On Thursday April 15th, 3 adult and 1 junior members of the DMS visited the Mineralogical Museum at the University of Delaware. Ken Casey, who made the arrangements for our visit with the Curator of the Mineralogical Museum, Dr. Sharon Fitzgerald, coordinated this trip. The museum is located on campus in Penny Hall and provides educational resources for regional schools and as well as mineral enthusiasts.

Dr. Fitzgerald gave us a brief history of the museum and her role as curator. She very graciously answered any and all of our questions about the minerals on display and their history, and mineral collecting and conservation. The cases were well lit with fiber-optic lights and display about 350 of the Museum’s 20,000 specimens’ collection.

Featured were display cases of worldwide minerals, gems and gem crystals, cave minerals, pseudomorphs, and a case illustrating crystal growth and morphology. Of all the specimens on display, my personal favorite was the "Alma Jack”, a beautiful Sweet Home rhodochrosite specimen from the collection of David Byers.

Like all University Museum galleries, the Mineralogical Museum is open to the public free of charge. Parking for the Mineralogical Museum is in Perkins Garage located on Academy Street and the gallery attendants will gladly validate your parking ticket.

The Mineralogical Museum Hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Please check the web site at http://www.udel.edu/museums/ for hours of operation as they may change periodically. So if you get a chance, I highly recommend paying the museum a visit.

[Bob Asreen]

Photos of our fieldtrip by Ken Casey (with express permission of the University of Delaware):