Franklin Mineral Museum - Buckwheat Dump
Franklin, New Jersey
willemitefranklinitecalcitecuspidinezincitefluorescent minerals
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal
Franklin Mineral Museum - Buckwheat Dump
Franklin calls itself the Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World, and the Buckwheat Dump is the reason: willemite burns green and calcite burns red under shortwave ultraviolet, out of rock you picked up in daylight thinking it was gray gravel. A collecting ticket includes a bag and your first two pounds, with anything beyond that priced by the pound. Rare species like the yellow-fluorescing cuspidine still turn up here.
The card catalog
| What you can find | willemite, franklinite, calcite, cuspidine, zincite, fluorescent minerals |
|---|---|
| Access | Fee dig — Fee, seasonal |
| Fees | collecting only: $18/adult, $16 ages 3-16, $17 seniors and veterans (65+); museum plus collecting $25/$20/$23. Admission includes a museum-supplied collecting bag and two pounds of rock, with all additional poundage at $2 per pound |
| Season & hours | April through November; Wednesday-Friday 11am-4pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm |
| Kids | Family-friendly — There is a children's collecting rate and a $39 Kids Adventure package for ages 3-16 with a fossil dig, gem panning and museum access. The grade down to the dump is steep and the footing is loose rock, so hold hands on the descent |
| Official source | Franklin Mineral Museum (operator) |
| Last checked | Checked against its source August 16, 2026 |
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
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Sterling Hill Mining Museum - Mine Run Dump
Ogdensburg, NJ
willemite, franklinite, calcite
Before you go
What does Franklin Mineral Museum - Buckwheat Dump cost?
collecting only: $18/adult, $16 ages 3-16, $17 seniors and veterans (65+); museum plus collecting $25/$20/$23. Admission includes a museum-supplied collecting bag and two pounds of rock, with all additional poundage at $2 per pound Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Franklin Mineral Museum - Buckwheat Dump open?
April through November; Wednesday-Friday 11am-4pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Franklin Mineral Museum - Buckwheat Dump good for kids?
Yes — Franklin Mineral Museum - Buckwheat Dump works for families. There is a children's collecting rate and a $39 Kids Adventure package for ages 3-16 with a fossil dig, gem panning and museum access. The grade down to the dump is steep and the footing is loose rock, so hold hands on the descent