Idaho Museum of Mining & Geology

Have you ever seen a rock that glows bright colors? At this exhibit you can learn about fluorescence. First take a step behind a curtain where rocks and minerals look quite ordinary. Switch on the ‘black’ light and observe the strange and beautiful colors that now come from these ‘ordinary’ rocks. The atoms in fluorescent minerals absorb the energy from the black light, and then re-radiate it back with its unique signature frequency (color). You’ll never be able to look at fluorescent light bulbs again without being reminded of this exhibit—because those bulbs use the principle of fluorescence to generate the light they create.

There’s something unique about each part of Idaho, including its local geology. The museum has an extensive collection of rocks, minerals, and gems from each region—from the mining districts of northern Idaho, the rocky batholith of Idaho’s central mountains, and the volcanically active Snake River plain.

These study guides (requires  Adobe Reader) highlight each of Idaho’s mining districts, whose minerals are on display at the museum:  Northern Idaho, East Central Idaho, West Central Idaho, South Central Idaho, Southwest Central Idaho, Southeastern Idaho, Southwestern Idaho, Far Western Idaho.