Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum - Golden, CO - a museum dedicated to mining and minerals

The Geology Museum at the Colorado School of Mines was established during 1874 and has two floors of exhibits. The exhibits on display include artifacts from historic mining, meteorite, fossil, gemstone and minerals. The facility is Colorado's state repository of mineral heritage that promotes the understanding of its importance to the general public.

There are a number of specimens from mining districts in Colorado at the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum's main floor. There are a number of videos introducing the geology of the area and other locations. There are invited displays and precious metals in the Special Exhibit Room. Murals of historic mining the Irwin Hoffman painted are on display in the main gallery. There are a number of exhibits focused on fossils, gemstones, ultraviolet minerals, basic geology, illuminating of mining underground, meteorites and radioactivity in the basement of the facility. There is an outdoor geographic trail with a number of paleontological points and geographic areas that include leaves, logs and fossilized dinosaur tracks on the seven outcrops.

The lower level of the Colorado School of Mines houses the Mines Geology Museum Gift Shop. There are a number of lapidary materials, equipment, fluorescent minerals and related materials for sale at the gift shop. Pieces range in price from under a $1 for starter pieces to more advanced collector items. Tuesday through Thursday from ten in the morning until noon there are evaluations done on specimens for visitors at the Geology Museum in the Colorado School of Mines facility to determine where the authenticity.

The Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum is free to enter. The facility is open from 9am until 4pm from Monday until Saturday and from 1pm to 4pm on Sunday. There are some school and some legal holidays that the facility is closed for. The museum is at 1310 Maple Street in the General Research Laboratory building. There is parking available at no charge behind the building.

The museum provides a variety of services such as group tours, teaching materials and the identification of specimens. Groups of up to thirty guests and all age ranges can enjoy either a guided tour in the museum or a tour on the walking trails. The tours which last an hour start every hour and require a minimum of four weeks' notice to reserve. This is to ensure that a guide is available to give the tours to the groups. The curriculum can be altered to suit any age group.

Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum's curriculum can include items such as fossils, the properties of minerals and rocks, collection of specimens and history. The history can include the local and geologic history of the area of Golden and mining itself. Indicating the topics that you prefer your group to learn about during the tour will help to ensure that you receive a guide with knowledge in the area that you prefer.

The teaching materials come in three varieties of hands on kits focused on education. These kits can be gotten on loan from the museum for up to three weeks, there is a $50 refundable deposit required to receive a kit each time one is checked out. The entire deposit is returned provided kits are returned on time without damage to them. Those requiring additional information about the facility should contact the facility directly.