Tucson Mineral and Gem World
Over 100,000 items, ranging from the skeletons of vampire bats and baby pigs to meteorites and the skull of a Roman gladiator.
About
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.
Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.
Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
Gallery
