location of where the real buildings would have been. Each structure has recorded interviews of people who lived there so you can hear what life was like in their own words.
Blue Heron is a self-guided tour, but the Barthell Coal Camp provides guided tours of what a camp would truly look like during its time. Guides also provide a look inside a mine by going 300 feet inside. Barthell is also locaed on US 742 (by taking the right fork in the road). Tours are not strictly scheduled, but are given on a first come, first served basis.
Blue Heron is free for anyone, but the Barthell tours are $12 for a camp tour or $10 for a tour of the mine.
The 3-hour round trip includes vividly colored rocks and a waterfall, as well as a tunnel and several camps. The train returns to the station by going backwards along the same track, so to see what’s on both sides of the train, you should sit on the opposite side of the train than when you rode in.
The train stops at the Blue Heron Coal Mine Camp for more than an hour, which gives you plenty of time to explore the camp before hopping the train back. However, if you want to explore the hiking trails around the camp as well, you might consider going on a Saturday, when the train runs twice, allowing you to take the morning train to the camp, and riding back to Stearns on the afternoon train.
The depot is located just off of RT 92. Ticket prices are $18 for Adults, $16.50 for seniors, and $9 for children under 12. They also offer special seats in the engine and caboose. The Saturday day-pass is $25 for adults and $15 for children. Please see their web site for the train schedule.
McCreary County Museum
Included in the cost of a train ticket is a trip to the McCreary County Museum. If you skip the train, the museum costs $5 for adults, $4 for Seniors and $3 for children 6 to 12. It’s just a short walk from the train depot.
Exhibits teach more about the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company, as well as give a peek into family and community life by recreating typical rooms in their homes, such as kitchens and bedrooms, as well as a general store and post office.
Blue Heron and Barthell Coal Mine Camps
If you bypass the train ride, you can drive to the Blue Heron Coal Mine Camp, located off of US 742 (take the left fork in the road). The camp is filled with ghost structures, which are frames set to give a sense of the size and location of where the real buildings would have been. Each structure has recorded interviews of people who lived there so you can hear what life was like in their own words.
Blue Heron is a self-guided tour, but the Barthell Coal Camp provides guided tours of what a camp would truly look like during its time. Guides also provide a look inside a mine by going 300 feet inside. Barthell is also located on US 742 (by taking the right fork in the road). Tours are not strictly scheduled, but are given on a first come, first served basis.
Blue Heron is free for anyone, but the Barthell tours are $12 for a camp tour or $10 for a tour of the mine.