university of wisconsin geology museum

MapMakinMan

This museum does a perfect job at packing about as many items in as they can without making things feel crowded. There are displays about meteorites that have been found in Wisconsin, a display case explaining the major differences between minerals and some prehistoric animal skeletons. The absolute best part is the room that shows which minerals display phosphorescence (or glowing in the dark) under different bands of the UV spectrum or in complete darkness. The brilliance of colors displayed is enough to cause one to enter into a state of child-like wonder. If you have a few minutes (or maybe even up to half an hour if you take your time), I would definitely recommend checking this museum out.

mverni

A very well curated collection of minerals and fossils along with clear and even entertaining descriptions. A little something for everyone that won't take up too much of your time.

jzskins

free admission (donation encouraged) with taxonomic and chronological displays of rocks, gems, and minerals. Nice collection of fossils and a very reasonable gift display case.

mh543

This free museum, though small, is mighty. Stunning array of beautiful stones from all over. The fluorescent light room was such a treat! The fossils are incredibly beautiful and interesting. I was so completely pleasantly surprised. Whether you're into dinosaurs, gemstones, meteorites, or biology, this is a great place. Spent about an hour here and there was just so much to take in.

Pdonatyandkids

University of Wisconsin runs this museum. Small but has all the key attractions that make it worth the visit. It has a small gift shop and if you are a new rock collector here is the place to obtain some really nice small pieces for your collection at reasonable prices.Would return.

SadiByrd

I've taken school groups to the Geo museum for several years. For a small museum, it has a lot of nifty exhibits and artifacts. Kids will love seeing the unique minerals and, of course, the dinosaur and mammal bones.

jaywalker17

Small museum on the UW Campus (which made parking difficult to find.) Great exhibits with many large samples of rocks and gems. There is an area lit by black light to see the various samples glow. Many fossils also, with a sigh stating they are working on an exhibit to let you touch dinosaur bones.Best part were the rocks and fossils for sale outside the museum. Our son was able to get large samples for a good price.Thank you! We'd visit again.

Ritawiebner

My boys are really in to rocks and fossils, so we definitely wanted to include a quick trip here when we were on our road trip this summer. My boys are ages 10 and 12. We all really enjoyed this free musuem. It's not very big, but it is packed with some really interesting rocks, fossils, minerals, and dinosaur bones. We have looked at many types of fossils and rocks, and we really enjoyed what they had to offer here. We got through it in about an hour, and that was really taking our time. They do have bathrooms and water fountains, and its not too hard to find. But finding parking IS really difficult. We drove around for about 30 mins trying to find a space to park, and there weren't any garages nearby, so it was street parking only. Being in a college area, there were a lot of permit only parking signs up. We finally found a spot about 2 blocks from the museum, but were a bit frustrated until then.

SueHWisconsin

I spent many hours with my kids at the Geology Museum. WHat kid doesn't go for fossils and neat stuff. It's small and free...

BradSleeth

If you're interested in the outdoors in Wisconsin, you should stop here. The collection of fossils, minerals and rocks from around the state is very good. The staff are very friendly and take great pleasure in sharing these wonders with you.

KendallS846

It doesn't matter how old you are the staff can tailor a tour for your group regardless of your age. You can find Ice Age mammals to Dinosaurs and many minerals and rocks that fluoresce!

kulihonhi

Especially if you are traveling with kids from maybe 7-14...a brief and fascinating diversion, and you can buy a little stone on your way out. The fluorescent display and dinosaurs are nice "ooh-ahh" features. You can do a sneak peek at:http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~museum/visit.html

cindya_13

This small gem of a museum is likely one of the oldest museums in the State of Wisconsin and despite its size, is PACKED with glowing minerals, dynamic crystals and full-sized fossil DINOSAURS! Owned and operated by UW-M, the hours are scant and parking can be somewhat sparse, but the value your family will get from a trip here is well worth either of those minor details. You can spend less than 30 minutes and still get the chance to take in nearly 100% of everything, [take longer to enjoy every detail], so its a great addition to a stroll through the Capital and lunch on State street.Staff are always helpful and GREAT with kids if you have any questions. Drop a donation to keep the museum going, better yet, get a family membership for $40 which includes opportunities to dig fossils with museum staff at a local quarry, special lectures, Halloween fun and geode cracking. A great addition to the Capital city adventure for any family.

VanessaY364

This free museum is more like an exhibit. It's not very big but will keep you occupied for 30-40 minutes. It does contain a number of fossils and interesting geological artifacts but obviously, will not compare to nationally funded, better known museums.

notcotuit

My husband scouted this museum online and we took our rambunctious almost four-year-old granddaughter on an outing. At first the place seemed pitched to a considerably higher age range, also seeming rather dry--full of glass enclosed displays of geodes and the like. But we moved forward with the promise of dinosaurs and voilå, there they were! A mastodon, a large dinosaur and several smaller dinosaurs, constructed of actual bones and man-make equivalents, filled a room. Our granddaughter was so excited I couldn't get an unblurred photo! There is also a cave, and a room of rocks that glow in the dark. I would not recommend this museum for anyone under the age of four unless they are already committed geologists, but for children, and adults, with an interest in rocks and dinosaurs, this is a worth a look!