Harvard Mineralogical Museum

Harvard Mineralogical Museum is a collection of minerals within Harvard University in Cambridge and displays a wide variety of specimens including rare rocks, meteorites, and gems gathered from across the globe. Visitors can see examples that researchers study to understand how geological processes form the materials beneath Earth's surface.

The museum was founded in 1784 and holds the oldest university mineral collection in the United States. The collection has grown over two centuries through contributions from geologists and explorers.

The museum displays specimens that reveal the rock formations and mineral types found in different regions, showing visitors how geology shapes the landscapes they see in everyday life.

The museum is located on Harvard University grounds and is easily reached by public transportation running through Cambridge. Plan to spend enough time to explore the many displays in the cases throughout the galleries.

The collection holds about 150,000 mineral and rock samples from around the world, many of which remain not fully studied. This large number makes the museum an important resource for scientists discovering and characterizing new mineral types.