Portal 31 is a project more than 10 years in the making. The old U.S. steal mine is being turned into a Kentucky coal exhibit to show what it was like under ground there for more than 40 years.

The museum in Lynch of Harlan County will take tourists on a ride of the mine, visiting eight sights along the way. Portal 31 employees took pictures of the miners. You’ll see those photos of the men and women at the end of the exhibit.

Sandra Sleight-Brennan, with the Portal 31 project says, “Gives people a better idea of why it was important and how people did it, how the work changed, evolved over the years. How the mining techniques changed.”

Portal 31 employees say they hope the project will be finished in early 2009.

Now state officials pulled funding earlier this year but Harlan County leaders are using coal severance tourism funds to keep the project moving forward.