The Coudersport Ice Mine: A Pennsylvania Mystery That Freezes in Summer
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Asia Tabb
AIRED; January 28, 2026
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In the dead of winter in Potter County, when temperatures can drop into the single digits, visitors to the Coudersport Ice Mine won’t find a trace of ice. That’s because this long-standing Pennsylvania attraction does the opposite of what most people expect.
The Coudersport Ice Mine produces ice in the spring and summer, while the ice melts away during the fall and winter months.
“It’s ironic we’re having this conversation when it’s seven degrees up here in Potter County,” said Gary M. Buchsen, who helps operate the Ice Mine. “A few months from now, ice will begin to grow. It will grow through the spring and summer, and then it will melt again in the fall and winter.”
Despite its name, the Coudersport Ice Mine isn’t actually a mine. It is a rare geological anomaly — a naturally occurring rock formation on the side of a hill just outside of Coudersport that creates a seasonal reversal of temperature.
During a recent winter visit, Buchsen said the site was completely dry.
“We were literally at the ice mine just a couple weeks ago doing some camera work and temperature probes,” he said. “We were down inside the mine and it was bone dry. There was no ice whatsoever.”
The Ice Mine was discovered in 1894 by a silver prospector named Billy O’Neill, who was working land owned by the Dodd family in Sweden Valley. O’Neill dug into the hillside looking for silver, found nothing of value, and moved on. When he returned months later during the summer, ice had formed inside the excavation.
“The legend is that Billy O’Neill didn’t find a silver mine,” Buchsen said. “He found an ice mine.”
Word of the unusual phenomenon spread quickly, and the site — originally called the Sweden Valley Ice Mine — soon became a tourist attraction in the early 1900s, eventually taking the name of the nearby town.
Today, the Ice Mine continues to draw visitors from across the country and around the world.
“This past season, we had guests from 49 states and 29 countries,” Buchsen said.
Many visitors arrive on hot, humid summer days, only to step inside the open-air shaft and experience a sudden drop in temperature.
“You can be standing outside when it’s 85 degrees and humid,” Buchsen explained, “and then you walk through this little door, look up at native pine trees, and see ice growing while the air temperature is 30 to 35 degrees. It is absolutely nuts.”
Scientists have studied the Ice Mine for decades, and various theories have been proposed to explain how it works, including the idea that cold air is trapped inside the mountain during winter and released in warmer months. The site has even been featured in National Geographic more than a century ago. Still, the phenomenon remains rare and fascinating.
“There are theories, but it’s incredibly rare,” Buchsen said. “I’m not a scientist — I’m a retired school superintendent — but every time I’m there, it’s absolutely amazing.”
The Ice Mine closed to the public around 1990 and remained shuttered for roughly 25 years, falling into disrepair. In 2012, Buchsen’s parents, Gary and Diana Buchsen, lifelong residents of Potter County, purchased the property with the goal of restoring it.
“My dad always said if he ever had the chance to buy it, he would,” Buchsen said. “This is part of Potter County history, and he wanted to bring it back and allow people to experience it.”
After a year of renovations, the Coudersport Ice Mine reopened and now operates seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Surrounded by old-growth hemlocks and white pines dating back to the late 1700s, the site blends natural history with environmental curiosity.
“It’s nature at its finest,” Buchsen said. “And I think kudos to my parents for putting the time and effort into bringing this place back. It’s been a great venture for all of us.”
