Bachelor-Syracuse Mine Tour

Useful Information

Location:	95 Gold Mountain Trl, Ouray, CO 81427. (38.059440, -107.678624)
Open:	JUN to 15-AUG daily 9-16. 16-SEP to 20-OCT by appointment. Tours every hour on the hour. [2023]
Fee:	Adults USD 18.99, Children (5-12) USD 8.99, Children (0-4) free. [2023]
Classification:	Silver Mine Gold Mine
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	T=13 °C.
Guided tours:	D=60 min, L=550 m (tour), L=1020 m (train ride).
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour, 95 Gold Mountain Trl, Ouray, CO 81427, Tel: +1-970-325-0220.
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

1884	silver discovered.
1893	during the silver crash the price of silver drops 25% in four days.

Geology

Description

Bachelor-Syracuse Mine Tour is located in Gold Hill, and is rich in gold, silver, and other precious metals. The visitors are equipped with helmets and raincoats, then the 1,020 m long ride on a miners train into the mine starts. This might get a little cool, so we recommend warm clothes. Inside the mine the rich silver veins and other mineral deposits are shown together with the equipment used to mine it.

The name Bachelor Mine was quite popular at the end of the 19th century in Colorado. This is the only one which is open to the public. It was the major mine at Ouray and dominated the local economy for 100 years. There were three owners, and they earned $250,000 each in its first few years. This equals over $4 million today. During its operation some $8 million in gold, $90 million in silver, and $5 million in other minerals have been mined.

The owners of the mine were prospector Charlie Armstrong, surveyor George Hurlburt, and speculator J. Frank Sanders. They were gambler and know to bet on almost anything. The investment of Sanders in the mine of Armstrong and Hurlburt was such a gamble. Then they hit the huge silver vein. A mining town was built at the mine entrance to accommodate the 200 miners, and was named ASH after the initials of the owners.

The second part of the name is a result of a new tunnel which was built in the 1920s. It was located below and intended to make access easier. This new tunnel was named Syracuse Tunnel because it was financed by investors from Syracuse, New York. This tunnel is the show mine part.