Central Mine and Village

The Visitors Center reopens June 10, 2007.

One of the most noteworthy historical sites in Keweenaw County is Central, or Central Mine, a village that once was the home for over 1,200 people, and the site of one Keweenaw's most successful mines. The mine, opened in 1854, produced nearly 52 million pounds of copper by the time it closed in 1898. Central is located on US Highway 41 about five miles east of Phoenix, Michigan.

Descendants of Central mining families gather each year, on the last Sunday in July, at the old Methodist Episcopal Church for the Central Reunion. The church, erected in 1868, with its distinctive battlemented tower reflecting the Cornish ancestry of many Central families, closed in 1903. It is reopened on each Reunion Sunday for a service of tribute to the hardy pioneers of all faiths from all the early copper mines that dotted Keweenaw County. The year 2007 will mark the 101st anniversary of these reunions.

Several miners' homes still stand on the site. In 1996, the Keweenaw County Historical Society acquired 38 acres of the old Central site. Some of the residences are being restored, and a Visitors Center provides interpretive exhibits not only about the mine but also about the miners' families, homes, schools and churches.

Two hiking trails opened in 2005, a fun way to see the various sites in Central. The trails are 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile long through the woods.

The Central site is open year-round. Please respect the privacy of dwelling occupants. The Visitor Center will be open again this summer. Donation requested.