Anyone that knows me, knows that one of my favorite places in the world is the Keweenaw Peninsula. It is a beautiful, historic place, as well as my best rock-hunting area.
The New A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum.
In Houghton, on the campus of Michigan Technological Institute is one of the great mineral Museums in the world, one that, unfortunately, most tourists pass up. The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum located at 1404 Sharon Avenue. The seaman Museum is Michigan’s Official State Mineral Museum.
The Seaman moved to their new building last summer. The new building is still lacking the space to display all the museums collection, but it is all they could afford when forced to move from their old space in central campus location. The new museum building has room for expansion in the future.
Donating my Pink Petoskey Stone to Dr. Robinson at the Seaman Museum. I am pointing the case where the specimen should fit.
The curator of the museum collection is my good friend, Dr. George Robinson, who also teaches some of the geology classes at Tech. The director of the Seaman is Dr Ted Bornhorst. Based on all the work done in moving the specimens, and setting up all the new displays, I would also point out the work done by George’s wife, Susan. You might as well call her co-curator.
The new museum opened officially in August 2011. I told George that when the museum opened, I would donate a world-class Pink Petoskey Stone to add to their display case containing Michigan’s Official State Stone. I took a mineral photography class in 2010 and George saw the Pink Petoskey Stone when we photographed it in the class.
The world-class favosites I donated previously to the Seaman.
I have previously donated a Favosites specimen that is on display, but it was an honor for me to share my Pink Petoskey with the world. I know of no other museum that has a pink Petoskey Stone in their collection.
You can clearly see this Petoskey is Pink!
Next time you are in the Houghton area, check out the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum and look for my donated fossils.
I’ll blog more about the museum and show you some of the displays in the near future.
The Museum Collections
(as listed on the AE Seaman Museum website):
World’s finest collection of Keweenaw Copper District minerals
World’s finest collection of Lake Superior Iron District minerals
World’s most comprehensive collection of Michigan Minerals
One of the best fluorescent mineral exhibits in the United States
One of the largest systematic mineral collections on public view in North America
Collection includes individual specimens that are the best of their species
One of the world’s best suites of Fairfield, Utah Variscite
One of the world’s best suites of Yukon phosphate minerals
Guinness World Record copper specimen (satellite exhibit at the Quincy Mine)