Underground History of California
A bit of California history has reopened to visitors after being shut for nine years. The Black Diamond Mines near Antioch, about 45 miles east of Oakland, include what were once the state’s largest coal mines (active from the 1850s to 1906) and also a sand mine (1920s to late 1940s).
Although the coal mines are too unsafe to enter, you can take a 45-minute tour, 400 feet underground, of the Hazel-Atlas mine, which supplied sand for glassmaking. There are old mining lamps and other artifacts, historic photos and a video on the coal mines.
Admission is $2.50; children under 7 are not allowed. The tours are offered by the East Bay Regional Park District on weekends only, and reservations are recommended. Call (510) 562-2267.
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