Local Events

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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Reminder: Late Open Oct.12th

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals will be opening late at 12:00pm tomorrow, October 12th, for Celebrando Arte y Cultura (Celebrate Arts and Culture) event set up. Come celebrate Art and Culture with us in Hillsboro, Or. The event is free and includes admission into the museum. We will be joined by Bach to Rock for a musical performance and local vendors selling handmade goods. Bring family and friends, there will be arts and crafts for everyone to create. The museum will be open from 12:00 PM- 5:00 PM on October 12th.

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Thunder-Egg-Stravaganza 2019

GO TO TICKETING PAGE The egg hunt that “rocks” returns once again! Join us at Rice Museum on Saturday, April 20, 2019. Admission is $8 for everyone ages 5 and up, and includes admission to the museum galleries. Advanced online ticket purchase is required. Your mission: locate 4 eggs of different colors around our property and redeem them for prizes. Our prize table includes 2000+ WHOLE thunder eggs. 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, and 2:00 PM. Egg hunting is available all day. All ticket sales are final. No refunds for weather.  ADVANCED ONLINE TICKET PURCHASE REQUIRED Due to the overwhelming popularity of this event, we require pre-purchased tickets to enter the museum grounds for this event. Members are admitted free, but must still reserve tickets. Tickets for pre-sale! Tickets are $8 for ages 5 and up, and ages 4 and under are free. Members are free but must sign up for a member ticket. Reserve your tickets below. Member tickets are available 3/11/19. General admission tickets are available starting 4/1/19 at 9:00am. Consider buying a membership.  Your membership not only supports the museum’s educational programs, it has great benefits like early registration and free admission to events like this one. Morning and Afternoon Admission.  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. Last admission at 4:00 PM. The grounds will be open until 5:00 PM. Frequently Asked Questions:  Can I pay for admission at the gate?No additional admissions will be sold once this event is sold out. This event is very popular and we recommend online ticket reservation (for members) or purchase (not-yet members) as early as possible. Do we need to be there at a certain time to hunt the eggs? No! To redeem for a prize, you need to find four plastic eggs of certain colors (based on their location on the property, the “egg zones”). That eliminates the “mad dash” of other egg hunts and keeps it fair! You can show up any time in your admission window and we promise there will be eggs hidden. Can adults participate?Absolutely! Children of all ages are welcome to participate at the Rice Museum.  Everyone loves a good egg hunt. Do adults have to pay if they’re not participating?Yes, your $8 covers your admission to the museum regardless of if you choose to hunt eggs. That price is reduced from our $12 general admission. If I’m in the AM group and I show up at 12:30, can I stay past 1:00?Yes. Youâ’re welcome to stay as long as youâ’d like once you’re admitted. I’m in the PM group but I showed up at 12:30 to get in line, can I come in?No. You will not be able to park or enter the grounds until 1 PM so we can minimize traffic congestion. Can I bring my own thunder eggs from home and have you cut them?No. Our volunteers are here to cut thunder eggs from this event only. Please ask for a recommendation for local cutters if you have your own thunder eggs to cut. Do you sell food?Limited snacks will be available for purchase at our hospitality table, so bring your own lunch or plan to grab it from one of the fabulous nearby restaurants. Keep in mind, we do not allow food or drink inside the museum. Do we have to pay for parking?Parking is included with your admission, but it is limited and carpooling is HIGHLY encouraged.

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Coming Soon: Thunder-Egg-Stravaganza 2019

It’s back! The egg hunt that “rocks” is Saturday, April 20, 2019. Your mission: locate 4 plastic eggs of different colors around our property and redeem them for prizes. Our prize table includes 2000+ WHOLE thunder eggs. We’ll have volunteers on site all day to cut your thunder eggs open so you can be the first to see the surprise inside. Member tickets will be available March 11, 2019. Members are free, but must reserve tickets in advance. Consider joining us on our mission and purchasing a membership. Benefits include early access for TES event tickets, reciprocal admission with other attractions, and unlimited admission to Rice NW Museum for a whole year! General tickets will be available April 1, 2019 at 9:00 AM. Admission is $8 for everyone ages 5 and up, and includes admission to the museum galleries. Advanced online ticket purchase is required. There will be a morning and afternoon egg hunting session again this year. The morning session admission is 10:00 am-1:00 pm, afternoon session admission is 1:00 PM- 4:00 pm. Grounds will be open until 5:00 PM. More information will be available after Mystery Mineral Day on February 23!

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Win a Dream Trip to Tuscany!

Congratulations to our winner, Steve T.! Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals is offering a chance for a dream trip of a lifetime to Tuscany, Italy.  This vacation is valued at $5600.00. Up to six people can stay in the Tuscan countryside in a three bedroom Private Villa, right in the heart of Tuscany. Property perfectly nestled among the rolling hills surrounding the ancient Etruscan town of Cortona, the ideal place to spend a getaway in the spirit of nature, beauty, relaxation and wine and food. You’ll be hosted by locals who can assist with all your needs. Trip Includes: – 7 nights in a 3 bedroom private countryside villa – Welcome with your local assistant and personal introduction to Cortona – Walking tour of Cortona with a professional guide – Private wine tasting in traditional enoteca in the town center with professional sommelier – Pre-arrival and in-house local English speaking concierge and booking services – All visitor taxes, consumption fees (heating etc) The winner will be announced at 8:00 PM during at our July 14, 2018 Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction. Your attendance is encouraged, but not required. These tickets won’t last long since there are only 100 tickets available, so get yours today! Online ticket sales for the Trip to Tuscany Raffle are now closed.    Restrictions:  – Valid September 15- May 15. – Subject to availability when you book (no more than 9 months in advance of travel). NOT valid Christmas or Easter break. – Vacation is transferable. – Must book by May 31, 2019. – Trip does not include airfare.

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Volcano Day is June 2, 2018!

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.

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Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals Benefit Dinner and Silent Acution, Saturday July 14, 2018, 5:00-8:30 PM at Glen and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center, 527 E Main St, Hillsboro, OR 97123

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.   Margaret & Bob McMillan William H. & Diana Dameron  Gail & Jim Spann Sharleen Rice Harvey & Family  Bruce Carter Fine Mineral Show Cedar House Media Gene & Roz Meieran Build My Baby Blanket The Hive Catering, Co. Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Sponsorship Opportunities are available! Sponsor a table to list your business on this page.

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