Plenty of Iron Rangers know how iron ore pellets are made.

But few have seen molten iron poured.

The Minnesota Museum of Mining in Chisholm is changing that.

The museum on August 21, 22, 23, is hosting an iron pour that will help educate the public about ironmaking and provide visitors and artists with the opportunity to create castings made of iron.

Iron on the Range, a group of artists largely from the Twin Cities, is conducting the pour.

"We've never done this before," said Carol Borich, Minnesota Museum of Mining board of directors secretary. "It seems like a natural fit for us to be able to show people how iron is produced."

On Friday, Aug. 21, the ironmaking equipment will be set up and molds will be sold to the public for $20 each. The molds can be used to form a wide variety or iron castings, from pet markers to name plates, said Borich.

Iron on the Range will start heating its equipment at 10 a .m. Saturday, August 22. The pour, in which old cast iron radiators from homes will be melted, is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The molds will be cooled and then opened on Sunday, August 23.

"It's a first-time experience for us," said Tim Sullivan, a mining engineer and member of the Minnesota Museum of Mining board of directors. "It's going to be a nice demonstration of the end-use of iron."

For decades, the 15-acre museum has educated visitors about the history of mining in Minnesota, centering on the production of iron ore pellets.

Its mission is to preserve the history of the iron mining industry and tell the story of the men and women who carved out a life on the Iron Range.

Visitors to the museum's outdoor exhibits can see an outdoor mining "truck park," large mining shovels, a 1907 steam locomotive, iron ore cars, cabooses, drills, pumps, and additional mining equipment.

Inside the museum is a mining town replica, a simulated underground mine, immigrant memorabilia, the first Greyhound bus, a vintage fire truck, rock and mineral displays, and a Finnish sauna.

Museum officials hope the iron pour attracts families from throughout the area along with artists from Minnesota and Canada.

"We like to do things that appeal to families," said Borich. "This is something that everyone can do."

A $6 museum admission for adults and $4 for children covers all three days of the iron pour.

While the public will be able to cast smaller items, the artists will make large castings, said Borich.

"It's really a showcase to tell the rest of the story about iron," said Borich. "The museum focuses on mining, but this is a way to expand our focus."