A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum – Houghton, Michigan
Located on the campus of Michigan Tech is the Mineral Museum of Michigan, also known as the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum. This museum offers the visitor the opportunity to see the worlds’ finest collections of Keweenaw Copper Distric minerals, Lake Superior Iron Distric minerals, Michigan minerals, and one of the United States best fluorescent mineral exhibits. It also offers one of the largest systematic mineral collections on public view in North America, one of the world’s best suites of Fairfield, Utah Variscite, Yukon phosphate minerals and the Guesiness World Record copper specimen which is located at a satellite exhibit at the Quincy Mine.
William O. "Bill" Shelton donated an extraordinary collection of thousands of mineral specimens including more than 350 types of minerals, one-of-a-kind rarities and display-grade pieces from classic mineral-collecting sites in the former Soviet Union, as well as reference materials. Included in this collection are a 14-inch plate of smoky quartz crystals-with one six-inch crystal, from Russia’s Polar Urals; a six-inch nodule of rich blue turquoise from near Tucson, Ariz., a one-inch, single emerald crystal from the world famous mines of Muzo, Colombia; a cranberry-red, 2.5-inch rhodochrosite crystal from the Sweet Home Mine, Colo., and an eight-inch slice of the Brahin Meteorite, found in 1810 in Minsk, Byelorussia, Russia. The Brahin Meteorite is a high-grade pallasite–a rare meteorite type showing an olivine/nickel-iron intergrowth.
This collection took Mr. Shelton hearly four decades to build. It should be enjoyed by everyone that comes to the museum to see these beautiful minerals.
Location: Michigan TEchnological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, Michigan 49931-1295
email: tjb@mtu.edu
Phone: 906-487-3027
Hours: Monday – Friday 9 – 4:30 PM.; Saturday and Sunday: noon – 4:30 PM (July through September) October through June the museum is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Cloded on National and University Holidays. It is also closed between Crhistmas and the first full week after New Years Day.
Admisison: Free (donations are appreciated)
Guided tours by appointment. Handicap accessible.
The museum will also identifiy your minerals if you make prior arrangements.
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Visited there in July. Great presentation. My wife belongs to the Michigan Minerology Society.