The Soudan Underground Mine was closed in 1963 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. It is operated as a State Park by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, with 14 tours a day taking the historic elevator for a fast and clamorous ride nearly a half-mile below the surface. After descending, hard hat-wearing tourists can view old mine caverns with some of the equipment still standing in place. Since May 2002, tourists can also view the cavern housing the CDMS detector.