The Mushroom Mines of Kentucky

The Mushroom Mines are a teenage rite of passage in Eastern Kentucky. These enormous, magnificent mines sit out in the open, welcoming scared teenagers into its dark depths while offering a safe place to drink beer and smoke weed. Like any other good industrial relic, there are stories of Satanic sacrifices, Big Foot roaming the nearby woods, and a "tall, albino looking man" chasing people out of the mines. Oh, and did we mention there's an underground lake? Of all the places The Clio Society has been to, the Mushroom Mines are easily amongst the top three of most spectacular places to go.

 Before I go any further, please excuse the photo quality. I got a new camera and was excited to try it out. Turned out I had my settings all wrong. Oh well.

History: 
I don't have too much information on the history of the mines prior to their close, which a local told me was around the early 1950s. They sat empty for awhile before they were purchased to become a mushroom farm, hence the name the Mushroom Mines, which is how most people know them. The mushroom operation shut down in the '70s and there was talk of turning the mines into a fallout shelter. Most recently, in 2007/08, there was talk of turning the mines into a storage site for digital data, tapes, hard drives, etc. The project however ran into financial difficulties and work on the operation ceased, leaving behind the half-built buildings you'll see in the photos down below.

If you'd like to see a video tour of the Mushroom Site, check out this YouTube video.

Directions, safety issues, and more are at the end of the post.


First up, a map of the location:

This venture started out by parking next to map feature #12, a half-built building. Parking space is a bit tight as there's not much shoulder and the road is narrow. If you keep following the road up and over the hill there's a really nice neighborhood.

We started our journey by climbing over the rock piles (they're about thigh-high) and starting off at entrance #1.

Surprisingly, this is most graffiti at the site. The tunnel splits in two, to the left and to the right. They end up in the same place. Actually, everything is interconnected.

Close up of the tunnels and a fellow Society member's listening preference.

To the left of the main mine.

 

This is heading to the right of the main mine, towards the back of the property.

 

There is industrial trash everywhere. 

There are also many of these drainage holes as well. They're hidden pretty well underneath all the weeds which are pretty thick, even in the dead of winter.


Air shafts, #3 on the map.

This entrance was the only one you couldn't drive in. It's #4 on the map.

 Inside #4.

 

 

 

Looking out #4

Conduits are scattered throughout the area.

The three buildings at the back of the property. These were for data storage company.
The two on the left were only half finished, while the one on the right had a roof on it.
 

 

 

  

 Mines #5 & 6.
From what I've been told, the entrances were partially bricked up to allow for those rolling corrugated metal doors that you see on garages and storage units.

 

  

These entrances were massive. I'd say you could easily drive two big rigs in side by side with ease. 

Inside the mine.  

 

A tag from a delivery back in 2008. 

 #12 on the map, the half-finished building by itself on the left side of the road.
We parked next to it.

Directions (coming from the east):

-Take the 2nd Olive Hill Exit off 1-64 and turn left.

-Turn right at the Dairy Queen.

-A few miles up the road turn left at Qualls Oil, it's easy to see.

-Drive for f*ucking ever. If at one point you see a freestanding brick chimney just chillin' randomly in someone's front yard you're on the right path.

-On the left side of the road you'll see a group of three abandoned buildings. One is a stone house, a general store, and then a smaller storage shed. Turn left onto the road between the stone house and general store.

-A few more miles up the road and up the hill and your jaw will drop when the mines suddenly come into view.

Kid-Friendly trip? 

Ages 12+, and while you can step into the mines, don't go back in them. **See safety warning for more information.

Safety (the higher the better):

Structure safety: 7/10. Basic common sense safety will do. Of course, it is a mine and there's always a risk of collapse but I feel this place is pretty solid. 

Surrounding area safety: 5/10. The terrain around the mines is flat but very uneven, with many hidden drainage ports just begging to snap an ankle. There are some "trails" made of gravel which make walking around the mines easier. Due to the fact it was a limestone mine, the place is covered in pieces of limestone. In the summer this place will be covered in ticks, snakes, and god knows what else.

Weirdo safety: 3/10: This place is weirdo central. Drugs are sold here and it wouldn't surprise me if Walter White was cooking up meth somewhere deep inside. There's supposedly a band of spelunkers who camp out--if not flat out live--in there. Dead bodies have been dumped inside the mines. Not to mention all the rumors about Satanic rituals. 

Safety equipment recommended:

Boots are an absolute must. Lanterns are highly recommended in addition to flashlights.

Cell phone service: With AT&T, I had 2-3 bars at the site, but when driving around it would come and go.

For those who have asked, yes, you are allowed to use this post on other websites, social media, etc., provided you link back to us. Srsly, it ain't that hard to do so.