Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals
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Volcano Day is June 2, 2018!
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New this year, we are partnering with the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory to bring you science and family fun at Volcano Day at the Rice Museum.
On Saturday, June 2, 2018, CVO scientists will give short talks throughout the day on our Cascades volcanoes and volcano science. Have a question about the volcanoes in your backyard? Wondering what’s going on with the eruption in Hawai’i? Ask the experts!
Hands-on activities for all ages will take place in our galleries and on the lawn. And don’t miss Trash-Cano, the explosive eruption demonstration that will happen after each talk!
Local collector Mike Medvec will also be displaying his extensive collection of memorabilia from the famous 1980 eruption at Mt. St. Helens.
Don’t miss the fun! Event runs 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Included with regular museum admission.
2018-2019 Beginning Gemstone Faceting Class Schedule
This class introduces the theory and techniques of faceting gemstones. During the course, students will facet one or two gemstones with material and equipment provided by the Columbia Willamette Faceters’ Guild. Students will gain sufficient knowledge and techniques to continue faceting on their own.
Where: Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals, Faceting Lab, 26385 NW Groveland Drive, Hillsboro, OR 97124
Class Fees: $150.00 per person and advanced payment is required to reserve your spot.
When: Consists of four classes from 12:00 PM -5:00 PM for a total of 20 hours of instruction. Classes are either 4 weeks of all Saturdays or 2 weeks of 2 Saturdays/2 Sundays.
You can cut, polish, and keep your own gemstone. All equipment and materials are provided.
2018-2019 Class Schedule:
First Session: September 15-16, 22-23, 2018- FULL
Second Session: October 3, 13, 20, & 27, 2018- FULL
Third Session: November 10-11, 17-28, 2018
Fourth Session: December 1-2, 8-9, 2018
Fifth Session: January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2019
Sixth Session: February 16-17, 23-24, 2019
Seventh Session: March 9-10, 16-17, 2019
Eighth Session: March 30-31, April 6-7, 2019
Ninth Session: April 27, May 4, 11, & 18, 2019
2018 Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction Tickets on sale now!
The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals is hosting a benefit dinner. Please join us July 14, 2018 at 5:00 PM as we honor Mary and the late Dennis Murphy for their contributions and many years of support of the Rice Museum. Visit our event page to purchase tickets.
Dr. Terry C. Wallace, Jr., Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and president of Los Alamos National Security, LLC, will give a presentation about the creation of gold in the universe through the collision of neutron stars. Other evening highlights will include a silent auction, a special appeal (paddle raise) to support our educational programs, a tribute to the late Rudy Tschernich, and dinner from The Hive Catering Co.
Tickets are $100 per seat. The event will take place at the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro.
We thank our event sponsors for their support:
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Margaret & Bob McMillan |
William H. & Diana Dameron |
Gail & Jim Spann |
Bruce Carter |
Fine Mineral Show
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Cedar House Media
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Gene & Roz Meieran |
Build My Baby Blanket |
The Hive Catering, Co. |
Sponsorship Opportunities are available!
Sponsor a table to list your business on this page.
Thunder-Egg-Stravaganza 2018!
This event is SOLD OUT
Museum members contact us for advanced registration.
The egg hunt that “rocks” returns once again! Join us at Rice Museum on Saturday, March 31, 2018. Admission is $6 for everyone ages 5 and up, and includes admission to the museum galleries.
Your mission: locate 4 eggs of different colors around our property and redeem them for prizes. Our prize table includes 2000+ WHOLE thunder eggs and mystery bags of mineral goodies. We’ll have volunteers on site all day to cut your thunder eggs open for FREE so you can be the first to see the surprise inside.
Educational talks on thunder eggs in the Northwest will take place inside the museum at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. Egg hunting is available all day.
NEW – ADVANCED ONLINE TICKET PURCHASE REQUIRED
Due to the overwhelming popularity of this event, we are requiring pre-purchased tickets to enter the museum grounds for this event. Members are admitted free, but must still reserve tickets. Since members get free admission and early registration opportunities, this is a good time to consider purchasing a membership. Your membership supports our educational programming and comes with great benefits.
NEW – MORNING AND AFTERNOON ADMISSIONS
We are limiting the number of tickets sold and offering two opportunities to attend Thunder-Egg-Stravaganza: a morning and afternoon admission window. If you purchase an AM ticket, you can get in through the front gate any time between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. If you purchase a PM ticket, you can get in through the front gate any time between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM. We have plenty of thunder eggs and will not run out. The event will be the same all day long, regardless of whether you show up at 10:00 or 3:30.
This event is sold out!
Mystery Mineral Day- February 24, 2018!
Mystery Mineral Day is happening Saturday, February 24, 2018 from 10 AM to 2 PM at the museum.
A participant at Mystery Mineral Day 2017 had her treasures identified by Bruce.
A panel of experts will be ready and waiting for you to bring your unknown rocks, minerals, fossils, gems, and potential meteorites for identification.
Have you always wondered what to call that cool crystal you picked up on a hike that one day? Did you inherit a collection, but it’s missing some labels? Do you think you may have found a fossil bone or a rock from outer space? Our experts are volunteering at this event just for you, so don’t be shy. Come on by!
This event is included with general admission. Admission is $12.00 for adults, $10.00 for seniors, and $8.00 for students (ages 5-17) and veterans/active military. Children 4 and under are free.
2018 Reciprocal Membership Calendar
Thinking of buying a membership to Rice NW Museum this year? We’re happy to once again offer reciprocal membership with our partners in the Portland Attractions Marketing Alliance! Buy a membership to the Rice NW Museum and you will get admission to eleven other great attractions and museums during the following months:
2018 Reciprocal Membership Calendar:
January: Oregon Zoo
4001 SW Canyon Road
Portland, OR 97221
oregonzoo.org
February: Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
ohs.org
March: Deepwood Museum & Gardens
1116 Mission Street SE
Salem, OR 97302
Parking on 12th & Lee
deepwoodmuseum.org
April: Lan Su Chinese Garden
239 NW Everett Street
Portland, OR 97209
lansugarden.org
May: Architectural Heritage Center
701 SE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97214
visitahc.org
June: Columbia River Maritime Museum
1792 Marine Drive
Astoria, OR 97103
crmm.org
July: World Forestry Center
4033 SW Canyon Road
Portland, OR 97221
worldforestry.org
August: Clark County Historical Museum
1511 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
cchmuseum.org
September: Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals
26385 NW Groveland Drive
Hillsboro, OR 97124
ricenorthwestmuseum.org
October: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way
McMinnville, OR 97128
evergreenmuseum.org
November: Oregon Coast Aquarium
2820 SE Ferry Slip Road
Newport, OR 97365
aquarium.org
December: Washington County Museum
17677 NW Springville Road
Portland, OR 97229
washingtoncountymuseum.org
Rice NW Museum memberships are valid one calendar year from date of purchase and start at just $50. Visit our membership page or the museum store to join us today!
Members must present a valid membership card from one of the participating organizations to receive free admission. Free admission is valid for up to four individuals, regardless of membership level.
There’s still time to make a difference
The Rice Museum is more than a museum. It’s about making connections.
Bruce, Leslie, and Julian unpack the Alma Rose for the Westward Look Mineral Show in Tucson, AZ
Tens of thousands of visitors come each year to connect with their families and friends, our staff, and the splendors and complexities of our Earth. By building community and a sense of place on the geological time scale, we strive every day to engage, inspire, and educate these generations.
Think back to the best day that you’ve had at the museum. Who did you connect with?
- Volunteers from the Northwest Mineral Prospector’s Club teach children to pan for gold at Summer Festival
In 2017, we broke records. Some were amazing, some were sad. We’ve been thrilled to welcome the most-ever visitors to the museum and to our events. Your support helped us win the most-ever accolades received in the Hillsboro community. However, we’ve also suffered the most damage ever to our historic structures, and we’ve spent more money than ever responding to emergency repairs.
Will you help?
To continue to best serve you and all of our amazing connections, we need to reinforce our infrastructure. Your gift of any amount will allow us to continue to offer you the best museum experience. We need your help to upgrade our parking and internet technology in 2018 to best serve our community. Together we can strengthen our resources so that we can deepen our connection with you and your friends and family here at the Rice Museum.
- Tree Damage repairs to the Northwest Gallery.
Thank you for your support. We look forward to growing stronger together. You can make a tax-deductible donation online right now, by calling us at 503-647-2418, or directly at the museum.
Winter Break Holiday Hours
Rice NW Museum will be open extra hours with extra programs over winter break! Join us Wednesday-Sunday from 10:00 – 5:00, December 20-24 and December 27-31, 2017. We’ll even have extra programs! Join us for our new Museum Moments daily at 11:00 and Guided Tour at daily 2:00. We will return to normal operating hours on January 3, 2018.
Holiday Hours 2017:
Dec 18 – Closed
Dec 19 – Closed
Dec 20 – Open 10-5
Dec 21 – Open 10-5
Dec 22 – Open 10-5
Dec 23 – Open 10-5
Dec 24- Open 10-5
Dec 25 – Closed
Dec 26 – Closed
Dec 27 – Open 10-5
Dec 28 – Open 10-5
Dec 29 – Open 10-5
Dec 30 – Open 10-5
Dec 31 – Open 10-5
Jan 1 – Closed
Jan 2 – Closed
Jan 3 – Open 1-5
Jan 4 – Open 1-5
Jan 5 – Open 1-5
Jan 6 – Open 10-5
Jan 7 – Open 10-5
Thanksgiving Holiday Hours
Rice NW Museum will be open special hours for Thanksgiving Week!
We will also be having extra public tours! If you’re here Friday, Saturday, or Sunday at 2:00, meet your museum host at the Northwest Gallery for a guided tour of the museum.
Hours for Thanksgiving Week:
Monday, 11/20/2017: Closed
Tuesday, 11/21/2017: Closed
Wednesday, 11/22/2017: Open: 1:00 PM- 5:00 PM
Thursday, 11/23/2017: Closed in observance of Thanksgiving
Friday, 11/24/2017: Open: Holiday Hours, 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM
• Hosted Tour 2:00 PM- 3:30 PM
Saturday, 11/25/2017: Open: 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM
• Hosted Tour 2:00 PM- 3:30 PM
Sunday, 11/26/2017: Open: 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM
• Hosted Tour 2:00 PM- 3:30 PM
Veterans and Active Military receive FREE admission for Veteran’s Day
To honor those who have or are serving in our nation’s military, the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks an Minerals will admit all veterans and active military free of charge on Friday, November 10, 2017 and Saturday, November 11, 2017. We thank all the brave men and women who serve our country to preserve the freedoms we enjoy.
The museum will be open to the public regular business hours, which are 1:00 to 5:00 PM on Friday and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday. Please remember to bring your military ID with you.