Musée de la Mine La Louvière

Mining Museum Robert Pourbaix

Useful Information

Location:	Bois-du-Luc.
Open:	JAN to DEC Mon-Fri 9-12, 13-17, Sat, Sun, Hol 14-17. Closed 25-DEC, 31-DEC, 01-JAN. [2010]
Fee:	Museum: Adults BEF 70, Children BEF 60. Museum + House + extensions: Adults BEF 100, School Children BEF 80.
Classification:	Coal mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=120 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Musée de la Mine, rue St Patrice 5 bis, 7110 Houdeng-Aimeries, La Louviere, Bois-du-Luc, Tel: +32-64-225448, Fax: +32-64-225448. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1685	start of mining.
1780	first steam engine installed.
1846	colliery Saint Emmanuel opened.
1855	offices and workshops built.
1907	building renovated.
31-DEC-1959	colliery Saint Emmanuel closed.
1973	mining ends with the closure of the last colliery Quesnoy.

Description

The Musée de la Mine (Mine museum) at La Louvière is primarly a museum showing the work and the live of the coal miners at Bois-du-Luc. The museum includes the reconstruction of a miners house with furniture and all items of daily life from 1850.

The underground part of the museum is the Castelain gallery, a mine replica explaining the typical coal mining techniques and the underground working conditions. It is actually a reconstruction of the nearby Saint-Joseph pit.