The Coal Mine exhibit at the Museum opened in 1933 as the Museum's very first exhibit and has remained both popular and historically important since then. The exhibit replicates an underground coal mine, featuring Old Ben No. 17, a real coal mine that was relocated from southern Illinois. Visitors take an elevator ride 30 feet below ground to explore mining equipment, tools, and machinery used in coal extraction, with working examples of how mining has evolved from pickaxes to longwall machines capable of carving out football field-sized sections of shale. The exhibit also explains how Davy lamps were used to detect methane dangers and includes a train ride that gives visitors a sense of a coal miner’s "daily commute." While the exhibit has undergone several renovations since its opening, it continues to offer an immersive experience that educates visitors on the dangerous and demanding work of miners and the significant role coal mining has played in the U.S. economy. A  key feature of the exhibit is the headframe, which supports the machinery that powers the elevator, transporting visitors into the simulated mine. The hoist, part of the headframe system, raises and lowers the elevator, which transports both miners and coal within the mine. Since 1933, the Coal Mine exhibit has remained an important part of the Museum, showcasing the complexities of the mining process and the evolution of mining technology.