Discover Platteville

Platteville can be explored through very different lenses: the Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums focus on mining, the David Canny Rountree Branch Trail offers a route for pedestrians and bicycles, and Mound View Park has a natural area with woodland and a section of the Rountree Branch. There is also the history of the Mitchell-Rountree Stone Cottage. This mix gives families and other travelers a range of topics to explore during their time in the city—from industrial history to outdoor recreation.

Mining history at the Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums

The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums are located at the eastern end of Main Street. Among their offerings are tours of the underground Bevans Lead-Zinc Mine, dating to 1845. Visitors interested in mining history can make an underground mine the focus of their visit.

The museums also offer rides on a 1931 mine train. This gives visitors two different ways to experience the site: a tour of an underground mine and a ride on the train. When choosing a vacation rental, it may help to first consider whether you want to visit Platteville primarily for its mining history or spread your interests across other topics. The museums provide a specific historical point of interest to help guide that decision.

A cottage steeped in local history

The Mitchell-Rountree Stone Cottage also offers a glimpse into Platteville’s past. Samuel Mitchell and his wife moved to Platteville in 1836 and built the cottage in 1837 as their retirement home. The two dates tell a short, easy-to-follow story: first the move, then the construction. For travelers interested in the history of individual buildings as well as mining, this stop adds a couple’s life story to the historical theme. This lets you shape your visit around different interests without treating the two historic sites as one and the same topic.

A paved trail and nature by the water

The David Canny Rountree Branch Trail is three miles long and intended for pedestrians and bicycles. Its three-mile corridor is paved and lit. These details give you a clear basis for including the trail in your outing plans and taking the distance into account when planning your day. The trail can be a destination in its own right for anyone who wants to explore Platteville on foot or by bicycle; the distance alone, however, does not indicate how long it will take to walk or ride.

For most of its three miles, the trail runs parallel to the Rountree Branch. For those who want to take in the landscape along the way, it offers a direct connection between the trail and the waterway. Mound View Park is a separate destination: a section of the Rountree Branch flows through its natural area. About half of the park consists of natural vegetation and woodland, forming a green corridor for the city.

Which side of Platteville will shape your stay?

When choosing a vacation rental in Platteville, you can use your interests as a guide: mining history, a trail for pedestrians and bicycles, nature at Mound View Park, or the story of the Mitchell-Rountree Stone Cottage. If you’re traveling with children, you can plan shared outings around whether historical topics, activity on the trail, or a natural area is the main draw. This can leave room in your stay for shared outings with different themes.

More local pages: Dickeyville, Hazel Green, Boscobel.

For the broader travel overview: Grant County.