The Arizona Mineral Museum began as a Territorial Fair exhibit in
1884. It was so popular that in 1917 the Arizona State Legislature
authorized funding to construct a mineral building on the State
Fairgrounds. It was completed in 1919 with additional funds raised
by the mining companies of Arizona. Excepting a hiatus for World
War II, this building was home to annual Territorial and then State
Fair exhibits until 1953 (and closed the rest of the year). In 1953
six of the State’s major mining companies agreed to underwrite the
opening of a year-round Museum to be housed in the Mineral
Building.
In 1972, the Arizona Mining Association, formally presented the
Museum with all its materials and minerals to the Arizona
Department of Mineral Resources. In July, 1991 the Museum moved to
its current location. It occupies a historic building, formerly the
El Zaribah Shrine Temple, now renamed the Polly Rosenbaum
Building
There are over 3,000 minerals on exhibit. Highlighting the
collection are the colorful minerals from Arizona’s copper mines.
Among the spectacular individual specimens on display are an
eight-foot piece of native copper, a large quartz geode - each half
weighing 240 pounds, rocks from the first Moon landing, and a
fragment of Meteor Crater’s meteorite weighing 206 pounds. Exhibits
of special interest encompass cases devoted to the lapidary arts
featuring gemstones, carved semi-precious bowls and spheres,
well-known Arizona specimen localities, and fluorescent
minerals.
The museum also exhibits the mineral collection of the Arizona
Mineral and Mining Museum Foundation and the Mofford Gallery
consisting of about 1000 items acquired by former Secretary of
State and Governor Rose Mofford during her 51 years of government
service.
Prominently displayed outside is the 43-foot tall Boras Head
Frame, moved to Phoenix from Bisbee, Arizona. It has been placed
along with an 1882 baby-gauge steam locomotive from Phelps Dodge’s
Morenci mine. A mucker car and ore car have recently been set on
rail in the front yard and shortly a 19-foot tall 4-stamp mill will
be added to the outdoor display of mining equipment.
Each person may leave with 3 specimens selected from a special
display.
In order to recieve credit for this find you must:
- sign the log book for the Museum and under comments put in your
Team name
- email mail me with the following information
- The weight of the large crystal in case #36?
- Tell me what the special of the day is?
- Tell me who donated most of the fluorescent mineral
display?
I hope you enjoy yourself and learn a bit while you are here. Don't
post your answers here even if encrypted. Cost $2