Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
12 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
15 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
22 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
22 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Chile Copiapó Museo Mineralógico (Mineralogical Museum)

Museo Mineralógico (Mineralogical Museum)

One of the world's most complete mineralogical collections.

Copiapó, Chile

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Fool’s gold.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Fool’s gold.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Minerals.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The museum.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The museum.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The museum.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Copiapó is a mining town that survives mostly on its rich silver deposits. However, silver is not the only item miners have dug up, as evinced by the city's mineralogical museum.

This museum was set up by the Univerisity of Atacama during the mid-19th century. Since then, it has survived earthquakes, fires, floods, and of course the passing of time and multiple moves.

Nevertheless, the collection persevered, and its quality never diminished. Quite the opposite—the collection grew and expanded throughout its 150-year existence, becoming the largest collection of its kind in the country and one of the most complete in the world.

Boasting over 2,000 samples, the collection is a wonderful walk through the world of mineralogy, all set up in fancy black cases. The collection is ordered by crystalline structure, grouping together minerals that share a structure. This gives the visitor a good idea of which minerals are similar, even if they look different based on color and size. The museum also has a section where it shows the raw and refined versions of various minerals, ranging from iron to copper. 

Related Tags

Rocks Geology Museums Museums And Collections

Know Before You Go

The museum is open daily throughout the week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance is free.

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Published

July 12, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.uda.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87&Itemid=133
  • http://www.turismochile.com/en/where-to-go-in-copiapo/
  • https://www.geovirtual2.cl/Museovirtual/tur010b.htm
Museo Mineralógico (Mineralogical Museum)
587 Colipi
Copiapó
Chile
-27.365566, -70.330561
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Statue of Juan Godoy

Copiapó, Chile

miles away

The Copiapó

Copiapó, Chile

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Copiapó

Copiapó

Chile

Places 3

Nearby Places

Statue of Juan Godoy

Copiapó, Chile

miles away

The Copiapó

Copiapó, Chile

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Copiapó

Copiapó

Chile

Places 3

Related Places

  • Terra Mineralia

    Freiberg, Germany

    Terra Mineralia

    A Saxony castle houses one of the largest and most outstanding mineral collections in the world.

  • Entrance to the museum.

    Zacatecas, Mexico

    Mina El Edén Rock and Mineral Museum

    The spectacular subterranean collection includes dazzling minerals, including a piece of "kryptonite."

  • Catoosa, Oklahoma

    D.W. Correll Museum

    It reportedly took three years to sort through all the objects in this eclectic lifelong collection.

  • Rice Museum Main Gallery

    Hillsboro, Oregon

    Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals

    A midcentury ranch house hides a literal treasure trove of unique rocks and minerals.

  • Rocks under florescent light.

    Marion, Kentucky

    Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum

    Thousands of unique minerals, including some of the most impressive fluorite crystals in the world.

  • Paul Broste Rock Museum

    Parshall, North Dakota

    Paul Broste Rock Museum

    One North Dakota man's vast collection of rare rocks, polished orbs, and geological wonders.

  • Elberton Granite Museum

    Elberton, Georgia

    Elberton Granite Museum

    Home of Dutchy, an exhumed Confederate statue that was once torn down by an angry mob for looking stupid.

  • The museum is housed in a building that evokes the soil layers its researchers collect, preserve, and analyze.

    Wageningen, Netherlands

    World Soil Museum

    A Dutch museum preserves the world's most diverse collection of vertical slices of soil.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.