Bayard Mining Park

On the corner of Central Avenue and Poplar Street in downtown Bayard, New Mexico, the Bayard Mining Park commemorates Grant County miners with a collection of mining equipment and educational plaques. While the park does not warrant a trip in and of itself, the park, like a fine wine, is paired nicely with a trip…

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University Of Arizona Mineral Museum

In the basement of the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium in Tuscon, Arizona is the University of Arizona Mineral Museum. While the footprint of the museum may be small, it contains a core collection of over 35,000 mineral specimens and a micromount collection with over 7,000 additional specimens of crystals too small to appreciate with the naked eye. The collection spans 1,561 different species and 2,000 types of minerals.

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A California Silver Rush in Cerro Gordo

Silver was discovered in Cerro Gordo (“Fat Hill”) in 1865 by Pablo Flores – the first major silver strike in Owens Valley and a defining feature of the Lone Pine Mining District. Today, it is a privately held mining ghost town outside of Lone Pine, California. It is infused with history and accessible by a rough dirt road.

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Argo Gold Mine & Mill

Argo Gold Mine & Mill2350 Riverside Dr.Idaho Springs, CO 80452 HoursWednesday – Monday: 10AM – 6PMTours run top of the hour AdmissionGeneral: $23.00 Children: 5-10: $16.00 Children Under 5: Free The Argo Gold Mine & Mill is one of the most fascinating pieces of tour-able mining history in the United States. Not only does it…

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Cullen Hall of Gems And Minerals

The Cullen Hall of Gems And Minerals in Houston, Texas’s Houston Museum of Natural Science sports a world class collection of 750 gem and mineral specimens. The darkened room sets off brilliant crystalline gold samples, along with a 2000 carat crystal emerald, the largest found in North America.

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Chihuahuan Desert Mining Heritage Exhibit

The Chihuahua Desert is the third largest desert in the Western Hemisphere, spanning parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico. Along with several mountain ranges and dramatic vistas, the desert is home to deposits of lead, zinc, barite, copper, manganese, sulfur, oil, gas, fluorite, talc, potash, water, quarry stone, gypsum, mercury, bentonite, salt, silver,…

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