The Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum
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The Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum is a museum in Colorado, at a modelled elevation of 1,749 m. Ely Hill stands 3,048 m to the west-northwest, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is White Ash Mine Disaster memorial, a artwork 0.1 miles away. Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway passes 0.5 miles off.
The story
The Mines Museum of Earth Science, formerly the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum, is a geology museum located on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines, in Golden, Colorado, United States. It was established in 1877 by paleontologist and Mines' professor, Arthur Lakes. The first place to house the museum's collection was Jarvis Hall, which burnt down in 1878. While the museum awaited a new home, the collection continued to grow. Horace Patton was named Curator of the collection, still used primarily for teaching, in 1893. The collection was relocated to Guggenheim Hall in 1906, but upon Patton's retirement, the collection was relegated to storage. In 1940, upon completion of Berthoud Hall, home to Mines' geology department, the collection was unpacked by its newest Curator, J. Harlan Johnson and informally exhibited there until 2002. In 2003, a space designed specifically for the museum was built as part of the GRL (General Research) building on campus. This 15,000 square foot space is the current home of the museum with more than 2,500 fossils, gemstones, meteorites, minerals, and mining artifacts. The name of the museum was changed from, the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum, to Mines Museum of Earth Science, in 2019 during rebranding initiated by Executive Director, Renata Lafler. Significant objects in the Museum's collection include: the Miss Colorado Crown, two lunar samples from the Apollo 15 and 17 missions, the Allison-Boettcher gold collection, the Wolcott silver pitcher and tray, an apatosaurus femur, an impressive assortment of fluorescent minerals, and the most comprehensive public collection of Colorado minerals in the world. Mines Museum is open seven days a week and admission is free.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1873.
Wikidata Q15959608, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What to expect
- Fee
- No
How to reach it
- 0.5 mi off the Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Denver Mountain Parks · 2 mi
- Point of Geological Interest · 4 mi
- Jumbo Tron · 4 mi
- Hawk Watch · 4 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- White Ash Mine Disaster memorial: 0.1 mi
- The Greeting: 0.2 mi
- Girl With Hat: 0.2 mi
- Blue Bench: 0.2 mi
- Adolph Coors: 0.3 mi
- Mines Centennial Bellm: 0.1 mi
- Buffalo Bill's Grave: 1.5 mi
- United States Marine Corps Memorial: 2.6 mi
- Colorado Amphitheater: 2.6 mi
- Shopping Center Sign: 2.8 mi
- Stratton Commons: 0.2 mi
- Kafadar Commons: 0.2 mi
- Clear Creek History Park: 0.2 mi
- Clear Creek: 0.3 mi
- Lookout Pointe Park: 0.3 mi
- Golden History Museum: 0.3 mi
- Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum: 1.5 mi
- Colorado Railroad Museum: 2.2 mi
- Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum: 2.6 mi
- Trek Through Time Exhibit Hall: 4.7 mi
- Golden Community Garden: 0.5 mi
- The Piano Garden: 1.4 mi
- Sheriff's Office Rose Garden: 1.8 mi
- Rosary Garden: 3.3 mi
- Pollinator Garden: 3.6 mi
- South Table Mountain: 0.8 mi
- Mount Zion: 1.1 mi
- Lookout Mountain: 1.7 mi
- Mount Galbraith: 1.8 mi
- Lichen Peak: 1.9 mi
- Colorado School of Mines "M": 0.9 mi
- North Sponsor Village: 3.8 mi
- Vickery Hospitality: 3.8 mi
- True Value Hospitality: 3.9 mi
- Honnen Hospitality: 4.0 mi
- Lookout Mountain Preserve and Nature Center: 2.1 mi
- Alkire Greenbelt: 10.2 mi
- Ralston Creek State Wildlife Area: 10.2 mi
- Lowell Ponds Wildlife Area: 10.3 mi
- Country West Greenbelt: 10.3 mi
- The East Quarry: 1.8 mi
- Shale Soil Creep: 3.4 mi
- Gothic Overlook: 12.6 mi
- Meditation Rock: 14.8 mi
- Front Porch: 15.9 mi
- Food Court: 3.9 mi
- First Class Zone/Food Court: 3.9 mi
- Food Court: 4.0 mi
- Food Court: 4.0 mi
- LOB19: 6.1 mi
- Arapahoe: 3.0 mi
- Mount Vernon: 4.3 mi
- Russell Gulch: 16.7 mi
- Nevadaville: 16.7 mi
- Tungsten: 20.2 mi
- Maxwell Falls: 15.0 mi
- Lee Gulch: 16.8 mi
- Elk Falls: 19.8 mi
- Boulder Falls: 20.0 mi
- Swim Beach: 16.3 mi
- Beach (No Swim): 21.4 mi
- Swim Beach: 21.4 mi
- Keyhole Rock: 6.6 mi
- Arapaho Spring: 15.1 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 13.1 miles of The Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ely Hill | WNW 289° | 3,048 m | 11.0 mi |
| Mount Pence | WSW 244° | 3,014 m | 11.9 mi |
| Snyder Mountain | WSW 243° | 2,996 m | 12.3 mi |
| Centralia Mountain | NW 304° | 2,982 m | 9.4 mi |
| Mount Tom | WNW 304° | 2,969 m | 8.1 mi |
| Bergen Peak | WSW 237° | 2,957 m | 10.8 mi |
| Douglas Mountain | WNW 287° | 2,927 m | 8.4 mi |
| Saddleback Mountain | WSW 257° | 2,906 m | 11.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:05 | 18:38 | 19:13 |
| June solstice | 05:34 | 19:53 | 20:33 |
| September equinox | 06:49 | 18:24 | 19:00 |
| December solstice | 07:19 | 15:57 | 16:40 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 34 | 34 | 42 | 48 | 57 | 68 | 74 | 72 | 64 | 52 | 41 | 34 |
| Precip in | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Ralston Rsvr, 5 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element node/2622999684
Day trips start here
- Golden · 0 mi
- Arvada · 8 mi
- Denver · 12 mi
- Idaho Springs · 15 mi
- Boulder · 18 mi
Take the scenic way to The Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum.
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