It is located on Rua de Santa Luzia, parish of Vila Nova do Campo, city of Viseu, in central Portugal
In the past, Monte de Santa Luzia was an important proto-historic hillfort and for 25 years it was the target of quartz extraction and the consequence was that a large crater remained which was used to build a museum where the mineralogical, geological and commercial importance of quartz is explained.
The Quartz Museum or Galopim de Carvalho Interpretation Center is the first museum dedicated to just one mineral, quartz.
Construction of the Museum began in 2006 and was officially opened in 2012, revealing a strong interactive component.
The Quartz Museum was built in the crater left on Monte de Santa Luzia by years of exploration by the Companhia Portuguesa de Fornos Eléctricos, which abandoned the site in 1986 and created a huge quarry that was abandoned.
The Museum aims to become an "interpretive center" for quartz supported by new technologies and the ideal space for children and adults to discover Science.
The structure includes a science center, exhibition rooms, auditorium and library and designed by the prestigious Portuguese geologist Galopim de Carvalho located on an old quartz extraction site.
The Quartz Museum aims to be an interactive space for exploring the region's geological and natural heritage, being the only museum in the world dedicated to a mineral.
The Museum has a strong educational aspect allowing visitors of various age groups to carry out experiences related to geology and mineralogy.
From 1995 onwards, the building project was developed by the technical staff of the National Museum of Natural History and opened last May.
Visitors can discover the planet, check the characteristics of the quartz, experiment and view countless examples of various qualities of the ore.
The building consists of two floors: on the lower floor there is the Permanent Exhibition, an Auditorium (+90 seats), Study Room and Library.
On the lower floor, visitors can see the Mount and the Lode, Quartz source Earth, The Kingdom of Quartz, The properties of minerals, Quartz Crystals and Applications.
On the top floor there is an equipped temporary exhibition and pedagogical experimentation area and the “Rocks, Rocks, Minerals and Kids” corner for the little ones.
The Museum presents aspects of geological interest, techniques linked to chemical composition, types of crystals and has a very interesting quartz exhibition.
The museum has many interactive activities where visitors can view various quartz pieces in 3D on a tablet.
In the quartz exhibition you learn about the origin and properties of this mineral and under microscopes visitors can observe how minerals are made.
The Quartz Museum or Galopim de Carvalho Interpretation Center is the first museum dedicated to just one mineral, quartz.
Construction of the Museum began in 2006 and was officially opened in 2012, revealing a strong interactive component.
The Quartz Museum was built in the crater left on Monte de Santa Luzia by years of exploration by the Companhia Portuguesa de Fornos Eléctricos, which abandoned the site in 1986 and created a huge quarry that was abandoned.
The Museum aims to become an "interpretive center" for quartz supported by new technologies and the ideal space for children and adults to discover Science.
The structure includes a science center, exhibition rooms, auditorium and library and designed by the prestigious Portuguese geologist Galopim de Carvalho located on an old quartz extraction site.
The Quartz Museum aims to be an interactive space for exploring the region's geological and natural heritage, being the only museum in the world dedicated to a mineral.
The Museum has a strong educational aspect allowing visitors of various age groups to carry out experiences related to geology and mineralogy.
From 1995 onwards, the building project was developed by the technical staff of the National Museum of Natural History and opened last May.
Visitors can discover the planet, check the characteristics of the quartz, experiment and view countless examples of various qualities of the ore.
The building consists of two floors: on the lower floor there is the Permanent Exhibition, an Auditorium (+90 seats), Study Room and Library.
On the lower floor, visitors can see the Mount and the Lode, Quartz source Earth, The Kingdom of Quartz, The properties of minerals, Quartz Crystals and Applications.
On the top floor there is an equipped temporary exhibition and pedagogical experimentation area and the “Rocks, Rocks, Minerals and Kids” corner for the little ones.
The Museum presents aspects of geological interest, techniques linked to chemical composition, types of crystals and has a very interesting quartz exhibition.
The museum has many interactive activities where visitors can view various quartz pieces in 3D on a tablet.
In the quartz exhibition you learn about the origin and properties of this mineral and under microscopes visitors can observe how minerals are made.
