Summer Festival is Back!

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Janice Crane

Our 14th annual Summer Fest 2017 will be at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals Saturday and Sunday, August 5-6, 2017. The hours are 10 AM – 5 PM. Admission is $5 for everyone ages 5 and up!

Summer Festival Full Page Flyer

Geodes and other minerals and rocks for sale at vendor booths. The outdoor festival features a wide variety of rock, mineral, gem, jewelry, and fossil dealers. We will have food for purchase, live music, and plenty of fun family activities.

Rock clubs from around the region will be offering wonderful educational displays, demonstrations, and activities.

Come early and stay the whole day. The entire museum will be open during this event, so you can explore all our displays after browsing vendors’ tents and creating a “pet rock.” Bring a picnic lunch or enjoy the refreshments at the museum.

It’s a perfect event to spend with friends and family. Bring them all!

Meteorite and Family Fun Day 2017

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Leslie Moclock

2017_meteorite

Get ready for this year’s Meteorite and Family Fun Day on Saturday, May 27! We will be welcoming Dick Pugh of the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory (Portland State University) to give his fascinating talk, “Great Balls of Fire!” at 11 AM and 1 PM. Learn exciting facts about meteorites, fireballs, and outer space. Dick will also bring his large collection of meteorites for visitors to touch and hold.

Think you’ve found a meteorite? Bring it in and have Dick examine it to be sure.

Family activities will also take place throughout the day. Children and adults alike can make impact craters like those on the moon and figure out how our solar system formed.

This event is included with regular museum admission.

Schedule of events:

10:30 AM — Activity: Building the planets (NW Gallery)

11:00 AM — Talk: Dick Pugh, Great Balls of Fire! (Lecture Room)

12:30 PM — Activity: Impact craters (NW Gallery)

1:00 PM — Talk: Dick Pugh, Great Balls of Fire! (Lecture Room)

2:00 PM — Tour: 90-minute museum tour (NW Gallery)

2:30 PM — Activity: Building the planets (NW Gallery)

3:30 PM — Activity: Impact craters (NW Gallery)

Silent Auction Preview!

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Janice Crane

We are so excited to have received so many generous donations of really cool items for our upcoming silent auction!

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the items & packages we have available!

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So come prepared to bid on these items and also a zip line tour, a glider ride, a trip to Astoria, a trip to Seattle, an abundance of wine, minerals, and many more!

Many thanks to our Silent Auction donors:

ACE Hardware #661
Al’s Garden Center
Scott Ankenbrand
Bag&Baggage Productions
Richard Berger
Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa
Greg Carr
Bruce Carter
Clatsop County Historical Society
Columbia River Maritime Museum
Bill & Diana Dameron
Dooger’s Seafood & Grill
Festivals Inc.
Finn Ware
Fort George Brewery + Public House
Garden Frog Nursery
Julian Gray & Barb Epstien
Helvetia Tavern
Helvetia Winery
Hillsboro Hops
Iteco, Inc.
Bruce Kelley
La Provence Boulangerie & Patisserie
John Li
Maryhill Winery
McGee Wealth Management
Margaret & Bob McMillan
Dennis & Mary Murphy
New Seasons Market

Wendy Obenauf
Gene & Rosalind Meieran
Michael & Patricia O’Dwyer
Ór Dubh
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Orenco Photography Club
Pittock Mansion
Plum Hill Vineyards
PM Creations
Portland Children’s Museum
Portland Japanese Garden
Prehistoric Oregon
Premier Community Bank
Provincial Vineyards
Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club
Pumpkin Ridge Zip Tour
Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals
Garret Romaine
Sharon Rowe
Paula Stewart
Dylan Stolowitz
Topgolf Hillsboro
Washington County Museum
Dale & Barbara West
Widmer Brothers Brewing
Willamette Valley Soaring Club
Bev Wolfe
World Forestry Center

And, as always, thank you to our event sponsors:


Margaret & Bob McMillan	Sharleen Harvey	Bill & Diana Dameron
The Hive Catering Co.	Bruce Carter	Paula Stewart

It’s almost here! Join us for Thunder-Egg-Stravaganza 2017!

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Janice Crane

The egg hunt that “rocks” returns once again! Join us from 10-5 at the Rice Museum on Saturday, April 15, 2017. Admission is $5 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. We’ll have volunteers on site all day slicing those thunder eggs in half for FREE so you can be the first to see the surprise inside.

Educational talks on thundereggs in the Northwest will take place inside the museum at 11AM, 1PM, and 3PM. Egg hunting is available all day.

A 2016 participant shows off his freshly cut geode from the prize redemption table.

Frequently asked Questions:

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 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 between 10 and 4:30 and we promise there will be eggs hidden.

Can adults participate?
Absolutely! We don’t do age-discrimination here at the Rice Museum, everyone loves a good egg hunt!

Do adults have to pay if they’re not participating?
Yes, your $5 covers your admission to the museum regardless of if you choose to hunt eggs. That’s reduced from normal $10 admission.

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 at one of the fabulous nearby restaurants! Keep in mind, we do not allow food inside the museum, so all picnic activities are based on your personal weather tolerance.

Do we have to pay for parking?
Parking is included with your admission, but it is limited and carpooling is HIGHLY encouraged.

Watch our Executive Director on Portland’s KATU AM Northwest!

Video

Executive Director Julian Gray was a special guest on KATU AMNW this morning! If you missed it, watch the video on KATU.com!

Presenting: The Rice Museum Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction!

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Janice Crane

The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals is hosting our first ever benefit dinner! Please join us 6 May 2017 at 5:00 PM to honor Sharleen and William Harvey, Sr. for their years of devotion to the museum.

Dr. Jeffrey Post, Curator of Gems & Minerals for the Smithsonian Institution, will deliver a presentation on the Mineral Treasures of the Smithsonian, including the renowned Hope Diamond. He will also present our official certificate of affiliation from the Smithsonian.

The Hope Diamond, photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution

Other evening highlights will include a silent auction 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.

Tables are going fast, so don’t wait! Get your tickets today!

We wouldn’t be able to hold events without amazing sponsors. We are extremely grateful to:


Margaret & Bob McMillan	Sharleen Harvey	Bill & Diana Dameron
The Hive Catering Co.	Bruce Carter	Paula Stewart

-Sponsor the event at any level to add your business name here!-

Mystery Mineral Day- February 25!

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Janice Crane

Mystery Mineral Day is happening Saturday, February 25, from 10 AM to 2 PM at the museum. 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.

ALMA ROSE ON EXHIBIT IN TUCSON-See this iconic specimen and many more!

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Janice Crane

A photo of the Alma Rose rhodochrosite specimen, it is a black rock with gray and yellow crystal formations and 6 large rhodochrosite cubes. Featured on a black background.

The Alma Rose, Photo by Jeff Scovil

We’re headed to Tucson, Arizona for the biggest mineral event of the year! We’re proud to be the featured collector at the Westward Look Fine Mineral Show and and will also be exhibiting at the 2017 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®.

The Alma Rose rhodochrosite specimen made the trip! See it and more of our amazing collection on Saturday, February 4, from 10AM-4PM, and meet & greet with Executive Director Julian C. Gray and Curator Leslie Moclock at:

The Westward Look Resort
245 East Ina Road
Tucson, Arizona 85704

Learn more about the Fine Mineral Show here.

The Alma Rose will also be exhibited at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® from February 9-12. L earn more here!

Tucson Convention Center
260 S Church Ave
Tucson, AZ 85701

If you can’t make it to Tucson and are headed to the museum, the Alma Rose will be back on exhibit in Hillsboro on 2/16/17. Even though we miss the Alma Rose, the Rice Museum is open our regular hours of 1PM-5PM Wednesday-Friday and 10AM-5PM Saturday-Sunday.

Field Trip Zoom Reminder!

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Janice Crane

We’d like to remind you that Curator Leslie Moclock is bringing the Rice Museum to your classroom through FieldTripZoom on Thursday, January 12!

If you’d like to participate, please make sure you pre-register with FieldTripZoom so that you can seamlessly join the presentation on the morning of the event. If you’re already registered for FieldTripZoom, just follow the normal procedure, we’re in the catalog!

A recap of the event information follows:

On Thursday, January 12, we will be participating in an interactive livestream event through FieldTripZoom. Curator Leslie Moclock will take your students on a tour of our phenomenal collection of petrified wood. You’ll learn all about how wood fossils form and what they can tell us about Earth’s history, from ancient life to modern mountain building.

This presentation addresses topics including ancient life, fossilization, regional geography, climate, and volcanoes. It’s geared for earth science students in grades 4-6 but those who are a little younger or a little older can appreciate it as well.

Join us next Thursday to delve deeper into Earth Science!

What: Phenomenal Petrified Wood (Grades 4-6)

Where: Your classroom, tuning into the Rice Museum via Field Trip Zoom

When: Thursday, Jan 12. Live sessions at 8:10 AM, 9:10 AM, and 12:10 PM (Pacific time)

How: If your district, classroom, or homeschool group is not subscribed to FieldTripZoom, you can access this program via a free trial. Simply send an email to freetrial@fieldtripzoom.com and request the Rice Museum’s program for January 12. (After following the link, you will have to scroll down to find our museum’s program details.)

If you are already subscribed, just log in to your account and select our program from the Zone Calendar.

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FieldTripZoom partners with museums and other educational institutions all over the US to facilitate unique live and interactive educational experiences between educational content providers and K-12 educators, students and homeschoolers. We are pleased to host this opportunity on their platform.