Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Utah Copper announces the opening of the Bingham Canyon Mine Visitors Center Monday, Apr. 2 for the 2012 season. In addition to being a popular destination, the Visitor’s Center will celebrate its 20th season through the end of October, weather permitting.

Situated on the edge of the three-quarter mile deep Bingham Canyon Mine, the Visitors Center is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Salt Lake County. The Visitors Center features great views of one of the world’s largest open pit mines and contains mining artifacts and interactive presentations about Kennecott’s modern-day sustainable operations.

Since opening in 1992, the visitor’s center has hosted more than 3 million visitors. The fees collected from the Visitors Center, and donations from Rio Tinto employees and the Bingham Canyon Lion’s Club Gift Shop, are donated to local charities through the Kennecott Utah Copper Visitors Center Charitable Foundation. The Foundation has contributed more than $2.6 million to local community charities and non-profit organizations. The funding benefits the truly needy with a special focus on the disabled, children, veterans and the elderly.

The Visitors Center is open to the public seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (entrance gate closes at 7 p.m.) through October 31, weather permitting.  The 2012 tax deductible admission fees are:

·                     $5 for passenger vehicles/mini vans

·                     $25 for mini-tour buses

·                     $50 for tour buses

·                     No Charge - For school buses, veterans’ group tours, boy scouts and girl scouts in uniform, and vans from County operated senior citizen centers.  Those arriving with school groups will need to fill out a form in advance and bring it to the entrance gate. The form can be found at www.kennecott.com.

·                     Weather or temporary closure information can be obtained at www.kennecott.com.

Local charities can apply for Foundation funding consideration at www.kennecott.com; proposals must be received by October 15.