Willamette Meteorite, Iron meteorite at American Museum of Natural History, New York, US

The Willamette Meteorite is a 15,500 kg iron-nickel mass, about 3 m tall, 2 m wide and 1.3 m deep, with a dark grey, deeply pitted surface of hollows and ridges. It stands behind a curved metal railing at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, where a small white sign faces visitors.

Ellis Hughes, a European settler, recognized the meteorite's significance in 1902 on land owned by the Oregon Iron and Steel Company. He secretly moved it 3/4 mile (1,200 m) to his own land over 90 days, but a lawsuit led the Oregon Supreme Court to rule the company was the legal owner. In 1905 Sarah Tappan Hoadley bought it for $26,000 and donated it to the American Museum of Natural History, where it has been displayed since 1906.

The Clackamas people call this meteorite Tomanowos and consider it sacred. They have held ceremonies at the museum each year since 1999 to honor their spiritual connection to it.

This meteorite is on view year-round at the natural history museum and is easy to locate in a main exhibition hall. Arriving early in the day helps you get a clear view and hear the museum staff's explanations without crowds.

Scientists believe this meteorite was carried to Oregon during the Missoula Floods roughly 13,000 years ago from far northern regions. It arrived without creating a crater, which makes it an uncommon discovery for its size.