The Slovak Mining Museum is the heart of Banská Štiavnica's heritage industry, spread across several historic buildings including the Mining Academy of 1762. The collection covers the full history of silver and gold mining in the Štiavnica Hills, from Roman-era workings through the medieval and Renaissance peak to the industrial era. There are original mining tools, mineralogical specimens, scale models of shaft systems, and exhibits on the engineering innovations — including early pumping technology — that allowed the mines to go deeper.
The most memorable part of the museum for most visitors is the open-air section at the nearby Glanzenberg mine site, where you can descend into historic mine tunnels. The underground visit is guided and requires advance booking; it gives a vivid sense of the conditions miners worked in. The aboveground museum is worthwhile in its own right but is best combined with the underground experience.