Museum Grounds
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Gift Shop
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Northwest Gallery
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| The Rice NW Museum is nestled among huge fir trees in a beautiful landscape; the grounds are full of hidden treasures and surprises. If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a hawk, owl or eagle soaring overhead, a wandering deer or coyote on the prowl, a hummingbird suckling nectar from a flower, a bunny eating clover from the lawn, or frog or snake searching for a water hole. From old growth timber to countless fungi and wildflower varieties, there's something here for every nature lover. |
The Gift Shop at the Rice NW Museum is loaded with everything from $1 trinkets to high-end collectors items in the thousand-dollar range. Try on some fun jewelry, make a wish-list of faceted gemstone items, purchase a unique gift that only nature can create, or peruse our selection of hard-to-find books. If you're looking for a small souvenir or a prized keepsake to pass on to future generations, there's something for every rock and mineral shopper here. |
The Northwest Gallery at the Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals is the showcase for local and Northwest-area specimens. Here you'll find a wide-range of zeolites, quartz, gold, thundereggs, other specimens, and a wealth of knowledge on collecting rocks and minerals in the northwest. Managed by and dedicated to the life and work of museum curator, Rudy Tschernich, this wonderful gallery is sure to impress and intrigue anyone who's ever considered treasures buried in their own backyard. |
Fluorescent Gallery
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Main Gallery
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Fossil Gallery
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| The Rainbow Room/Fluorescent Gallery is always one of the favorite sights to see at the Rice Museum. Watch as both shortwave and longwave fluorescent lighting is shone upon what looks like boring stones...the rocks will reveal beautiful colors. This is caused by minerals the rock contains reacting to the UV lights...come visit us today and learn more! |
The Main Gallery of the Rice Museum is where it all began. Richard and Helen Rice constructed the display cases in the basement of the house-now museum-to hold their private collection. Prized specimens from the original collection remain, and are the basis for the thousands of additional pieces you'll find there today. |
The Fossil Gallery is full of mysterious things from the distant past. Ever wanted to see a full dinosaur skeleton up close? How about some fossilized dino-dung?! From ammonites and trilobites to mammoth tusks to dinosaur eggs, you'll get a heavy dose of deep history (prehistory, in fact!). |
Lapidary Arts Gallery
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Meteorite Display
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Petrified Wood Gallery
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| The Lapidary Arts Gallery is the section of the museum with the most sparkles! Here you will find treasured jewels from all around the world, including rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds. Take a moment to find your birthstone (all are labeled and on display), or catch a glimpse of our skillfully carved Oregon opal, etched with an image of Mt. Hood. The beauty awaits you! |
The Meteorite Display at the Rice NW Museum is prepared and presented by Cascade Meteorite Laboratory from Portland State University. This display is full of amazing facts and specimens. There are several great pieces of space matter on display, including iron and stone meteorites. You'll have a chance to touch our amazing Gibeon Meteorite from Africa (so much iron in it, it's cold to the touch!), and learn all about these intriguing unexpected visitors from space. |
The Petrified Wood Gallery at the Rice NW Museum is both extensive and impressive in equal parts. A full room is dedicated to the collection of petrified wood by Dennis and Mary Murphy. The walls are lined with cases of cross-cut slices, full rounds, and tall tree chunks of petrified wood. In addition, kids and adults alike will enjoy listening to our 'talking log' that explains the process of turning wood to stone over millions of years... |