Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum

The Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum, located in the historic jail (est. 1850) in Franklin, North Carolina, houses thousands of specimens of gems, minerals, fossils, Indian artifacts, fluorescent minerals, sea shells, and other related artifacts.
Specific exhibits include the States Room, with minerals from 49 states, Canada and Australia; the North Carolina Room, with specimens from the state of North Carolina, and the Native American Room.  In addition, the former solitary confinement cell now contains a display of fluorescent materials rivaling any such collection south of the Smithsonian.  Another former six-man cell contains a display of minerals used in making glass. 
The Fossil Room contains relics from the ancient past, including Carcharodon teeth, petrified wood, and a dinosaur bone and egg. The Central Room and the World Room contain specimens from dozens of countries, an exhibit of "Writings in Stone" including a 1/16th replica of the Rosetta stone and a map of Hezekiah's tunnel, and other fascinating exhibits.

Jewelry and curios composed of minerals from all over the world are available in a small gift shop.  The museum offers classes for those interested in the lapidary arts, a library containing hundreds of books devoted to gems, minerals, fossils, and other subjects of related interest, and a workshop containing equipment used in the lapidary avocation.

Hours of Operation

Monday—Friday 12 noon to 4 pm
Saturday  11 am to 3 pm
The museum is also open Saturday evenings in the summer during "Pickin' on the Square" music fests.

Admission Fee

None.
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

Location

25 Phillips Street
Franklin, NC 28734                                                                                                           828-369-7831
www.fgmm.org