peakdistrictleadminingmuseum.co.uk

The museum opens daily from 10:55am to 4:00pm starting 1 April, with mine tours at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 2:10pm every day. To reserve a place on a mine tour, call 01629 583834. On the first Sunday of each month, the 1:00pm tour is a candle-light tour, so you can see the mine as the miners did.

Opening times

The museum is open daily during this period, so you can plan a visit on any day of the week without checking for a closed day.

Mine tour times

Mine tours run three times a day:

• 11:00am
• 1:00pm
• 2:10pm

Tours are described as guided tours into an authentic 1920s lead and fluorspar mine, and include the chance to try panning for 'gold'.

Candle-light tours

On the first Sunday of each month, the 1:00pm mine tour is by candle light. This is the only scheduled variation to the standard tour times noted on the site.

Booking a mine tour

The museum asks visitors to call 01629 583834 to reserve a place on a mine tour. Booking ahead is the recommended way to secure a spot, particularly if you are travelling specifically for a tour time or want the candle-light Sunday slot.

What else you can see

Beyond the mine tours, the site lists:

• Museum – the history of the Derbyshire mining industry and the families who worked in it.
• Shop – minerals, souvenirs and books.
• Learning – activities and tours for a range of educational needs.
• Summer events – seasonal programming alongside the regular opening hours.

If your main reason for visiting is the mine tour rather than the museum galleries, treat the tour times above as the fixed points to build your day around, and call ahead to confirm your place.

The museum lists a dedicated Pricing page at peakdistrictleadminingmuseum.co.uk/pricing/, which is where you should check current admission and tour costs — the site itself doesn't publish the figures in the pages summarised here. What it does confirm is that mine tours must be reserved by phone on 01629 583834, and that tours run at fixed times each day.

What the museum confirms about visiting

From the museum's own opening information for 2026:

• Museum opening hours: from 1 April, open every day, 10:55am to 4:00pm.
• Mine tour times: 11:00am, 1:00pm and 2:10pm every day.
• Booking: call 01629 583834 to reserve a place on a mine tour.
• Candlelight tour: on the first Sunday of each month, the 1:00pm tour is by candlelight, so you see the mine as the miners did.

The museum also notes that during summer events it is open 11–4 daily with mine tours at 11am, 1pm and 2.10pm, again booked by phone.

Why you should check the Pricing page rather than assume a single price

The site separates its offer into distinct parts, and each can carry its own charge:

Because the museum, the Temple Mine tour and any events are presented as separate experiences, a single "entry fee" figure may not cover everything you want to do. The Pricing page is the authoritative place to confirm what applies to your visit.

How to plan and book

1. Decide whether you want museum entry only or museum plus a Temple Mine tour — the tour is the part that requires a timed slot.
2. Pick a tour time: 11:00am, 1:00pm or 2:10pm. If you want the candlelight experience, aim for the 1:00pm tour on the first Sunday of the month.
3. Call 01629 583834 to reserve your place. The museum asks you to ring to book mine tour places, so don't assume you can simply turn up for a tour.
4. Check the Pricing page before you go, so you know the current cost for the combination you've chosen.

Common sticking points

• Tours are timed and reserved by phone, so a same-day walk-up may not get you onto the tour you want, especially in summer.
• The candlelight tour is monthly, not daily — it's the 1:00pm slot on the first Sunday only.
• Opening hours change with the season. The 10:55am–4:00pm daily pattern applies from 1 April; check before travelling outside that period.
• Prices aren't stated in the material summarised here. Treat any figure you see elsewhere as unverified and confirm on the official Pricing page.

The Peak District Lead Mining Museum runs a dedicated Learning programme with "a range of activities and tours to suit a wide range of educational needs," according to its website. The museum also offers mine tours and a museum exhibition that can support a school or group visit. The site does not list specific activity names, age ranges, or curriculum links, so the practical next step is to contact the museum directly to discuss what fits your group.

What the Museum Says About Learning

The Learning section of the website is described only in general terms:

• A range of activities — the museum states it offers multiple formats rather than a single standard visit.
• Tours — guided tours are part of the learning offer, alongside the activities.
• Designed for a wide range of educational needs — the wording suggests the programme is intended to be adapted rather than fixed to one age group or subject.

Because the site does not publish a breakdown of individual sessions, you cannot confirm from the website alone whether a specific topic, key stage, or group size is covered. Treat the Learning page as a starting point and confirm details with staff.

The Two Main Learning Settings

Any educational visit draws on two on-site experiences, both described on the website:

Museum

The museum covers "the fascinating history of the Derbyshire mining industry, and of the many families who made their living from this gruelling work." The site adds that it "has something for everyone to enjoy and learn from" — useful for mixed-age groups where you want a broad introduction before or after a tour.

Temple Mine

The Temple Mine tour takes visitors into "an authentic 1920s lead and fluorspar mine," and participants can "try your hand at panning for 'gold'." This is the more physical, hands-on element of a visit and is likely the strongest draw for groups studying industrial history or geology.

Practical Details for Planning a Group Visit

The candlelight tour is worth noting if you are planning a visit with an emphasis on atmosphere or on how miners actually worked — the museum describes it as a chance to "see the mine as the miners did."

How to Arrange a Learning Visit

1. Check the Learning page on the museum website to see whether any activity details have been added.
2. Call 01629 583834 — this is the number the museum gives for reserving mine tour places, and it is the most direct route to ask about tailored learning activities.
3. State your group's needs when you call: age range, subject focus, group size, and preferred date. The museum's own wording about "a wide range of educational needs" implies this conversation is how the programme is matched to you.
4. Confirm tour times against your schedule — with tours at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 2:10pm, a group visit needs to be built around one of these slots.
5. Ask about pricing at the same time, since the website's pricing page does not provide figures in the information available here.

What Is Not Confirmed

The website does not specify:

• Named learning activities or workshop titles
• Target age groups or key stages
• Group size limits or minimum numbers
• Whether learning sessions carry a separate charge from general admission
• Whether outreach or off-site sessions are offered

For all of these, the museum's phone line is the reliable source. If you are a teacher or group organiser, calling before finalising dates will save a second round of planning.

The Temple Mine tour takes you underground into an authentic 1920s lead and fluorspar mine on a guided visit, and you can also try your hand at panning for "gold" as part of the experience. The museum runs mine tours daily at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 2:10pm, and on the first Sunday of each month the 1:00pm tour is conducted by candlelight so you can see the mine as the miners did. Places are limited, so the museum asks visitors to call 01629 583834 to reserve a spot.

What the Temple Mine tour actually is

Temple Mine is not a reconstruction or a display tunnel — it is a real lead and fluorspar mine dating from the 1920s, and the tour is led by a guide who takes you inside it. That matters for what you should expect:

• It is underground and unheated. You are walking into a working-era mine, not a climate-controlled gallery.
• It is guided, not self-led. You move through with a guide rather than at your own pace.
• It is a fixed-time activity. You cannot simply turn up and walk in; tours depart at set times.

The museum itself, above ground, covers the history of the Derbyshire mining industry and the families who made their living from it — useful context either before or after the underground portion.

Panning for "gold"

Alongside the underground tour, the museum offers the chance to try panning for "gold". The quotation marks are the museum's own — this is a hands-on demonstration of the panning technique rather than a prospecting session with any expectation of striking it rich. Treat it as a participatory activity, and expect to get your hands wet.

Candlelight tours: the first Sunday of each month

On the first Sunday of every month, the 1:00pm mine tour is run by candlelight. The museum's framing is straightforward: you see the mine the way the miners saw it. If you want the most atmospheric version of the tour, this is the slot to aim for — but it is also the one most likely to fill, so book ahead rather than assuming you can decide on the day.

Times, dates and how to book

The museum's own summer events notice repeats the same pattern — open 11–4 daily with mine tours at 11am, 1pm and 2.10pm — so the tour schedule is consistent across the season rather than varying by event.

Practical points worth knowing before you go

• Book the tour, not just the visit. The museum and the mine tour are separate things; reserving a tour place is what guarantees you get underground.
• Build your day around a tour time. With departures at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 2:10pm, the middle of the day fills the gap between the first and last departures.
• Check the season. The daily 10:55am–4:00pm opening quoted here applies from 1 April. If you are visiting outside that window, confirm current arrangements before travelling.
• Bring a layer. Underground mine conditions are not the same as surface conditions, and the candlelight tour in particular is about experiencing the mine on its own terms.

For ticket prices and any booking conditions, see the museum's pricing page — those details are separate from the tour schedule summarised here.

peakdistrictleadminingmuseum.co.uk is the official website of the Peak District Lead Mining Museum, a visitor attraction in Derbyshire, England, devoted to the history of the local lead mining industry and the families who worked in it. The site is an information and booking hub for anyone planning a visit: it covers opening times, guided mine tours, a shop, learning activities and seasonal events. If you want to know what is on offer before travelling, or you need to reserve a place on a mine tour, this is the site to use.

What the museum covers

The museum presents the history of the Derbyshire mining industry and the many families who made their living from what the site describes as gruelling work. Its stated aim is to have something for everyone to enjoy and learn from, so the content is pitched at general visitors as well as those with a specific interest in industrial history.

The main sections of the site

Visiting and booking

The site publishes opening times and tour schedules, which is the practical information most visitors need.

• Opening times (2026): from 1 April, the museum is open every day from 10:55am to 4:00pm.
• Mine tours: available daily at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 2:10pm.
• Booking: call 01629 583834 to reserve a place on a mine tour.
• Summer events: the museum is open 11–4 every day with mine tours at 11am, 1pm and 2:10pm, booked on the same number.
• Candlelight tours: on the first Sunday of each month, the 1pm mine tour is by candlelight, so you can see the mine as the miners did.

Because tour places are reserved by phone rather than through an online form, it is worth calling ahead if you are travelling specifically for a mine tour or want a candlelight slot.

Who the site is for

• Prospective visitors checking opening hours, tour times and how to book.
• Families and general tourists looking for a half-day attraction with an underground element.
• Schools and group organisers browsing the Learning section for activities and tours matched to educational needs.
• Mineral and book buyers using the Shop section.

The site does not present itself as an online ticketing platform or a detailed academic archive; its role is to describe what is at the museum and get you booked onto a tour.