News

Latest news and announcements from the Rice Northwest Rock and Mineral Museum.

Meteorite and Family Fun Day 2017

Events, Local Events, News /

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)

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

Events, Local Events, News /

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. 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.

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

Event banner reading "The Rice Museum of Rocks & Minerals Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction" in white, background includes image of rough amethyst crystals

Presenting: The Rice Museum Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction!

Events, Local Events, News /

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. 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!-

Presenting: The Rice Museum Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction! Read More »

Mystery Mineral Day- February 25!

Events, News /

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.

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

Events, Exhibits, News /

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 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. Learn 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.

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

Field Trip Zoom Reminder!

News /

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 [email protected] 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. — 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.

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Bring the museum to your classroom free on January 12

Events, News /

Hey teachers–would you like your students to experience the Rice Museum for free from the comfort of your own classroom? 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 [email protected] 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. — 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.

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Only a few hours left!

News /

What a great year it’s been for the Rice NW Museum. With your support, we won gold as Hillsboro’s Best Family Attraction and Best Place to Take the Kids. Before you ring in the new year, we ask for your support to help us wrap up 2016 on an even better note. While any time is a good time to donate to the Rice NW Museum, end-of-year donations make an impact. So donate now. You’ll get a tax break and help the museum at the same time. Contributions received by midnight tonight will count toward the 2016 tax year. Together we can do even more in 2017. Thank you again for your support and we look forward to seeing you at the museum in the new year.  

Only a few hours left! Read More »

GuideStar logo with Bronze Participant ribbon

We’ve been bronzed!

News /

GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. We’ve taken ownership of our profile and have achieved bronze level participation What that means is we’re starting the process of sharing who is involved in our museum, who supports us, and how we’re achieving our mission. This helps us see how we measure up to other museums and share knowledge to help us all achieve our missions. It also helps our donors to see where their money is going and make informed gifts. Plus, we get this shiny badge to put on our website that lets everyone know we share that info! We’re proud to have began this journey toward institutional transparency, and we’re not done here! We’re going for gold!

We’ve been bronzed! Read More »

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals
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