Exhibit Spotlight: Arizona Minerals at South Mountain Visitor Center
Exhibit partnerships are a great way to showcase our mineral collection and make it accessible to the public while the museum is in development. One of our most recent partnerships is with the City of Phoenix at the newly-renovated South Mountain Visitor Center, formerly the South Mountain Environmental Education Center. The center is located on Central Ave. at the base of South Mountain, and features brand-new exhibits and resources for visitors to the beautiful city park and preserve.
We assisted with South Mountain Visitor Center's exhibits in two ways. First, we provided mineral specimens to outfit the “From Mine to Medallion” exhibition in their special exhibit space. Some may remember that this exhibition developed by the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture first premiered at Phoenix City Hall in 2021. The purpose of the exhibit was to connect Arizona’s copper mining history with a public art installation of 300 copper medallions running along Central Avenue. We loaned several specimens of copper and copper minerals from historic Arizona localities that contributed, or still contribute to, our state’s mining heritage and mineral wealth. When From Mine to Medallion's tenure at City Hall ended, we were offered an opportunity to bring our minerals to the South Mountain Visitor Center next.
Secondly, we not only loaned minerals for the From Mine to Medallion special exhibit, but also for South Mountain Visitor Center's brand new permanent displays that showcase Arizona mining and ores. This included ore specimens of copper, gold and silver from different Arizona localities, which went into a case in their main exhibit area. Our favorite specimen is a historic piece of gold ore (chalcopyrite, pyrite and limonite in quartz) from South Mountain's famed Max Delta Mine.
We really enjoy working with organizations like South Mountain Visitor Center that serve the community in meaningful ways. We highly recommend visiting them if you're planning a hike in the park, or if you have a free afternoon and would like to learn more about South Mountain's geology and wildlife. The center also features a huge interactive map of the mountain and information about the history of indigenous people in the area.
Address: 10409 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85042
Hours: Open Thursday through Sunday, 9:00am - 3:00pm
Admission: Free
Enjoy photos of our minerals at South Mountain Visitor Center below!
