253 documented underground fatalities at Michigan's oldest copper mine — 9,000 feet deep and still descending tours
49750 US Hwy 41, Hancock, MI 49930
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Underground tours priced separately from smelter tours; see website for current rates
Access
Limited Access
Underground mine tunnel requires tram and walking on uneven rock; not wheelchair accessible underground
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1846 · Deepest Copper Mine in World History · 99 Years Continuous Operation · Keweenaw National Historical Park · National Historic Landmark Hoist House · 253 Documented Underground Fatalities
The Quincy Mining Company was incorporated in 1846 and began producing copper from the Keweenaw Peninsula's native copper deposits the following year. Unlike the copper mines of the American Southwest, which extracted copper from ore, the Keweenaw deposits contained masses of nearly pure native copper — requiring different extraction methods but yielding exceptionally high-grade material. Quincy operated the No. 2 and later No. 7 shafts from the ridge above Hancock, with the mine eventually extending to a depth of 9,260 feet, making it the deepest copper mine in the world during its peak years.
Over 99 years of continuous operation, Quincy produced approximately 936 million pounds of copper, earning it the nickname 'Old Reliable' among investors for its consistent dividend payments throughout most of its operating life. The workforce was drawn largely from immigrant communities — Cornish miners from England (who brought hard-rock mining expertise), Finnish immigrants, and later communities from across Central Europe. By 1900 Quincy employed over 2,000 men.
The cost in lives was substantial. Mine records document 253 underground fatalities during Quincy's operational period, caused by falls, rock falls, blasting accidents, and equipment failures. The sheer depth of the workings — with temperatures rising significantly as miners descended — created hazards that surface or shallow mines did not face.
Quincy ceased copper production in 1945, when declining copper prices and the expense of maintaining the deepest workings made continued operation economically unsustainable. The surface plant, including the No. 2 shaft hoist house (a National Historic Landmark), the enginehouse, and the adjacent 1898 smelter on the Portage Waterway were preserved. The smelter — the only remaining copper smelter on Lake Superior — was incorporated into Keweenaw National Historical Park when Congress established the park in 1992.
Sources
The Mining Gazette's 2022 feature on the Haunted Underground events at Quincy noted that the mine's paranormal reputation predates the seasonal Halloween programming — workers and guides have reported unexplained sounds since the property's re-opening as a heritage attraction. The specific experiences most commonly cited are auditory: the sound of tools striking rock, rhythmic tapping that doesn't correspond to any mechanical source, and voices at a distance that tour groups attribute to the natural acoustic amplification of the tunnels before realizing no one else is present.
The 360-foot depth accessible on regular tours is enough to encounter the near-total darkness, sub-60-degree temperatures, and spatial disorientation that characterize underground mining environments. Guides on the standard tours describe visitors frequently reporting sensations of being followed or watched, particularly near the older side passages that branch off the main tour route and are not illuminated.
The Haunted Underground tour format, offered in October, leans into this history directly — the 253 deaths are explicitly referenced, and the production elements (lighting, sound) are designed around the mining fatalities rather than invented supernatural narratives. The smelter complex has generated its own set of accounts, with staff describing movement in the upper levels of the processing buildings during evening lockups.
Descend 360 feet underground by tram into the working tunnels of the Quincy Mine, guided by narrators through the shafts where copper was extracted for nearly a century. The mine reached 9,000 feet depth during operations — the tunnels open to visitors are a fraction of that, but the rock, the darkness, and the scale of the operation are evident at every level.
Tour the 1898 smelter complex, the only surviving Lake Superior copper smelter. Guides walk visitors through the processing buildings where mined rock was converted into copper ingots. The smelter is a unit of Keweenaw National Historical Park and one of the largest intact industrial structures in the Upper Peninsula.
Offered in October, the Haunted Underground tour uses light, sound, and the mine's natural darkness and acoustic qualities to create an immersive Halloween-season experience. The 253 documented fatalities during the mine's operational period form the historical backdrop.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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