Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Current appearance
Base of the Column of Arcadius
Abington Friends Meeting House.
Abington Friends Meeting House
Muc Lien’s 18 Gates of Hell.
Muc Lien's 18 Gates of Hell
Lighthouse and Museum of Jára Cimrman (Maják a muzeum Járy Cimrmana).
Lighthouse of Jára Cimrman
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?
about 4 hours ago
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
1 day ago
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
3 days ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New Mexico Albuquerque George Washington Turquoise Stone
AO Edited

George Washington Turquoise Stone

A 6,888-carat piece of turquoise that bears a striking resemblance to the first President of the United States.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Added By
Edward Denny
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The George Washington Stone display   Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
The George Washington Stone display   Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
The George Washington Stone   Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
The Turquoise Museum   Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Known as a rock-solid leader throughout the world, George Washington has been immortalized by thousands of monuments and tributes. In at least one instance, nature itself has carved his legacy in stone. Weighing in at an impressive 6,888 carats, the George Washington turquoise stone was mined in Kingman, Arizona in 1974, but the familiar silhouette was purely a fluke when it was cut and polished. According to the Turquoise Museum, this is now the most photographed and celebrated piece of turquoise in the world.

The Turquoise Museum, where the stone is housed, was started by the Lowry family in 1993 in a small strip mall just outside Old Town Albuquerque. Today, the museum occupies an enormous mansion in the downtown area and has impressive displays of turquoise from around the world. But pride of place is given to the Washington Stone which greets visitors in the entry hall.

Called “Turkey stone” because it was traded to Europe through Turkish territories, turquoise is a copper-aluminum mineral used for millennia by myriad cultures. But the Southwestern U.S. became famous for its turquoise as railroads and the tourism industry made their way west introducing the world to Native American jewelry.

After viewing the Washington Stone, museum visitors can explore hundreds of examples of the finest Southwest jewelry and artifacts and learn about some 85 different turquoise mines in the U.S. Every display in the museum offers alluring nuggets of information and taps into rich veins of stories gleaned by five generations of the Lowry family.

One of the most important goals of the museum is to educate the public on how to properly evaluate, discuss, and buy turquoise, especially since it is notoriously easy to manufacture fake turquoise that can fool even the best experts. Several rooms even offer hands-on activities suitable for all ages. So if you are feeling a bit patriotic while in Albuquerque, take a lode off at the Turquoise Museum. Its wonders will hit you like a bolt from the blue.

Related Tags

Museums And Collections Monuments Stone George Washington Minerals

Know Before You Go

To visit the Turquoise Museum, be sure to book tickets in advance online.

Community Contributors

Added By

Edward Denny

Edited By

Martin

  • Martin

Published

February 14, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/turquoise-museum-albuquerque/
George Washington Turquoise Stone
400 2nd St SW
Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87102
United States
35.080943, -106.649463
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Auto Hawk

Albuquerque, New Mexico

miles away

Telephone Pioneer Museum of New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico

miles away

KiMo Theatre

Albuquerque, New Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Albuquerque

Albuquerque

New Mexico

Places 24
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Auto Hawk

Albuquerque, New Mexico

miles away

Telephone Pioneer Museum of New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico

miles away

KiMo Theatre

Albuquerque, New Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Albuquerque

Albuquerque

New Mexico

Places 24
Stories 1

Related Places

  • The eternal flame.

    Chennai, India

    Perarignar Anna Memorial

    The largest funeral ever held was for one of Tamil's most influential politicians.

  • The menhir is particularly impressive at night.

    Blieskastel, Germany

    Gollenstein

    After Nazi forces smashed this 4,000-year-old Neolithic standing stone, locals banded together to restore it.

  • Taken May 2024 -  Photographer Anna Duren

    Toyama, Japan

    Fureai Sekibutsu no Sato (Village of Statues)

    This abandoned park is home to hundreds of stone statues ranging from humans to mystical beings.

  • Ballingslöv, Sweden

    Self-Tribute Stone of 'Bagga-Sven'

    A confident and eccentric goat farmer boldly proclaimed his honor with an inscription on this woodland stone.

  • Hekse Steinen

    Bergen, Norway

    Heksestein (The Witch Stone)

    A memorial to 350 people burned at the stake for witchcraft.

  • Eslöv, Sweden

    Stenberget (Stone Mountain)

    According to legend, this structure was inspired by the Tower of Babel and built in a 19th-century industrialist's yard so he could walk his dogs without leaving home.

  • Stone with Biblical verse “Alpha and Omega”

    Sandhead, Scotland

    Kirkmadrine Stones

    Dating back to the 500s, these stones include some of the oldest Christian memorials in Scotland.

  • Bruce’s Stone sits in a glorious location of the glen and loch.

    Glentrool, Scotland

    Bruce's Stone

    On a hill overlooking Loch Trool, a granite boulder marks the site where Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, defeated an English army.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.