Harvard Mineralogical Museum facts for kids
The Mineralogical and Geological Museum at Harvard (MGMH) is a fascinating place to explore rocks, minerals, and Earth's history. It's often called the Harvard Mineralogical Museum. You can find it on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This museum is one of three important research museums that make up the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
A Look Back: Museum History
The story of this museum began a long time ago. A famous professor named Louis Agassiz helped build the University Museum building. This building was finished in 1859. Professor Agassiz wanted a place to keep his animal collections.
Soon, the museum's collections grew to include many other natural sciences. In 1901, Louis Agassiz's son, Alexander Agassiz, officially created the Geological Museum. Later, in 1966, the Mineralogical Museum (which had started separately) and the Geological Museum joined together. This created the museum we know today.
Amazing Collections
The museum's collection is the oldest university collection of its kind in the United States. It was started by Benjamin Waterhouse in 1784. He was a co-founder and professor at Harvard Medical School.
In 1805, the collection had about 1,600 different specimens. Today, the museum holds an incredible 400,000 specimens! These include many types of minerals, rocks, and fossils. It's a great place to see how Earth has changed over millions of years.
