About

 

Welcome to the Mineralogical and Geological Museum at Harvard University (MGMH), home to one of the finest collections of geological material in the world. Over two hundred years of attentive curation has resulted in a premier collection of more than 400,000 specimens. The MGMH functions as a repository of geological material to further Earth Science research and education at the university and around the world.

MGMH specimens are organized into four different research collections: minerals, gems, rocks and ores, and meteorites. The museum is academically affiliated with the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department (EPS) at Harvard University, and curates geological specimens collected by past and present EPS faculty, students and associates. Use of these collections by qualified investigators is encouraged. For more information about obtaining samples from the collection, see the Request Material page.

In 2012, the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture (HMSC) consortium was established as the public face of the MGMH and five other university research museums. The HMSC presents the collections and the research of the university parent museums to the public through exhibitions, events and lectures, and educational programs. The Earth and Planetary Sciences Gallery, located within the Harvard Museum of Natural History, displays over 3,000 minerals, gems, meteorites, and rocks from the MGMH collections. Please contact the HMNH if you have questions about planning your trip to the museum.