Bancroft Gem and Mineral Museum

Bancroft Gem and Mineral Museum Explore the rich geological history of Bancroft the 'Mineral Capital of Canada'

08/30/2026

Due to a power outage, the museum will be closed until noon today. We apologize for any inconvenience.

We are excited to welcome Hiranya Verma as our new summer staff member for the 2026 season! 😊Funding for the position is...
07/03/2026

We are excited to welcome Hiranya Verma as our new summer staff member for the 2026 season! 😊

Funding for the position is proudly provided through the Canada Summer Jobs program, marking the second consecutive year the Bancroft Gem and Mineral Club has been able to host dedicated summer staff to serve the community and enhance the museum experience.

Hiranya will be stepping into an essential role this summer, helping to connect visitors with local minerals, geology, and mining history by offering specialized guided tours.

Visitors joining Hiranya on Saturdays or Sundays for a tour will explore a 1,200-square-foot showroom featuring over 400 locally sourced mineral specimens.

Highlights of the museum experience include:

• The Regional Mineral Collection: A showcase of spectacular specimens collected from a 150-kilometer radius around Bancroft, including vibrant fluorite, sparkling quartz, and regional staples like sodalite and rose quartz.

• The Mining Diorama: An immersive, life-sized underground mining simulation featuring a realistic rock face and authentic mining equipment salvaged from historic local operations.

• The Fluorescent Mineral Display: A popular exhibit showcasing the striking, glowing transformations of specific rocks and minerals when exposed to ultraviolet light.

The introduction of dedicated weekend tours provides an excellent opportunity for local families, residents, and seasonal tourists to gain deeper insight into the natural history that shaped Hastings County.

The Bancroft Mineral Museum is open to the public seven days a week, Victoria Day through to Thanksgiving, weekdays 9 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 4 pm, weekends 9 am to 4 pm.

Admission is $5.00 per adult, and children under 16 years of age are free.

Photo courtesy of Chris Fouts

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦Our Mineral Museum is open today from 10am to 4pm with FREE admission to celebrate Canada’s birthday...
07/01/2026

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦

Our Mineral Museum is open today from 10am to 4pm with FREE admission to celebrate Canada’s birthday!🎉

We will be handing out free minerals including fresh from the quarry sodalite specimens. 😃

Also, Rocky the Rockhound will be making an appearance around 1pm. Please share with friends and family!

Did you know that the Bancroft Gem & Mineral Museum is located in an old train station? The building, now housing the To...
05/24/2026

Did you know that the Bancroft Gem & Mineral Museum is located in an old train station?

The building, now housing the Town of Bancroft Municipal office and Gem & Mineral Museum, used to be Bancroft’s train station. It was built in 1899 and was a stop on the Central Ontario Railway (or COR) when the first train arrived in Bancroft in 1900 (1). There is a model of this train at the entrance to the museum. It was made by Jim Smith and added to the museum in 2000.

Source:
(1) Town of Bancroft. (n.d.). Historical. https://bancroft.hosted.civiclive.com/visiting/about_bancroft/historical.

Love fluorescent specimens? Check out our colourful display! We’re open every weekday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm & 1:30 pm...
05/20/2026

Love fluorescent specimens? Check out our colourful display! We’re open every weekday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm & 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

We're open today from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm! We hope to see you soon!
05/18/2026

We're open today from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm! We hope to see you soon!

Looking for something to do this holiday Monday (May 18th)? Why not come to our Museum and check it out! We will be ope...
05/18/2026

Looking for something to do this holiday Monday (May 18th)?

Why not come to our Museum and check it out! We will be open
from 9am to 4pm. 😊

Feldspar is not just one mineral, but a large group of minerals (2). In fact, more than half of the Earth’s crust is mad...
05/10/2026

Feldspar is not just one mineral, but a large group of minerals (2). In fact, more than half of the Earth’s crust is made of feldspar (1)!

The term feldspar is used to describe any mineral made of aluminum, oxygen, and silicon (2) that contains calcium, sodium, or potassium (1). There are two main types of feldspar: plagioclase feldspar (ie, oligoclase, labradorite, etc.) and alkali feldspars (ie, orthoclase, microcline, etc.) (2). Amazonite (pictured) is a variety of microcline, an alkali feldspar (4).

Feldspar can be used to make glassware, pottery, fillers, buildings, monuments, and even semi-precious gemstones (2).

The MacDonald Mine, located in Monteagle Township, was a feldspar mine from 1919 to 1928 (3). It produced approximately 5,000 tons of feldspar per year, as well as a diverse range of rare-element minerals (3).

You can check out many different specimens of feldspar at the Bancroft Gem & Mineral Museum, or go find some for yourself at the CN Rock Dump, just a few minutes' walk from the museum!

Sources:

(1) Dietrich, R. (2025, April 3). Feldspar. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/feldspar.

(2) Feick, K. (n.d.). Feldspar. University of Waterloo: Earth Sciences Museum. http://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/resources/detailed-rocks-and-minerals-articles/feldspar.

(3) Mindat. (n.d.). MacDonald Mine, Monteagle Township, Hastings Highlands Municipality, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada. https://www.mindat.org/loc-544.html.

(4) The National Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). Amazonite. Smithsonian Museum. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/explore/collections/geogallery/10002689.

Need something to do this week? The Bancroft Gem & Mineral Museum is open every weekday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm & 1:30 ...
05/06/2026

Need something to do this week? The Bancroft Gem & Mineral Museum is open every weekday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm & 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm. We hope to see you there!

We are excited to announce that we have a Summer Staff position at the Bancroft Gem and Mineral Museum. We are looking f...
04/30/2026

We are excited to announce that we have a Summer Staff position at the Bancroft Gem and Mineral Museum.

We are looking for someone 29 years of age or younger since the position is covered in part by The Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program.

Here’s the job details. Apply today to help us showcase the "Mineral Capital of Canada!" by email to: [email protected] with Subject line: Museum Application

Address

8 Hastings Heritage Way
Bancroft, ON
K0L1C0

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 12:30pm
1:30pm - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 12:30pm
1:30pm - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 12:30pm
1:30pm - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 12:30pm
1:30pm - 4pm
Friday 9am - 12:30pm
1:30pm - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

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