It Looks Too Colourful To Be True,

but it is,

 if you turn on blacklight to view it, about 15 percent of minerals fluoresce under blacklight, and they generally don’t glow in the daytime, and here at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum it is known to have the world’s largest publicly displayed collection of fluorescent rocks, ones that beam bright neon colours under certain types of light, 

at the entrance there are more than 100 huge fluorescent mineral specimens that cover an entire wall that’s lit up by different types of ultraviolet light, displaying the glowing capabilities of each mineral type, the museum is an old zinc mine, one of the oldest in the U.S.  having opened in 1739 and in operation until 1986, during which time it was an important site for mining zinc, as well as iron and manganese, the abandoned mine was purchased in 1989 and converted to a museum in 1990, and now welcomes about 40,000 people every year, the museum itself includes both outdoor and indoor mining exhibits, rock and fossil discovery centres, an observatory, an underground mine tour, and the Thomas S. Warren Museum of Fluorescence devoted to the glowing minerals,

the mine is in New Jersey, just an hour’s drive from New York’s George Washington Bridge, spanning 2,670 vertical feet, more than twice as deep as the Empire State Building is tall, what an interesting place to walk around and even better you can visit the rock dump and collect your own specimens to take home!, this from the web site:

Adult: $12

Senior: $11 (65+) that's me!

                 Child: $9 (4-12 years old)

 2 hour underground walking tour    

The Mine is 56°, so bring a light jacket

Wheelchair/stroller accessible

Recommended to arrive 15 minutes before tour starts

July&August(including Labor Day Weekend):Daily Public Tours @ 10 A.M.&1 P.M.

  

Gift Shop Open Daily: 10A.M.-3 P.M.

  

Rock Discovery Center: every Saturday & Sunday at 12 P.M

Admission fee: $4 per person

Learn about, identify, collect and keep 6 different rock and mineral specimens

Rock & Mineral Collecting:

$5 admission fee to enter dump                          

$1.50 for each lb. collected

Must be 7+

Closed footwear required (NO open-toed shoes/flip flops)

Eye protection required for hammer use

Our rock and mineral dump is full of world famous fluorescent minerals from Sterling Hill/Franklin, but also includes sections of minerals from all around the globe!

     Rock Hammers are available for rental in the gift shop -Guests may bring their own approved rock hammers (no claw hammer or ball peen)

Paperwork is required for Rock & Mineral Collecting

Print and fill out forms at home for faster admission

what a fabulous place to walk around and go collecting too!