Welcome to the Minnesota Rock, Fossil & Mineral Collection Website, the Upper Midwest's only county-specific rock collecting site. Part of the Science Enrichment Modules Series, this premier endeavor, with more than 30 collections and 200 varieties of rocks, minerals, and fossils, is designed to inspire, educate, enrich, and engage. The generous samples are packaged in durable 4x6 inch boxes and include a pictorial key and an informative text identification key.

The Collection roots reach back nearly 20 years, when the local Geology club sponsored field trips with access to specimens from Minnesota’s most rugged terrain. From its first introduction of note, the Stearns Granite Collection, to recent additions such as the Red Lake County Surficial Sampler, Minnesota Rock, Fossil & Mineral Collections continue to be in high demand.

The Minnesota River Valley Collection page is up and running. Here's the link: Minnesota River Valley Collection Order now. Collection Order Form

In the late 1980s, the Minnesota Rock, Fossil & Mineral Collection started as a backyard rock garden displaying rocks and fossils from throughout Minnesota.

Thanks to a rewarding partnership with the Geological Society of Minnesota, the collections - and the scope of coverage – rapidly expanded. And in 2000 the Minnesota Rock, Fossil & Mineral Collection was founded, on 2.5 acres adjacent to the Minnesota River Valley, as a growing repository of native rocks and fossils of Minnesota.

Today, the Science Enrichment Modules Series provides educational resources, Geology, Astronomy and nature programs for all ages, breathtaking views with large-aperture telescopes, and inspiration to a wide community, which includes novices, hobbyists, educators, scouts and students throughout Minnesota.

(Right) The 'other' Minnesota quartzite — Pokegama Quartzite, Middle Precambrian Specimens 2

A link to each collection’s webpage is below. Now that the initial enthusiasm has ebbed, I’ve settled into a schedule of adding new material every so often. New items are featured in both the left and right columns. Browse the pages and place an order today.