I absolutely loved this site - but I'm always a fan of the industrial heritage. It's been preserved really well (although I did prefer Volklingen for its aesthetics, I have to admit).

There are several ways to approach a visit to Zollverein. You can go for the history, for the modern culture, or for a mixture.

In terms of the history, it is possible to get guided tours of some of the original surface buildings of the coal mine, including the facilities that were used to handle the material being brought up from underground. If this is your first time to the site, it is well worth doing.

Also, the Ruhr Museum in the former coal washing plant of Shaft 12 has permanent exhibitions about the history of the region and the mining industry on the site. It is a large and very well curated museum that would appeal to adults and children.