Relive the three centuries of coal mining in the northern France.

A unique industrial and human adventure!

The Mining History Centre is France's largest mining museum. It is set on the site of the old Delloye colliery at Lewarde, in the North of France. It welcomes more than 150,000 visitors each year. Follow in their footsteps and visit the centre, where you will find yourself plunged deep in the world of mining.

Explore authentic workplaces at Delloye colliery.

Enter the emblematic world of this former colliery, with clothes hanging in the bathrooms, lamps lined up in the lamp room, a horse neighing in the stables and the enormous wheels of the extraction machines. Don’t miss our reconstructions of the administrative office of the 1930s, where you will meet the accountant and the miners’ representative.

Seven major exhibitions will take you to the heart of this industrial and social adventure.

With “The origins of coal: the Carboniferous” take a geological voyage through time to learn how coal is formed.

Then, thanks to “Life in a mining village” see the daily life of a miner and his family laid out before you: leisure, health, living conditions, etc. 

In “The three ages of the mine”, models of mining sites illustrate the ways in which the industrial and technical landscape evolved during 270 years of coal mining in the Nord-Pas de Calais.

Other historical and scientific exhibitions are also provided to complement your exploration of the world of mining: “Energy: yesterday, today and tomorrow”, “The odyssey of life on earth”, “Horses and mining” and “The history of Delloye colliery”.

Guided tour of the galleries: a voyage to the heart of the mine

Journey to the bowels of the mine accompanied by a heritage interpreter! Cross the staff footbridge to the coal breaker and sorting area where women and young miners were responsible for sorting the coal. In the galleries, you will learn how the working techniques and conditions underground evolved between 1720 and 1990.

Audio guides in English, German, Dutch, Polish, Italian and Spanish are available for the permanent exhibitions and the galleries.

As an addition to your visit, we offer a very special “Meet a former miner” experience (in French only): the miner will tell you all about his career, working conditions, safety underground and much more.