Library, mine organizing free mine tour

OGDENSBURG — Sussex County Library and Sterling Hill Mine are working together to celebrate the Libraries Rock summer reading theme with a free mine tour on July 20 at 2:30 p.m. The tour is open to all Sussex County Library cardholders, but you must register in advance to receive a Libraries Rock at Sterling Hill Mine Free Tour pass. Register June 29-July 14 through the Events Calendar link at sussexcountylibrary.org, or by stopping at any Sussex County Library location.
The tour is a 1,300-ft underground “stroll” through the Sterling Hill zinc mine. Visitors will see mining equipment, the lamp room, the shaft station and mine galleries dating back to the 1830s. For many the highlight is the Rainbow Tunnel, where brightly fluorescent zinc ore and other natural minerals are illuminated by ultraviolet light. The mine is a cool 56-degrees all year round, making it a nice break from the summer heat.
“We are very grateful to Sterling Hill Mine for offering Sussex County Library cardholders this wonderful opportunity to visit one of the area’s great attractions free of charge,” said Library Director Will Porter. “The rich history mining and minerals in Sussex County has so much to offer our annual Summer Reading Program. It’s a terrific example of the way local businesses and organizations go out of their way every year to help us grow literacy and learning over the summer.”