Gillespie Museum at Stetson

Beat the August heat this year and visit the rock and mineral museum at Stetson University in Deland, FL! This small gem (haha) of a museum is filled with specimens to look at, microscopes for viewing, and other educational activities. Get ready for the reopening of the museum this fall semester on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 with regular hours – Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plan a visit to see what’s new!

From the museum’s website: Traffic Notice to Visitors – County road work around the intersection of Amelia Ave. and Ohio Ave. southeast of the museum will be impacting this area through 2025; drivers and pedestrians please be alert for detours.

Located at Stetson University, the museum features one of the best historic mineral collections, and is the center of ecological & science education at the university and for the local surrounding community. In addition, you’ll find seasonally changing exhibits on an variety of earth science and natural history topics.

It takes about an hour to walk around the museum to check out the exhibits. If you are a geology enthusiast, I’m sure you could spend hours here. And it’s all completely free! Check their website for events happening at Gillespie as well – you never know what you might find going on there.

The best section of the museum is the hands on area, especially for kids, because you can grab a microscope and view some of your favorite rocks and minerals up close!

Some more information from the museum:

You are welcome to wander through the grounds, including the Native Florida Landscape and the Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem. (Guides to both outdoor spaces are available online at the webpage links above and in the Pollination Station box near the sidewalk between the museum building and the Rinker Environmental Learning Center-RELC.)

Map:

We hope you enjoy this great rock and mineral museum in Florida! For more things to do in the area, visit our page on Deland. Highly recommend spending the day in this charming Florida town.

Rock and Mineral Museum