Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum facts for kids
The Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum was a special place in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a museum all about amazing minerals and the history of mining in Arizona. Imagine seeing over 3,000 different minerals, rocks, fossils, and tools from the mining world! The museum closed its doors in May 2011. But good news! In April 2017, a new law was passed to bring the museum back to life. It is now planned to reopen under the care of the University of Arizona.
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The Museum's Journey: A Look at Its History
The museum actually started way back in 1884. It was a small, temporary display at Arizona's very first state fair. People loved it so much that it got its own permanent building in 1919. This building was on the state fairgrounds.
For many years, it was only open during the state fairs. Then, in 1953, six Arizona mining companies helped. They gave money to keep the museum open all year round. It became a formal museum. Both the museum and its main office were in the same building.
In 1991, the museum moved to a new home in Phoenix. The old building was getting old and couldn't protect the valuable items. The new location was a historic building. It was renamed the Polly Rosenbaum Building. This honored Polly Rosenbaum, a state leader who helped the museum find its new home.
Why the Museum Closed and Its Future Plans
In 2010, the Arizona Historical Society took over the museum. They planned to change it into a history museum. This new museum would celebrate Arizona's 100th birthday in 2012. It was going to be called the Arizona Centennial Museum. The idea was to focus on "Arizona's Five C's." These were cattle, copper, cotton, citrus, and climate.
However, the change was more difficult than expected. Many valuable items in the museum were on loan. The museum was responsible for any damage or loss. These items were worth a lot of money. The museum closed in May 2011. It closed earlier than planned, surprising employees and school groups.
Even though it closed, the story didn't end. In April 2017, a new law was passed. This law aims to reopen the museum. The University of Arizona will now be in charge of it.
Amazing Treasures: What the Museum Collected
The museum's collection was full of incredible things. You could see minerals from famous Arizona locations. There were also many specimens from Arizona copper mines. One piece of native copper was 8 feet (2.4 m) long!
There were also displays about lapidary arts. This is the art of cutting and polishing stones. You could see sparkling faceted gemstones. There were also smooth cabochons made from Arizona minerals. Other displays taught about how minerals form. They showed different crystal shapes and fluorescent minerals that glowed in the dark.
Some truly unique items included a 206-pound (93 kg) piece of the Meteor Crater meteorite. There were also fulgurites, which are glass tubes formed by lightning. A huge quartz geode was split in half. Each half weighed 240 pounds (110 kg)! You could even see real Moon rocks. Bowls and spheres made from beautiful semi-precious stones were also on display.
Giant Machines: Outdoor Mining Equipment
Outside the museum, you could see large pieces of mining equipment. Some were historic, and some were modern. A head frame from a mine in Bisbee was there. There was also a steam railroad locomotive from 1882. This train was used at a Phelps Dodge mine in Morenci. A stamp mill and two rail cars were also part of the display.
Modern equipment included a giant 13-foot (4.0 m) truck tire. This tire was from a truck used in open-pit mining. There was also a huge 27-cubic-yard (21 m3) bucket from an electric mining shovel. This shovel was used in the copper mine at Ray.
Rose Mofford's Special Gifts
One room in the museum displayed a special collection. It included minerals, kachina dolls, and other items. These were donated by Rose Mofford. She was the governor of Arizona when the museum moved to its new home. Rose Mofford was a big supporter of the museum. She once said that if the museum ever closed, her collection should go to other rural museums in Arizona.
