Portal 31 exhibition mine brings coal history to Perry County

Portal 31, located in the southeastern Kentucky coalfields near Lynch and Benham, presents an immersive exhibition mine that interprets coal mining history for visitors to the Eastern Kentucky mountains. The site features a dark ride style mine tour alongside historical displays that provide context about the mining communities that once powered the regional economy. The attraction is often paired with nearby heritage sites, including the Kentucky Coal Museum in Benham, and appears on regional itineraries for travelers seeking museum exhibits, local dining and lodging options.

For Perry County residents, Portal 31 functions as both a cultural resource and an economic touchstone. Heritage tourism brings foot traffic to small businesses and can create seasonal work for people in the area. The exhibit helps preserve stories of miners and their families, and it provides a venue for schools and community groups to explore local history in a hands on setting. At the same time, those same histories carry ongoing public health implications. Coal mining left a legacy of occupational respiratory disease and long term disability that shapes health needs across the region, and many families continue to contend with care access challenges in rural eastern Kentucky.

Visitors should plan ahead because hours and seasonal availability vary, and special events or restoration work sometimes change schedules. Check current operator websites or local tourism channels before planning a trip to confirm tour times, safety procedures and any temporary closures. The exhibit and nearby attractions are most useful to the community when operations are predictable and when tourism investments are coordinated with broader efforts to improve transportation, health care access and economic opportunity for local residents.

As Perry County seeks paths forward from a single industry past, sites like Portal 31 play a dual role. They honor labor and local identity while also creating modest economic opportunities and raising public awareness about the health and social costs of coal mining. Strengthening links between heritage tourism, community health services and equitable economic development will determine how much long term benefit such attractions deliver to residents of Perry County.