Crater Rock Museum, Central Point, Oregon – Travel

The first rock you see in this story, (this beautiful turquoise, blue and green rock) is just one of many that you will see at the Crater Rock Museum. First, I am going to tell you a little bit about rocks. Next I’m going to show you some of the amazing things you will see at this museum.

To begin, When you walk barefoot on the beach, the continental crust is what you find immediately under your feet. It is made up of minerals and solid rocks. It is very thin, only about 25 miles deep (40 kilometers).

Under the continental crust is the mantle which is made up of minerals, solid rocks and semi-solid magma. It is 1802 miles (2900 kilometers) further into the earth (below the continental crust). The mantle in total makes up 84% of the Earth.

Under the mantle is the Earth’s outer and inner core which is primarily iron, nickel and a few other elements. The core is 2365 miles (3485 kilometers) in radius.

Rocks

The most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust are silicon and oxygen. They are what make up most rocks.

There are three types of rock, Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic rock.

Igneous Rock

Igneous rock forms when magma or lava cools and becomes solid. Pumice and Granite are a couple of examples of Igneous rock.

Sedimentary Rock

Sedimentary rock forms in layers. The layers are created when minerals deposit over time (minerals from water, air or precipitation). Sulfur, Coal, Chalk and Limestone are examples of Sedimentary rocks.

I bet you would never guess that glacial ice is considered a form of rock. According to the USGS, it is called mono-mineralic, which means it is comprised of only one mineral.

The Glacier seen below is the Mendenhall Glacier. I was so very fortunate to see two glaciers when I went on my Cruise to Alaska. When you are all done reading this post about the museum, scroll back up to this link. It will take you to part one (of a three-part post) about that Alaskan cruise. These two glaciers were two separate destinations on that trip.

Metamorphic Rock

Metamorphic rock is created when rock is changed through pressure, reactive fluids, or an increase in the temperature of a rock (under high heat). Zeolites, Rubies, Sapphires and Diamonds are great examples of Metamorphic rock.

Fossils

Do you know where fossils come from? They started as things like trees, plants and animals.

When trees, plants, and plant matter become enclosed in one or more substances quickly (for instance, in mud, silt, or tar), they become protected from decay, erosion, and/or animal damage. Over time (10,000 years minimum), the protected matter pulls dissolved minerals in. The cell walls of the object and voids in between are replaced by the minerals. The result is petrification. Any trees, plants, and plant matter become mineralized (become stone) in the shape of the protected thing.

Animal fossils are formed the same way. Animal fossils were alive, died, and were quickly enclosed by one or more substances that preserved them. Most of the animal fossils found do not include the flesh, but the bones become fossilized (the bones become stone).

Some fossils are stones that no longer hold a trace of the creature in them but instead have left a cast of the creature itself (a cast fossil). One example of this would be the footprint of an animal that walked on the land, left its mark on the ground, and then the footprint quickly filled with a substance that preserved the footprint as it was, shortly after it was made.

Another example of a cast fossil would be if someone splits a rock in two and inside is seen an impression of a plant or an animal.

We Love to Collect Rocks

I started learning about rocks in grade school. I found rocks to be fascinating. Fools gold and rose quartz looked pretty. Real gold or silver could make you rich (if you can find some).

I bought the book, “Smithsonian Nature Guide – Rocks and Minerals“, so I could read up on rocks and minerals. I bought my book from a bookstore in Bandon, Oregon but I see that Amazon sells it too.

I have purchased cross sections (slices) of rocks, fossilized wood and a geode. My husband and I do love to collect rocks together as we walk (he seems to have an eye for finding little treasures, like agates).

Do you know what a rock hound is?

A rock hound is a person, (often an amateur), who collects minerals, rocks or fossils, typically from their natural environment (like on the ground, along a stream, in a stream or maybe on the beach (if allowed).

Now, About the Museum

We love to go to museums. We decided what fun it would be to go to a rock museum, see the various objects and buy some rocks, a geode or maybe some fossilized wood.

We decided to take a trip to the Crater Rock Museum in Central Point, Oregon. It’s really easy to find using Google Maps.

This was my second time here. Many years ago, my brother brought me here. I told my husband what a nice museum it is. I wanted him to see it too. I am happy to let you see a little bit of the museum through this post, but you must go there and see it for yourself because I didn’t show you the biggest or the best of all they have on exhibit.

Our Tour Begins With Their Gift Shop

The first thing we saw when we went in was the gift shop, which in itself was huge.

There were natural rocks in addition to cut, carved, shaped, and polished rocks everywhere.

I have been to a lot of rock exhibits and events where rock collectors show and sell their finds. I’ve seen good prices and not so good prices, but I felt this museum’s prices were very reasonable.

I told my husband that I wanted to look in the shop after we were done touring the museum (I always like to bring home a memento from a trip).

The Price of Admission Into the Museum

I went up to the shop desk to pay for admittance for my husband and myself. At the time of this writing, I found out the price of admission.

Members were admitted for free. I didn’t ask how much a membership costs, so free isn’t exactly free, I guess.

Remember, the price of everything typically goes up, but at the time of our visit, Adults were admitted for $7.00 each. Seniors (age 55 and older) and Veterans would be admitted for $6.00 each. Students were admitted for $5.00 each. Kids under 5 were admitted for free. A Family of 4 would be admitted for $20.00.

Inside the Museum

We passed the sign that listed the admission price and immediately saw a huge rock in a glass case on the left. It had an ominous name and a warning. They named it “Bloody Bart”. A card at the bottom of it warns that touching this rock will likely result in a person being cut.

Many of the objects at the museum are massive. The stones seen below on the left and the right are called geodes. These two were originally one stone, but the stone was cut into two pieces to reveal the purple quartz amethyst inside.

Meteorites

When you go into the museum’s first exhibit, you will see various displays with topics. One of the displays holds meteorites.

Many Different Objects and Exhibits

As you walk through the museum, you will find that most objects/exhibits are displayed in glass cases. The cases help protect the objects.

It seemed that the objects in each glass case were prettier and more unique as we went along.

There was also a dark room that had a fluorescent light, which you could turn on, so you could see what some of the rocks looked like under that kind of illumination.

Further into the museum, we saw fossilized creatures.

There was even an area there where various materials had been carved and shaped into forms of transportation, amongst other things.

Remember, I’m not showing you everything because you need to go there and discover all of the amazing things on exhibit yourself.

Go to the museum, walk around, and take your time looking at everything (it took us a couple of hours to see it all). When you are done, go to the store to purchase a treasure for yourself (a memento of your visit to the Crater Rock Museum).

Things You Might Like To Learn More About

While doing research for this post, I learned a lot from National Geographic about the Earth’s crust.

In case you missed the link earlier in this post, the USGS has information about glaciers if you would like to learn a bit more about them.

If you want to read more details about the process of wood becoming petrified, see what Wikipedia has to say.

Do you know the difference between a meteor and a meteorite? This article from National Geographic will explain the difference and tell you all about meteorites.

Please, Bookmark This Site

If you haven’t already done so, bookmark this site. The next time you are looking for something interesting to read about or you are looking for something fun to do, you’ll know where to go.

More Content

If you love museums, click on the link to see and read about the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. You can also click on the link to see and read about the Boundary County Historical Museum in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

If you want to see what else this website has that you might enjoy reading about, click here to return to the home page.

If you are someone who loves a good recipe, click here to see what I have for you to consider.

Spread the Word

Please tell family and friends about this website. There might be something they find that they would enjoy too.

If you enjoy stories about travel, good food and everyday enjoyment, I’d love to have you be one of my subscribers. Subscribing means you shouldn’t ever miss a new post.