Maine Mineral and Gem Museum

Geology museum in Bethel, Maine

Maine Mineral and Gem Museum

Tourmaline specimen on display at the museum

Established| 2019
Location| 99 Main St, Bethel, Maine
Coordinates| 44°24′28″N 70°47′19″W﻿ / ﻿44.4077°N 70.7887°W﻿ / 44.4077; -70.7887
Type| Geology museum
Website| mainemineralmuseum.org

The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum is a geology museum located in Bethel, Maine.[1][2] It displays a collection of rocks, minerals, and meteorites.

## History[edit]

The museum was formed from the possessions within Perham's Maine Mineral Store founded in 1919. Following the store's closure in 2009, Massachusetts-based philanthropists Lawrence Stifler and Mary McFadden bought the Perham collection. The museum then opened in 2019.[3]

## Collection and research[edit]

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 largest chunk of the asteroid 4 Vesta on Earth.
* The largest displays of lunar and Martian meteorites in the world, including the largest piece of the Moon known to exist on Earth.[5]
* Petrica quadrifaria, a fossil tree and Maine's state fossil.
* The largest known Martian meteorite, Taoudenni 002.[6]
* The oldest known volcanic rock, Erg Chech 002.[7]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Home". Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
2. ^ "Maine Mineral & Gem Museum". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
3. ^ Libby, Peter (December 12, 2019). "A Museum Devoted to Geological Treasures Opens in Maine". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
4. ^ "MMGM Background and Fast Facts" (PDF). Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Sep 2021. Retrieved 24 Aug 2023.
5. ^ "The Stifler Collection of Meteorites". Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
6. ^ "World's largest Martian meteorite goes on display". Live Science.
7. ^ Weisberger, Mindy (2021-03-08). "4.6-billion-year-old meteorite belongs to Earth's long-lost baby cousin". livescience.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.

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