A Childs Life...

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Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah

Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah

I had obtained a free pass into Kennecott. Thank God or I would have seriously would have wanted my money back. Had I actually had to pay the five dollars I might have done so.

 

My Visit to Kennecott was quite a let down

You start with a 4 mile drive up to the visitor center. To which you are informed that you MAY NOT stop and take pictures of the only part of this visit I enjoyed, the scenic syrup dripping mountains. So Naturally I slowed down to 5 miles an hour and pulled out my camera to snap a few anyway. (Gotta Love those Nikon Cameras!)

The Visitor Center

Their visitor center is the size of a single wide trailer. Their Ode to copper theme was well over played and crammed into every inch of wall space (a lot of which was just picture and a TV screen to talk you to death on something or another. Generally Kennecott). None of which held the captivation of my 4 year old child, whom was the main reason we made the trip in the first place. They had hundreds of miniaturized vehicles which they use at the mines. I wondered if they were once someones personal toys in their office they had gotten bored  with and placed them behind plastic for display. They had a 15 minute video that barely held my attention let alone my sons, and started extremely slow. We didn't finish.  Seven minutes was all my child could take. We headed back out side and once again looked down into the mines. I had already come to realize the view was far better from Butterfield Canyon. This being the original reason I looked into visiting the mine.

The Gift Shop

We then wondered into the Gift shop. I love copper, but this gift shop, also the size of single wide trailer, was so crammed with things for sale that you could barely move it in in the first place, but was so over crowded that you expected to see the fire marshal run in at any second to SHUT IT DOWN. For like myself, everyone who visited the mine was quick to learn the only thing of interest up there were their wares. But they too were over priced and nothing was made in America! Though for once it was made in Australia instead of China, Japan or Mexico. Or at least what I could see. For I had realized all to quickly it was way too over crowded to be in there with my 4 year old son who could dart through the sea of people far better than I, and was all to quickly missing from my sight more than once in a 3 minute span. He was quickly found and we left. Snapped a few more picture on the way down and from the main road.

Kennecott Website

 I  had looked them up on their own website. It gives the impression that you would get to see some of the equipment up close and personal. Which was the entire reason for taking my child up there. He loves big machinery (Even Wheeler Farm has old equipment out for the kids to sit up on.). He wanted to get in one and check it out. And on their website they show people with the big dump trucks as if this would be something to see. But alas no, my poor son was disappointed to say the least when I had to explain we couldn't even get close. And when a four year old is trying to talk you into going down one of those forbidden roads to go see one, you know he's got it bad.

Butterfield Canyon Utah

All in all, I say save your money, and take a pleasant drive up Butterfield Canyon if you wish to look down into the mine. I guaranty you'll enjoy that far more. It may be one of the few man made object viewable from space, but like from Butterfield Canyon, it probably looks better from up there.

The following pictures of Kennecott are from Butterfield Canyon or on the drive up to it.....Utah

And here is the photo where you can see that tiny, minute visitor cent in the top right middle section of the photo. Miniscule in comparison to the other buildings in this picture.