GOLDEN, Colo. — The museum on the Colorado School of Mines campus has reopened to the public following nearly a yearlong closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mines Museum of Earth Science, formerly known as the Geology Museum, is open Thursday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Reservations for the museum are required and COVID-19 safety protocols are in place, including mask requirements and a limit of 10 visitors per floor per hour.
> Above video: Colorado School of Mines adds minor in space.
“We’re excited to finally reopen the doors of the museum to the public – with a completely renovated entrance, new exhibits and, yes, new protocols in place,” museum director Renata Lafler said.
Now on display at the Mines Museum of Earth Science is a meteorite that was found in Colorado and weighs over 40 pounds. The museum said the meteorite's donor used the H6 ordinary chondrite as a doorstop until its true nature was discovered – he found it in 1941 in a field that belonged to his family.
Museum visitors will also notice a brand-new museum store at the museum’s entrance and a new welcome desk with an amethyst countertop, a new collection of mining artifacts donated by the family of Mines alumnus Frederick R. Dowsett Jr. ‘69, expanded exhibits of Colorado minerals, including a new section dedicated to minerals from Alma's Sweet Home Mine and new interactive exhibits for kids.
“We’ve been busy over the past year improving the museum experience for our guests – and that includes officially launching our new name, the Mines Museum of Earth Science, to better reflect our mission and one-of-a-kind collections dedicated to the earth sciences and Colorado’s mineral heritage," said Lafler.
The Mines Museum of Earth Science is located at 1310 Maple Street in Golden. Reservations can be made online.
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