 Maine Mineral and Gem Museum as seen from Main Street | |
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| Established | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | 99 Main St, Bethel, Maine |
| Coordinates | 44°24′28″N70°47′19″W / 44.4077°N 70.7887°W |
| Type | Geology museum |
| Website | mainemineralmuseum |
The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum (MMGM) is a geology museum located in Bethel, Maine. [1] [2] It displays a collection of rocks, minerals, and meteorites.
The museum was formed using specimens, objects, gems and jewelry from several collections containing some of the finest Maine-mined material. Massachusetts-based philanthropists Lawrence Stifler and Mary McFadden started the collection for the Museum in the early 2000's with the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum opening in 2019. [3]
As of 2021, the museum holds 57,781 specimens, with 37,940 of those being minerals. [4] Notable specimens contained by the museum are:
The 15,000sq ft museum has four galleries and nineteen permanent exhibits showcasing Maine minerals, as well as meteorites from the Moon and Mars. Additionally, the MMGM's active research laboratory supports scientific exploration of both minerals and meteorites. The MMGM houses approximately 6,000 extraterrestrial rocks (originating from the Moon, Mars, and Asteroid Belt) that are showcased in the Stifler Collection of Meteorites. [8]
Through collaboration with academic institutions and researchers from around the globe, MMGM's team of researchers have co-authored and presented over 100 scientific studies in the past decade and written over 500 peer-reviewed publications throughout their career.[ citation needed ]
MMGM and the MP2 Research Team offer an annual opportunity to study granitic pegmatites at the Maine Pegmatite Workshop.
The Maine Pegmatite Workshop curriculum includes: [9]
In 2014, Maine Lapidary and MMGM Founding director and trustee emeritus, Robert F. Ritchie, MD, donated to the museum more than 800 stone spheres and the lapidary equipment that he used to cut and polish them. His sphere machine is a prominent part of the museums lapidary exhibit.
Currently, the Robert F. Ritchie Lapidary Studio at the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum is overseen by exhibit specialist and studio manager, Martin Roberts. Roberts is most often found in the studio, making spheres out of metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rock, and even meteorites. [10]