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.

Maine Mineral and Gem Museum
Tourmaline specimen on display at the museum
Established2019
Location99 Main St, Bethel, Maine
Coordinates44.4077°N 70.7887°W / 44.4077; -70.7887
TypeGeology museum
Websitemainemineralmuseum.org

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:

References

  1. "Home". Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  2. "Maine Mineral & Gem Museum". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  3. Libby, Peter (December 12, 2019). "A Museum Devoted to Geological Treasures Opens in Maine". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  4. "MMGM Background and Fast Facts" (PDF). Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Sep 2021. Retrieved 24 Aug 2023.
  5. "The Stifler Collection of Meteorites". Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  6. 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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