Maine Mineral and Gem Museum
The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum is a geology museum located in Bethel, Maine.[1][2] It displays a collection of rocks, minerals, and meteorites.
 Tourmaline specimen on display at the museum | |
| Established | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | 99 Main St, Bethel, Maine |
| Coordinates | 44.4077°N 70.7887°W |
| Type | Geology museum |
| Website | mainemineralmuseum |
History
The museum was formed from the possessions within Perham's Maine Mineral Store founded in 1919. Following the store's closure in 2009, Massachusetts-based philanthropists Lawrence Stifler and Mary McFadden bought the Perham collection. The museum then opened in 2019.[3]
Collection and research
As of 2021, the museum holds 57,781 specimens, with 37,940 of those being minerals.[4] Notable specimens contained by the museum are:
- The largest chunk of the asteroid 4 Vesta on Earth.
- The largest displays of lunar and Martian meteorites in the world, including the largest piece of the Moon known to exist.[5]
- Petrica quadrifaria, a fossil tree and Maine's state fossil.
- The largest known Martian meteorite, Taoudenni 002.
- The oldest known volcanic rock, Erg Chech 002.[6]
References
- "Home". Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- "Maine Mineral & Gem Museum". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- Libby, Peter (December 12, 2019). "A Museum Devoted to Geological Treasures Opens in Maine". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- "MMGM Background and Fast Facts" (PDF). Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Sep 2021. Retrieved 24 Aug 2023.
- "The Stifler Collection of Meteorites". Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- Weisberger, Mindy (2021-03-08). "4.6-billion-year-old meteorite belongs to Earth's long-lost baby cousin". livescience.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
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