Rice Northwest Museum Of Rocks & Minerals

What Rice Northwest Museum Of Rocks & Minerals does

The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit natural history museum founded in 1997 by Richard and Helen Rice, who began collecting rocks in 1938 and built their mid-century ranch home around the collection. The museum is located on a 23-acre forested campus at 26385 NW Groveland Drive, Hillsboro, Oregon, 25 minutes from downtown Portland, and houses the historic Rice home — the first mid-century ranch-style house on Oregon's National Register of Historic Places. It operates as a Smithsonian Affiliate (since 2017) and maintains a working collection of over 20,000 mineral, fossil, and petrified wood specimens with 4,000+ on permanent display across multiple themed galleries (Main Gallery, Dennis & Mary Murphy Petrified Wood Gallery, Rudy Tschernich Northwest Mineral Gallery, Rainbow Gallery for fluorescent minerals, and Fossil Gallery). The museum is staffed by six full-time employees (Executive Director, Collections Manager, Accounting Manager, Development Manager, Museum Store Manager, and FC Bookkeeper) and supplemented by volunteers contributing over 1,000 hours annually.

The museum generates revenue through a diversified mix of streams: standard admission ($10-$18 per visitor), tiered annual memberships ($30 Individual through $500 Rock Club), corporate sponsorships ($500 Jasper through $10,000 Sunstone tiers), birthday parties ($300 flat) and venue rentals, outreach programs ($150/session) and school tours ($100-$300), gift shop retail, donations (including a $53,000 Board Matching Challenge), and the Adopt-a-Mineral program ($50). Go-to-market combines event-driven programming (Mystery Mineral Day, Summer Bash, summer camps at $400/week) with community-led outreach via school partnerships, reciprocal membership with 20+ Portland-area attractions, and digital channels (TruTour virtual tours, Google Arts & Culture, blog, email newsletter via Mailchimp). Technology infrastructure relies entirely on third-party SaaS (Acuity Scheduling, Bloomerang, Square, PayPal, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, KultureCity for sensory accessibility) — no proprietary platforms or technology is disclosed.

The museum serves primary customer segments of K-12 schools and educational groups (curriculum-aligned earth science), individual and family visitors (Tucker’s Kids Club, reciprocal membership), mineral collectors and enthusiasts, event hosts seeking unique venue space (indoor capacity 50, outdoor 150), corporate sponsors and local businesses, and general public/tourists. Partnerships include Portland State University's Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory, Knowledge Keepers Education (camp programming), TruTour (virtual tours), Diamond Dan Publications (Tucker's Kids Club magazine), and KultureCity (sensory accessibility certification). The museum also offers accessibility programs including Museums for All ($3 admission with EBT card) and Blue Star Museums (free admission for military families). No AI/ML capabilities are in evidence.

Name

Rice Northwest Museum Of Rocks & Minerals

Legal name

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals

Website

https://ricenorthwestmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit natural history museum in Hillsboro, Oregon, founded in 1997, displaying over 4,000 specimens from a 20,000-piece mineral and fossil collection, serving K-12 schools, families, mineral collectors, corporate sponsors, and event hosts with admissions, memberships, sponsorships, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAC

Natural History Museums

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYBPAGAHAA

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Earth science education
• Mineral exhibits
• Fossil collection
• Geology programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hillsboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Standard admission fees charged to visitors. Adults $18, Seniors/Veterans/Military/First Responders/Educators $15, Students (6 through college) $10, Children under 5 free. Members receive free admission.
2. Memberships: Annual membership tiers providing free admission, discounts, and exclusive benefits. Individual $30, Dual $50, Group $75, Rock Club $500 per year.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Year-round sponsorship packages at various tiers (Jasper $500 through Sunstone $10,000) plus event sponsorship opportunities providing brand visibility and complimentary tickets.
4. Event Venue Rentals: Private event hosting including weddings, birthdays, and corporate events. Birthday parties $300 flat rate. Indoor capacity up to 50, outdoor up to 150.
5. Donations and Planned Giving: Individual donations, Board Matching Challenge campaign (up to $53,000 match), planned giving, gifts of stocks, tribute gifts, IRA distributions, and donor-advised fund contributions.
6. Museum Store Sales: Gift shop sales of rocks, minerals, jewelry, and educational items. Members receive 10% discount.
7. Adopt-a-Mineral Program: One-time $50 fee for mineral adoption including photo, fact sheet, certificate, and one-year name display by specimen.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit natural history museum that displays a working collection of more than 20,000 mineral, fossil, and rock specimens (over 4,000 on display) across permanent galleries. It offers self-guided and guided visits, K-12 school field trips, outreach programs, summer camps, birthday parties, private event hosting, and a gift shop, supported by memberships, donations, corporate sponsorships, and the Adopt-a-Mineral program.

Product overview

The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals is a nonprofit natural history museum operating as a single unified institution. The core offering comprises permanent gallery exhibitions (Main Gallery, Dennis & Mary Murphy Petrified Wood Gallery, Rudy Tschernich Northwest Mineral Gallery, Rainbow Gallery, and Fossil Gallery) displaying world-class mineral and fossil collections. Supporting programs include membership tiers, school field trips, outreach programs, summer camps, Tucker's Kids Club, birthday parties, event hosting, and the Adopt-a-Mineral donation program. The museum also offers a virtual tour experience via TruTour, an on-site gift shop, and hosts annual special events and rotating special exhibitions. The museum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, designated as a Smithsonian Affiliate, with revenue from admissions, memberships, donations, sponsorships, and retail sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tualatin Valley Gem Club (founded by Rice family, not a subsidiary): Rock and mineral club established with Richard and Helen Rice's involvement in 1957
• Tucker's Kids Club
• Adopt-a-Mineral Program

Products and services

• Main Gallery Exhibitions
• Special Exhibitions (Cellphone: Unseen Connections)
• Mighty Morphin' Minerals Exhibit
• Oceanic Origins Exhibit
• Museum Membership Program
• School Visits and Group Tours
• Outreach Programs
• Summer Camps
• Birthday Parties Private birthday party package including admission for 25-30 people, private room for 2 hours (plus 30 minutes setup), a special gift for guest of honor, and optional add-ons such as guided gallery tours ($100) and geode cracking. Flat rate of $300.
• Event Hosting and Venue Rentals Facility rentals for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations set among mineral displays and woodland grounds. Indoor capacity up to 50 guests, outdoor up to 150. Museum provides facilities only; catering and equipment separate.
• Adopt-a-Mineral Program Donation program at $50 per mineral offering the donor a photo of the adopted specimen, a printed fact sheet, a certificate of adoption, and one-year name display alongside the specimen. Available minerals include tourmaline, thunderegg, jasper, fossils, malachite, copper, fluorite, pyrite, amethyst, garnet, azurite, and quartz.
• Corporate Sponsorship Packages Year-round corporate sponsorship tiers offering brand visibility and complimentary tickets: Jasper $500, Agate $1,500, Thunderegg $2,500, Opal $5,000, and Sunstone $10,000. Benefits include website recognition, event advertising, e-newsletter features, social media pins, event discounts, behind-the-scenes tours, and 25 to 500 complimentary tickets.
• Special Events Programming Annual events for visitors including Mystery Mineral Day (biannual), Summer Bash, The Great Thunderegg Hunt, Gold Rush, Volcano Day, Space Day, Halloween Rock or Treat, and Holiday Celebration, featuring geode cracking, demonstrations, and family activities.
• Museum Store On-site gift shop offering rocks, minerals, gemstones, books, and educational items, open during museum hours with a 10% discount for members.
• TruTour Virtual Experience Immersive 360-degree virtual tour of museum galleries and collections powered by the TruTour platform developed by Visiting Media, providing online access for remote visitors unable to attend in person.
• Tucker's Kids Club Free children's club for rock and mineral enthusiasts, providing a student pass, member badge, special gift, and access to the Mini Miners e-magazine from Diamond Dan Publications featuring mineral activities and educational content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves thousands of K-12 students annually through field trips, camps, and outreach programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smithsonian InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Designated Smithsonian Affiliate since 2017, providing access to traveling exhibits (Cellphone: Unseen Connections), educational resources, collaborative opportunities, and participation in Smithsonian Affiliate reciprocal membership program.
• Portland State University Cascadia Meteorite LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Partnership with Portland State University’s Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory for original meteorite exhibit created in 2002, refreshed in 2014, featuring specimens from around the world and Oregon.
• Ash Creek Forest ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ash Creek Forest Management for habitat restoration project on museum grounds. Funded by TREE Grant from Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District. Project will restore 12 acres into Oregon white oak savanna through oak release, pollinator zones, and invasive species control. Students from Rachel Carson Environmental Middle School participate in planting activities.
• The Hive CateringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal caterer provided refreshments for private celebration event honoring co-founder Sharleen Harvey's full-time return to Oregon.
• Knowledge Keepers EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Knowledge Keepers Education for summer camp programming. Camps run Monday-Friday 9am-3pm for ages 6-9, covering themed activities including Camp Olympics, Summertime Cooking, and Arts and Crafts.
• Diamond Dan PublicationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership provides Tucker’s Kids Club members with monthly Mini Miners e-magazine featuring mineral activities, collection tips, and educational content about minerals, crystals, and gems.
• MineralAuctions.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline auction platform hosting benefit auctions for museum fundraising, featuring mineral specimens and gemstones with proceeds supporting museum operations and education programs.
• Portland Metro Area Attractions (Reciprocal Program)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal membership program with 20+ regional attractions including Oregon Zoo, Portland Japanese Garden, Columbia River Maritime Museum, Oregon Historical Society, and others providing monthly free admission benefits.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Houston Museum of Natural Science: Major natural history museum with extensive mineral, gem, and paleontology collections including a significant gem and mineral hall. Comparable due to shared focus on earth science collections, school programs, and membership-driven revenue model.
• Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum: Free geology museum on a university campus featuring mineral specimens, mining artifacts, and Colorado mineral heritage. Comparable in scale and mineral-collection focus to Rice, though operated by an academic institution.
• Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Pittsburgh natural history museum with significant mineral, gem, and paleontology collections. Comparable as a long-established nonprofit natural history museum with educational outreach and donor-driven operations.
• Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Natural history museum in Tucson combining zoo, botanical garden, and geological exhibits. Comparable as a regional natural history institution with mineral/earth science collections, educational programs, and nonprofit structure.
• University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum: University-affiliated gem and mineral museum in Tucson featuring world-class mineral specimens. Comparable as a mineral-focused museum with educational programming; Rice Board President Jan Morrison also serves New England Mineral Association, illustrating overlap in regional collector communities.
• Tellus Science Museum: Science museum in Cartersville, Georgia, featuring a major mineral gallery, fossil exhibits, and hands-on science programming. Directly comparable as a smaller-scale natural history/science museum with mineral-focused collections and educational mission.
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science: Natural history and science museum in Dallas, Texas, focused on earth science, geology, and minerals. Directly comparable as a nonprofit science/natural history museum with educational programming, school outreach, and special exhibitions.

Regional players

• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI): Portland's major science museum and a reciprocal membership partner of Rice. Comparable as a regional science/STEM education institution serving the same Pacific Northwest audience, though with broader science focus and significantly larger footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: The flagship Smithsonian natural history museum in Washington, D.C., with the world-class Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals. Comparable in collections quality and Smithsonian affiliation network; vastly larger scale and federally funded.
• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Large natural history museum with extensive mineral, gem, and fossil collections including the Gem and Mineral Hall. Comparable in mission and collections but operates at significantly larger scale with broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RiceNWMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/ricenwmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rice-northwest-museum-of-rocks-and-minerals

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rice Northwest Museum Of Rocks & Minerals