Upstairs in the Wagner's Exhibit Hall you'll find rows of cases featuring shiny crystals, stinky sulphur, minerals found locally, minerals that glow under UV light, minerals as big as a dinner plate and those as small as a penny.
During this special open house explore how people historically learned about minerals and other natural elements. Visitors can view educational lantern slides from our archives, look at different minerals under a microscope, and explore optical mineralogy. Visitors may also experiment with minerals from the Wagner's teaching collection, testing things like hardness, luster, color, and cleavage to identify each mineral. We'll also have a mineral station and children's activity table, featuring the metamorphic minerals of the Wissahickon.
There will be talks and demonstrations in our lecture hall throughout the day. Make sure to join us at 1 pm for Mineral Oddities by Karenne Snow and at 2:30 pm for a glowing demonstration of Fluorescent Minerals by Bruce Mitchell—both are longtime members of the Philadelphia Mineralogical Society. The Wagner will also have a collection of minerals for sale, priced between $1 - $20. This is a great opportunity for those looking to start or grow their own scientific collection!