Free Mine Tours Offered on Saturday in Viburnum, Missouri

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 10, 2024) – The Doe Run Company (Doe Run) and the Viburnum community will once again commemorate the rich mining history of southeast Missouri at the 38th Annual Old Miners’ Days festival October 4–5. The community event includes two fun-filled days of entertainment for all ages and features free tours of Doe Run’s Buick Mine on Saturday.

Community activities get underway Friday at 5 p.m. with the annual Tiny Tot Contest and Miss Viburnum Scholarship Pageant at the Elmer P. Beard Gymnasium in Viburnum. Saturday events begin at 9 a.m. in the outdoor Viburnum Center. Visitors 12 or older may sign up for a free underground tour of a working Doe Run mine. Tours begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.

“Our free underground mine tours are a big attraction,” said Randy Hanning, general manager of Doe Run’s SEMO Mining and Milling division. “Most people don’t realize how large and spacious our mines are and the enormous equipment and facilities we have underground to support the minerals we use in our lives on a daily basis. We look forward to hosting this event every year.”

Guests will travel through the shaft over 1,000 feet underground and see the company’s Buick Mine, including heavy mobile equipment, the maintenance shop and rock pillars full of valuable ore. Free bus transportation will be provided to shuttle guests the short distance from the Viburnum Shopping Center to the Buick Mine and back.

Throughout Saturday, guests will enjoy live music, kids’ games and activities, food trucks and booths, craft vendors, a community parade and much more. In the evening, Inspyral Circus will provide circus-style performances that will inspire and amaze the audience with juggling, acrobatics and other performances. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Elmer P. Beard Gymnasium. Doors open at 6 p.m. Weekend festivities conclude Sunday morning with a community church service hosted by local area churches at 11 a.m. in the Viburnum Center.

Learn more about Old Miners’ Days, including a full schedule of events, at https://www.oldminersdays.com/.

About The Doe Run Company

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company providing vital minerals and metals to the global market. Dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral and metal production, Doe Run operates mines located in southeast Missouri from where it produces lead, zinc and copper concentrates. Doe Run also operates one of the world’s largest, single-site lead recycling centers, located in Boss, Missouri. Company mineral and metal resources contain lead, zinc, copper, cobalt, nickel, tin and antimony – all vital metals to support a more sustainable energy future. Doe Run has additional operations in Washington and Arizona. For more information, visit www.doerun.com.