The Dante Coal and Railroad Museum is home to an extensive collection of artifacts, photographs, and audio recordings which document the history of the town and its two primary industries from the settlement period through today. The museum is currently open by appointment. Please call: 276-495-1903


The museum is staffed and operated entirely by volunteers; former miners and railroaders share their stories during scheduled group tours of the museum. Weekly musical performances which present local styles and repertoires are planned and staffed by volunteers. The museum and the nearby Coal Miners' Memorial are available for guided group tours by schools, which in the past have incorporated the tour into curriculum about the past and present state of the coal industry and energy production in the United States.

Plans for the future include a scale model of the downtown area and an education area where the public can access genealogical and historical records and listen to the recorded voices of people who were interviewed for the Dante History Project. A simulated mine entrance will be built in the old bank vault. If you have an item to donate or loan, please call the Museum at 276-495-1903.

The History

Built in 1919, the Dante branch of the Dickenson-Russell Bank, went "bust" in 1931. It reopened as the Beer Garden restaurant in the 1940s, was later turned into a teen center, and finally became the Clinchfield Coal Company repair shop.

Dickenson-Russell Coal Company, a subsidiary of Alpha Natural Resources, donated the former bank building. It was in rough shape when we inherited it, but we saw possibilities! Volunteers pitched in to remove debris from the old building in the spring and summer of 2004 and make plans for its rebirth as a museum to showcase the pictures, stories, and artifacts of coal mining and railroad life and work. To view photos of all the hard work that went into the transformation, visit our photo gallery.