Museum Name: Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum
Schedule: 8:00-5:00 M-F; 11-4 Sat; closed Sun & State Holidays
Established: 1884
Address: 1502 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 84007
Phone Number: 602.255.3795 ext 10
Fax Number: 602.255.3777
Email: susancelestian@hotmail.com
Director: Dr. Madan Singh
Website: www.mines.az.gov
Focus: Discover the Treasure in this world class museum. Beauty and utility -- that phrase describes the exhibits of the Museum. Housed in the historic El Zaribah Shrine auditorium, the Museum displays over 3000 worldwide minerals, rocks, gemstones, fossils, and mining artifacts, with emphasis on Arizona minerals, beautiful specimens, and the uses of Earth materials. Best rock shop in town.
Ages: All
Costs: $2 for adults 18 and older; children free
Notes: The gift shop is child friendly, with many selections starting at 25 cents. In addition, Treasure Bags are available for $2 each. FREE to Teachers: Teacher's Kit, with 45 numbered minerals and rocks, book describing the contents, and a Teacher Pac CD with classroom activities and general mineral/geology information.

Major Exhibits
If It Can't Be Grown....At Work For You" is an exhibit that spotlights minerals and rocks that are pivotal to the production of materials that are crucial to our everyday lives.

"Dripping Water" -- Caves formations and minerals formed by dripping water.

A series of cases highlighting the minerals that have come out of important Arizona copper mines: Bisbee, Ray, Morenci, Ajo, Silver Bell and Tiger.

"The Causes of Color in Minerals"

The Mofford Gallery is a room that displays over 1000 pieces (about 1/3 of the total collection) from the memorabilia collection of former Governor Rose Mofford.

Outside: Boras Headframe (Bisbee), baby-gauge steam engine (Morenci), 5-stamp mill, 6' diameter mine truck tire, 100,000 pound loader bucket; life-size mural of a mine truck.

2006 Exhibits
The Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum's Annual Holiday Feast is on display during November and December. The good news? No carbs. The bad news? Don't chew anything there.

A festive table is set with a linen cloth and napkins, shining silverware, and a veritable feast of good things to eat. All the comestibles are rocks or minerals that happen to look like food and drink. You can find chocolate pie, animal crackers, cranberry sauce, roast beef, candied sweet potatoes, fruits including apricots and grapes, bread and rolls. There are even flowers and toothpicks. Toothpicks of asbestos. And did we mention the turkey? Everyone can see that it's an Arizona Turkey because the booties are made of gold-metallic foil.

Class Trip Programs
The Museum hosts over 20,000 pre-school through college students per year on field trips. The average visit lasts 1 1/2 hours, but time is flexible.

Upon arrival, the group will be seated in the classroom for an introductory session that will include a film/video and a "Minerals & Their Uses" presentation by the tour guide. After the presentation, a "treasure hunt" takes the class through the exhibits. Children are encouraged to touch open displays and to ask questions.

Group Size: There is a MINIMUM group size of 20 school-age students and a MAXIMUM group size of 150 people.

For more information, visit our website and click on the Tours, Outreach, Services link.

Class Trip Pricing
For public/private school groups there is no fee.

For Adult, Daycare and Summer Camp groups, there is a per person fee of $2, which includes a rock pencil.