Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum

For all of you geology lovers this is a great museum. Our family loves geology and minerals, so this museum is a great hit with the kids. Arizona is the "Copper State", so it is not surprising that many of the minerals found in this museum are copper minerals. Turquoise, malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, bornite and beautiful fossilized wood. One of the finest collections of minerals in the southwest region. The blues and greens of the malachites are amazing. There are other rocks and minerals from other parts of the world, such as 113lb Quartz from Brazil, and beautiful Quartz from Mexico. Mining is such an integral part to Arizona's history as well as the present as it ranks as the top US state in copper mining. This museum is a great demonstration of the beauty that can be found in Arizona and other parts of the world. Popular exhibit here is the creation of various food dishes out of the different rocks, for example they had a breakfast plate: Pancakes are Sandstone, Bacon is quartz, var. agate, & rhyolite, and eggs quartz var agate.The Lemon Pie is Traventine.

Phone: 602-771-1611

Location: Central Phoenix
Address: 1502 West Washington Phoenix, AZ
Directions: If you turn down 15th Ave there is Free (2 hour limit) parking right behind the museum. The back of the museum has a cool mural on the back as well.

Hours: Closed on Sundays. Adults admission $2, Kids are free
Website: http://www.mines.az.gov

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