Christmas time is almost here and the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Youth Museum will hold the popular Appalachian Coal Town Christmas event on two consecutive weekends this year, November 27- 28 and December 4 and 5.

Beautiful lights adorn the “Coal Camp” for the Appalachian Coal Town Christmas

The Exhibition Coal Mine and the Youth Museum have been celebrating Christmas in this special way for more than a decade. Back when it started, HGTV came and produced a Christmas special that featured the above ground lights and unique underground tour. They ran the special for several years and the event received a lot of publicity. Over the years there have been numerous magazines and newspapers that have written stories about the event as well. It truly has become a southern West Virginia holiday tradition for many, many people.

Appalachian Coal Town Christmas will be held both weekends from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm. The cost is $10 per adult and $5 per child.

Guided underground tours, a marshmallow roast, horse drawn carriage rides, and caroling in the church will be part of the celebration at the Exhibition Coal Mine. Included will be the Youth Museum’s current hands-on exhibit, “I Feel: Understanding Emotions”, planetarium presentations and a Christmas craft in the Museum’s classroom.

All of the Christmas lights and decorations will be above ground; the underground will not be decorated with lights. The Gift Shop will be open and selling unique coal creations, jewelry, Christmas items and fabulous freshly made fudge. There will also be craft vendors selling their wares during the event.

The Exhibition Coal Mine and Youth Museum complex is located in New River Park. Winter hours for the Youth Museum are Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Special hours are available for tours upon request. Many of the exhibits and classes are funded in part by the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. For more information, call 256-1747 or 252-3730.