Events

The Rice Northwest Rock and Mineral Museum hosts a wide variety of events, festivals, workshops, and classes at the museum.

This is an archive of events and activities at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals.

Eerie Elegance: The Spooky Mineral Display You Can’t Miss

As the crisp air of autumn settles in, the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals invites you to explore a captivating collection that perfectly embodies the spirit of Halloween. This season, our virtual museum is showcasing a spooky display of minerals and rocks, each with playful names that evoke eerie themes. From “Ghoulish Garnets” to “Phantom Pyrites,” these geological wonders offer a unique twist on the traditional Halloween experience. Whether you’re searching for “rocks and minerals near me” or simply looking to indulge your curiosity, this special exhibit promises to thrill visitors of all ages. Join us as we delve into the mysterious world of these bewitching specimens, where science meets the supernatural. Prepare for a hauntingly good time at the Rice Museum, where every stone tells a story and every visit is an adventure! Real name: Azurite

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Dino Play Day at the Rice Museum!

SAT, SEP 28TH 10AM-2PM Join us for DINO PLAY DAY! Fossil Digs – you get to be the paleontologist! Hands-on Fossil Table – touch real dino bones! The Fossil Team  – will be here with their fossils and replicas! Dinosaur & Prehistoric Critter Drawings – by geology student and artist, Ethan Schmunk! Dino Crafts – let your imagination run wild! Included with general admission. Free for members. This event is in conjunction with Worldwide Day of Play, an event sponsored by the Association of Children’s Museums and Nickelodeon. As a day dedicated to experiencing joyful learning through play, it focuses on getting children and their families active!

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Beautiful Rocks & How to Find Them

PRESENTATION & BOOK SIGNING Join local rockhound Alison Jean Cole for a presentation and signing of her new book, “Beautiful Rocks and How To Find Them” on Saturday, Jun 15, 2024 at 2pm.   Alison will discuss the Pacific Northwest rockhounding scene, laws that allow us to collect, and share amazing stories about the rocks, minerals, and fossils that can be found in our region. Alison Jean Cole is a lapidary artist based in Portland, Oregon. She travels all over the western United States in search of materials to use in her craft. She leads rockhounding expeditions, is a proud member of her local rock club, and self-publishes Thunderegg, a zine that focuses on the changing face of rockhounding culture.

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Volcano Day 2024!

Join us on Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 10am-2pm. Fun and educational for all ages. Indoors and outdoors. In our Northwest Gallery explore exhibits of Mt. Saint Helens Memorabilia and memories, and share your story with us. Don’t miss a fun and interactive activity on effusive vs. explosive volcanoes! Or Blair Stuhlmuller’s talk on World Ending Eruptions! When it comes to past mass extinctions, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs gets all the glory and fame, but more often than not, volcanoes have played the leading role in causing life on this planet to nearly disappear. Three of the five mass extinctions in our Earth’s history–the End Permian Extinction, the End Triassic and, yes, even the Cretaceous Extinction–have been caused by massive volcanic eruptions. Come find out how volcanoes managed to wreak havoc on the Earth’s climate, continents and oceans and wipe out 75% or more of life…three separate times! Geologist and artist Ethan Schmunk will draw your favorite dinosaur or prehistoric critter! You can choose from a list, or make a request. And, of course, watch the eruption of our TRASHCANO!

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Free Guided Tour

Our free guided tours are back from May through November 2024!  Embark with us on a journey into the fascinating world of rocks and minerals!  This well-curated tour is designed to provide a fun and educational introduction to the world of rocks and minerals and the Rice Museum. Walking through our galleries you’ll admire the stunning beauty of nature’s artwork while learning about the geological processes that create them. In addition, you’ll hear about the couple that spent a lifetime collecting these wonders, and then turned their collection and home into a museum. Afterwards enjoy the displays at your own pace, have a picnic outside,  or walk one of our nature trails. It’s the perfect tour for science enthusiasts, rockhounds, or anyone who has driven past us on highway 26 and wondered what that mid-century modern home was in the middle of the farmland!  Advanced registration is required. This is a mixed group (families) tour with up to 20 attendees. Recommended for first grade and older. Please make sure to register all people in your party, including children.  Thank you to our generous donors who made offering this program possible!  People who wished to be recognized by name: Julie and Dave SorensonErica PatinoRoss McKnightLorraine W VagnerJessica BakerHarriet OttavianoJanet and Stephen TolopkaRussell WilliamsLola “Rusty” Etzwiler

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A young person stands in the Northwest Gallery of the Rice Museum holding a rock with "Fred" written on it in black ink. In the background volunteer experts can be seen IDing mystery minerals.

Mystery Mineral Day (March 12th)

Mark your calendars for the return of Mystery Mineral Day, scheduled for Sunday, March 12th, 2023 in the Northwest Gallery. The always-anticipated event runs from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Every year, the Museum organizes a panel of experts in the fields of rock & mineral identification, fossil study, and meteorite analysis. We bring together experts from multiple fields to inspect your “mystery” finds and tell you what you’ve found. The event is FREE with paid general admission. We encourage you to schedule an appointment. Limit 5 items ID’d per person. Capacity will be limited. OUR EXPERTS: Jill JohanssenJill describes herself as “one of those kids who loved rocks”. For as long as she can remember she was picking up rocks, putting in her pockets, (and one up her nose), then stashing them in a large shoe box under the stairs in her father’s garage. It was a hobby Jill studied on her own and though she took some Geology in college, it was only the rock science that really had her interest. Jill attended the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and turned her hobby into a career. Her goal is to one day teach Gemology and share her passion with others. Nothing makes her happier than seeing people of all ages get excited to learn and knowing she can help inspire rock lovers everywhere. Scott Ankenbrand Scott has spent his professional life in the Financial sector, first working for the US Treasury as a bank examiner and then in the private sector, but he has a lifelong love affair with minerals! He still has the very first specimen that started the obsession. He appreciates the aesthetics of all minerals, but has a special interest in fluorites and quartz. However, he will gravitate towards any specimen that he finds visually appealing, from thumbnails to large cabinet pieces. Scott continues to have a passion for field collecting, and tries to take a trip every year. Even if he doesn’t find a world class specimen, the adventure, and the friends made, is a major part of the fun. Scott is a member of and on the Board of Directors of the Pacific NW Friends of Mineralogy. Roy Schiesser Roy is a retired teacher of 33 years who worked at high school and community college. His passion is the earth and teaching. He was trained at Arizona State University with a focus on ore deposits and completed graduate studies in educational leadership. Currently his hobby is pocket billiards. John Lillie Retired Rice Museum Employee John Lillie likes to play with rocks. Greg Carr Local Amateur Paleontologist Greg Carr is an active member of the North American Research Group (NARG), a frequent contributor and member of the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals and has volunteered for years at OMSI. Greg has prepared, loaned, donated, or conserved many impressive specimens for the museum, including “Bernie” the Thalattosaur, a large Brontothere skull, and an impressive plate of local Crinoids. Nancy Collins A retired DOGAMI geologist, Nancy enjoys traveling and exploring the world around her. Bruce Carter Bruce is a life-long mineral collector. Growing up in Connecticut, he scoured the local pegmatites and garnet-rich metamorphic rocks for crystals. He did his undergraduate work in geology at Earlham College then earned his Masters degree from the University of Montana, where he mapped volcanic rocks in the mountains of the northern Rockies. After college Bruce worked for years in minerals exploration in the Western USA and Mexico, as well as mapping coal reserves in the Illinois Basin. His final 3 years of exploration were in helicopter-supported remote camps in the Alaska Range. In 1986 he was accepted into an apprentice program at the Directors Guild of America, in Los Angeles. After graduation from the program he worked for many years in Film & TV production. He was the Producer of the NBC series “Grimm”, filmed here in Portland, and maintains an avid interest in rocks, minerals, and all things geologic. In 2010, his collection was exhibited at the world-renowned Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. Bruce is proud to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Rice Mineral Museum. Angela PillerAngela is the Collection Manager of the Rice Museum. She develops exhibits, conserves our collection of minerals, gems, rocks, meteorites, and fossils, and promotes the museum’s mission to engage, inspire, and educate on the wonder and complexity of our Earth. She has a background in surficial processes and environmental geology and loves the Pacific Northwest. Her favorite mineral is wulfenite. Joe Cantrell Cantrell is Cherokee, originally from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and has made his home in Oregon for the last 30 years. Cantrell did two Navy tours in Vietnam, during his second tour he was a diving officer in the Mekong Delta. He stayed in Southeast Asia another 15 years, working primarily as a photojournalist until 1986. Among Cantrell’s multiple careers, he has taught at the Oregon College of Art and Craft, and the Pacific Northwest College of Art. He is now happily retired and making more artwork than ever. Cantrell utilizes extremely close-up macro images to reveal forms inside of rocks and fossils. Adapting spy satellite imaging software for artistic purposes, Cantrell also photographs rocks and pictograms in the Columbia River Gorge, often revealing remarkable things that the naked eye cannot see. “these images show how interconnected we are; we are all the same stardust”. Gene Meieran Gene, an Intel Senior Fellow (retired) received his Doctor’s degree in Materials Science from MIT in 1963; he chose this field as his profession directly as a result of starting to collect natural crystals as early as 1948! Gene is well known in the mineral field for his contributions to many mineral museums as well as for his many fascinating mineral displays at Tucson and Munich shows. He is Chairman of the Board for the University of Arizona Mineral Museum, and Vice President of the Board of Rice NW Museum, as well as serving on various university boards in his technical profession. Gene

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Collector’s Edge at the Rice Museum

The Museum to excited to host Collector’s Edge Minerals for a special pop-up shopping event on Saturday, November 5. Free with general admission, this event will be your opportunity to view and purchase museum-quality fine minerals. Mineral collectors recognize Collector’s Edge Minerals, Inc. of Golden, Colorado, as one of the world’s premier sources for exquisite, collector-quality mineral specimens. Since 1984, Collector’s Edge has operated numerous large-scale and small-scale mining projects, has purchased significant private mineral collections, and has developed mine-direct sources for mineral specimens all around the globe.

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Mystery Mineral Day (September 10th)

MAKE A RESERVATION Mark your calendars for the return of Mystery Mineral Day, scheduled for Saturday, September 10th, 2022 in the Northwest Gallery. The always-anticipated event runs from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Every year, the Museum organizes a panel of experts in the fields of rock & mineral identification, fossil study, and meteorite analysis. We bring together experts from multiple fields to inspect your “mystery” finds and tell you what you’ve found. The event is FREE with paid general admission. We encourage you to schedule an appointment. Limit 5 items ID’d per person. Capacity will be limited. OUR EXPERTS:   Jill JohanssenJill describes herself as “one of those kids who loved rocks”. For as long as she can remember she was picking up rocks, putting in her pockets, (and one up her nose), then stashing them in a large shoe box under the stairs in her father’s garage. It was a hobby Jill studied on her own and though she took some Geology in college, it was only the rock science that really had her interest. Jill attended the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and turned her hobby into a career. Her goal is to one day teach Gemology and share her passion with others. Nothing makes her happier than seeing people of all ages get excited to learn and knowing she can help inspire rock lovers everywhere. John Lillie Retired Rice Museum Employee John Lillie likes to play with rocks. Greg Carr Local Amateur Paleontologist Greg Carr is an active member of the North American Research Group (NARG), a frequent contributor and member of the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals and has volunteered for years at OMSI. Greg has prepared, loaned, donated, or conserved many impressive specimens for the museum, including “Bernie” the Thalattosaur, a large Brontothere skull, and an impressive plate of local Crinoids. Roy Schiesser Roy is a retired teacher of 33 years who worked at high school and community college. His passion is the earth and teaching. He was trained at Arizona State University with a focus on ore deposits and completed graduate studies in educational leadership. Currently his hobby is pocket billiards. Angela Piller Angela is the Collection Manager of the Rice Museum. She develops exhibits, conserves our collection of minerals, gems, rocks, meteorites, and fossils, and promotes the museum’s mission to engage, inspire, and educate on the wonder and complexity of our Earth. She has a background in surficial processes and environmental geology and loves the Pacific Northwest. Her favorite mineral is wulfenite.

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Special Kids Tour (June 5)

REGISTER NOW Join us on Sunday, June 5 at 10: 30 for a FREE guided tour and reading from local children’s author and illustrator Audrey Sauble. Audrey will be reading from her book, Can a Rock Grow. This nonfiction book explores different rock shapes while explaining how rocks change over time.  After the reading, museum staff will guide you through the Museum.  This program is part of the Rice Museum’s commitment to making earth science education more accessible to the residents of the communities the Museum serves. Advanced registration is required. This is a mixed group (families) tour of up to 25 attendees per program.

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Volunteer-Rock Garden Planting Day (March 24)

Volunteer Rock Garden Planting Event: Thursday, March 24th, 2022. 10:00am-12:00pm. This volunteer opportunity is an event with multiple volunteers working with the museum to replant our rock garden with native plants, grasses, and shrubs. If we have an abundance of volunteers we will work on the rock garden project and other landscaping projects to help the museum. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult for this volunteer program. Volunteers are asked to bring water, gloves and any preferred tools. The museum will provide plants, some tools, and a huge amount of gratitude for our volunteers! As a thank you to our volunteers in attendance the museum galleries will be open for you to explore. Thank you for choosing to share your time with the Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals!  EVENT REGISTRATION

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Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals
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