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Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals

26385 NW Groveland Dr, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 USA

62 Reviews
$
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Closed Now
Opens Fri 1p
  • Independent
  • Credit Cards
    Accepted
  • Wheelchair
    Accessible
  • Public
    Restrooms
  • No Wifi
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“Huge collection of gems and crystals”

The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals is a non-profit museum in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Located just north of the Sunset Highway on the northern edge of Hillsboro, the earth science museum is in the Portland metropolitan area. Opened in 1997, the museum’s collections date to the 1930s with the museum housed in a home built to display the rock and mineral collections of the museum founders. The ranch style home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the first of its kind listed in Oregon.The museum sits on 23 wooded acres (9.3 ha), with the main building containing of space. Collections include petrified wood, various fossils, fluorescent minerals, meteorites, zeolites, and a variety of other minerals. With more than 20,000 specimens, the museum is the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. The facility has around 25,000 visitors each year, many of whom are on school tours.HistoryRichard L. Rice married Helen Hart in 1932 and the couple began rock collecting in 1938 after finding agates along the Oregon Coast. In 1952 the Rices built a new home north of Hillsboro on 30 acres (12.1 ha) that would later house the museum. The Rices founded a museum in 1953 to display their collections. Their collections won them the Woodruff Trophy three years in a row at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, which led to that trophy's retirement. Helen served as president of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies from 1959 to 1960.

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Photo of Jackie M.

Reviewed by
Jackie M.

A large house turned museum manages to pack in a lot of specimens. I'm no geologist, but it seems like a pretty impressive collection. My kids, 6 and 3, really enjoyed exploring, especially the... Read more

Photo of Hash S.

Reviewed by
Hash S.

I can think of no better cultural summary of Washington County than sitting in a midcentury home in the middle of abandoned acreage staring at rocks. When the family first brought me here years... Read more

Photo of Mike F.

Reviewed by
Mike F.

I have been here a couple times in the past with the boy scouts, it is so close to home and is a treasure to visit. The house is also amazing too seeing the older architecture of this custom built... Read more

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals

26385 NW Groveland Dr
Hillsboro, Oregon
97124 USA
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Hours

Closed Now
  • Sun, Sat: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wed - Fri: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

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  • Unavailable
    Pets Allowed
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    Restrooms
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    Wifi
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    Wheelchair Accessible
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    Credit Cards Accepted
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    Outdoor Seating
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