Presentation of the Museum
Visitors to the Slovenian Coal Mining Museum enter it under the guidance of experienced guides in precisely the same manner as miners did in the previous century. Clad in mining attire, wearing helmets and with miners’ packed lunches in their pockets, they descend into the depths through the Old Shaft. In the underground tunnels, they are presented with a vivid depiction of how miners worked in the past and how they work today, and become acquainted with mining equipment from the coal mine’s most recent decades of development. The story is enacted in 18 scenes by 15 miners’ puppets, which are brought to life by means of contemporary audio-visual equipment. You will meet a miner (a ‘hajer’), a mine surveyor, a senior supervisor and a boy serving as an assistant; you will learn about the best part of the ‘shift’ – the lunch break – witness the construction of a mine tunnel and underground transport, inspect the rescue equipment and be shaken by the depiction of the tragic mining accident of 1893.
The outdoor areas have remained largely unchanged since they were vacated by the miners. In the outdoor area, on display are a collection charting the development of coal mining in Slovenia, a miner’s flat dating from 1930, the history of the traditional miners’ Skok čez kožo festival, a bathroom, black and white cloakrooms, and various exhibitions by distinguished artists.
In 2025, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Velenje Coal Mine, the largest exhibit (18 metres wide and almost 5 metres high) was installed in the museum park; it comprises hydraulic powered supports, an extraction machine, and a chain conveyor. In the museum park, the Dominion extraction machine (which handled in excess of 85 million tonnes of coal) and a geological column are also on display, while the museum shop offers an extensive selection of mining keepsakes.
The museum has also been the recipient of numerous awards – a special recognition from the European Museum Forum, the Valvasor Award, the Ford Award, the Award of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, and the Golden Coat of Arms of the Municipality of Velenje. The five-star experiences Velenje Underground and Submerged Villages have also received awards.
The Slovenian Coal Mining Museum was part of the international CoalHeritage project, which sought to preserve and promote mining heritage as part of the European Union’s cultural heritage.
