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All the United States Arizona Tucson Tucson Mineral and Gem World

Tucson Mineral and Gem World

A natural history wunderkammer in the middle of the desert.

Tucson, Arizona

Added By
Michael Inscoe
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Tucson Mineral and Gem World.   Tucson Mineral and Gem World/Used with permission
Tucson Mineral and Gem World.   Tucson Mineral and Gem World/Used with permission
Tucson Mineral and Gem World.   Sean/CC BY-ND 2.0
Tucson Mineral and Gem World.   © 2017 Google Maps
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Tucson Mineral and Gem World.   Tucson Mineral and Gem World/Used with permission
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Not far from Old Tucson, a studio town built in the 1950s for filming westerns, a large canvas teepee and a bright red tyrannosaurus rex flank an old wooden storefront that looks like it could be in a classic Western movie.

Tucson Mineral and Gem World has been around since 1968. The place is a cabinet of wonder in the middle of the desert. The Arizona rock shop/museum combo touts over 100,000 items, ranging from the skeletons of vampire bats and baby pigs to meteorites.

Alongside a tall filing cabinet filled with alphabetized minerals like copper and quartz, the shop keeps meteorites, fossils, and a dried rattlesnake head. Visitors are encouraged to explore the old building, but preferably pay for anything you want to leave with.

In April 2016, someone got away with three skulls: a Roman gladiator, a Spanish conquistador (from 1541), and a Mexican soldier (from the battle of the Alamo). They were among the shop’s most prized possessions, and have been featured in plenty of selfies taken in the old desert store.

Related Tags

Wonder Cabinets Collections Museums Rocks Meteorites Fossils Deserts Geology

Community Contributors

Added By

Michael Inscoe

Edited By

Osage, knoxium, saenglish, lorizjoslyn

  • Osage
  • knoxium
  • saenglish
  • lorizjoslyn

Published

November 22, 2017

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  • http://www.tucsonmineral.com/index.html
  • https://tv.azpm.org/p/originals-azill-sci/2018/7/20/133594-rock-shop/
Tucson Mineral and Gem World
2801 S Kinney Road
Tucson, Arizona
United States
32.190357, -111.099453
Get Directions

Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tucson

Tucson

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Stories 4

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Bowen Stone House Ruins

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tucson

Tucson

Arizona

Places 40
Stories 4

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