In the Iron Range , a few miles west of Ely, a number of fabulously rich mines continue to function more than a century after their inception. If you're interested in surveying old workings, it's possible to descend 2300ft at the Soudan Underground Mine State Park on Hwy-169 (summer daily 10am-4pm; $6, plus $4 vehicle fee).

Seventy miles southwest on Hwy-169 in Chisholm , the Ironworld USA cultural theme park (June 11 to Sept 12 9.30am-5pm; $7) turns ecological disaster into tourist spectacle, inviting you on a trolley ride to see "the scenic wonder of an open pit mine." Further opportunities to view such wonders (this time for free) occur during the ten-minute drive to HIBBING - a plain little community, of interest mainly as the birthplace of Robert Zimmerman in 1941. He's known today as Bob Dylan; oddly, the museum in City Hall has no exhibits on him.

Hibbing was also the home of America's biggest bus company. With the help of model buses and old advertisements the Greyhound Origin Center , 1201 Greyhound Blvd, looks back to its roots transporting local miners to and from the pits (mid-May to Sept 30 Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; $3). The Hull-Rust Mahoning Mine, once the world's largest open pit iron ore mine, can be toured or viewed from an overlook (mid-April to Sept 30 daily 9am-7pm; free).

Iron Range

• Iron Range

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