The Gillespie Museum

The museum is open with lots of new things to see and do this fall! Come check us out during regular hours Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or attend one of our monthly Science Saturdays or Science Cafes!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date on all Gillespie Museum and Volusia Sandhill happenings!

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.)

See our Educational Resources Page for a wonderful collection of downloadable materials for engaging at home, museum grounds, and outdoor learning.

The Gillespie Museum features one of the premier historic mineral collections in the southeast, and seasonally changing exhibits on an array of earth science and natural history topics. With native ecology interpretive and research areas and other multi-use eco-areas across its grounds, and a dedication to inspired environmental programming, the Gillespie has become a center for science education on campus, in the local community, and beyond.

Find out about museum hours, contact information, membership, school programs and more.

During the school year, don't miss our weekly posts on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter/X (click the link buttons below). Also, browse our Throughline Virtual Gallery; this past student project will help you "get your art on" via various creative prompts.

You can also Sign Up for our Mailing List to receive email updates with news and information on museum events and programming, online resources and activities, and other engagement opportunities inside and outside of the museum walls.

Events

View all ongoing museum Events and News, or individual Science Café and Science Saturday schedules.

Dates at a Glance

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August 22 - Great Southeast Pollinator Census in the Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem, adjacent to the museum; 2 p.m.; Stetson students only (but others can join the count from your own backyard! See Great Southeast Pollinator Census for more info.) - Cultural Credit available.
September 18 - Science Cafe - Rescuing the River of Grass with Eve Samples, Executive Director, Friends of the Everglades; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; More info - Reservations encouraged! Cultural Credit is available for Stetson undergraduates.
September 20 - Science Saturday - Journey to Space! 10 a.m.-noon; Join us for demonstrations and hands-on astronomy activities to kick off the new school year! More info - Reservations encouraged!
September 24 - Treasures Out of the Attic - Exhibit Opening & Gallery Talk with curator Nicholas Pearson; 4 p.m. Lost treasures & fascinating oddities from the Gillespie Collection, on display in the museum. More info - Reservations encouraged!
October 16 - Science Cafe - Fantastic Fungi with Scott Ostuni, DNA Sequence Validator, Fungal Diversity Survey; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; More info - Reservations encouraged! Cultural Credit is available for Stetson undergraduates.
October 18 - Science Saturday - Mostly Green Halloween - Our annual family-friendly fall fair! 10 a.m.-noon; Outdoor activities, crafts, & explorations. Costumes encouraged! More info - Reservations encouraged!
October 18-31 - Halloween at the Museum! During Mostly Green Halloween Science Saturday & regular daily hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Come venture into our Haunted Cave, Trick or Treat at the front desk, and see our special Spooky Stones mini exhibit - If you dare! For "kids" of ALL ages. Costumes encouraged! More info.
November 1 - Native Plant Sale, 9:30 a.m.-noon; hosted by the Cuplet Fern Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. More info.
November 6 - Science Cafe - Climate Change and Green Infrastructure Adaptation with Dr. Jason Evans, Executive Director, Stetson's Institute for Water & Environmental Resilience (IWER); 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; More info - Reservations encouraged! Cultural Credit is available for Stetson undergraduates.
November 7 - Bluebird Box Party, 3-4 p.m. in the RELC (adjacent to the museum); Help build and set up bluebird houses, and learn more about bluebirds and Stetson Audubon's bluebird initiative! Cosponsored by Stetson Audubon. Cultural Credit is available for Stetson undergraduates.
November 15 - Science Saturday - Founder's Day Celebration! 10 a.m. - noon; It's the Gillespie Museum’s 67th birthday! Join us for some fun rock and mineral geologizing! More info - Reservations encouraged!
November 25 - Thanksgiving Drop-in Event, all day, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Everyone is welcome to stop by the museum anytime during our regular hours today for a fun, festive, fall-themed take-home craft and scavenger hunt! More info.
December 2-5 - Holiday Sale at the Museum Shop! During regular daily hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Stop in to buy a mineral ornament or some sparkly stocking stuffers! More info. Store discounts for Gillespie Museum members - join today!

Want more details on museum happenings? Join our mailing list to stay informed!

January 22 - Mineral Music - Stetson Debut of Digital Arts professor Chaz Underriner's experiential music piece ***sparkles*** inspired by the Gillespie Museum's mineral collection! Dessert reception and screening of performance, 5:30 - 7 p.m.; More info - Reservations encouraged! Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
February 7 - Nellie Gillespie Exhibit at MOAS* - Learn about one of the Gillespie Museum founders at Daytona MOAS's International Day of Women & Girls in Science celebration, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. *at the Museum of Arts & Sciences in Daytona Beach. Read more...
February 10-13 - We LOVE Rocks & Minerals - Valentine's Week at the Gillespie! Visit the museum to make a Rockin' Card, & find something for your Valentine in our newly stocked gift shop. Read more...
February 19 - Science Cafe - Florida Natural History Highlights with Dr. Martin Main, Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Professor and Florida Master Naturalist Program Leader, Univ. of Florida; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; More info - Reservations encouraged! Cultural Credit is available for Stetson undergraduates.
February 21 - Science Saturday - We LOVE Wetlands! 10 a.m.- noon; Join us for some fun, hands-on activities exploring Florida's wetlands! Co-sponsored with Stetson's Institute for Water & Environmenal Resilience - IWER. More info - Reservations encouraged!
March 12 - Science Cafe - Strange Creatures from the Ice Age with Katie Wedderstrand, Educator, Museum of Arts & Sciences, Daytona; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; More info - Reservations encouraged! Cultural Credit is available for Stetson undergraduates.
March 18 - Shark Fest Drop-in Craft & Activity - Fun for all ages! Stop in anytime today 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. to hunt for sharks teeth, make a necklace, & learn all about sharks! Read more...
March 21 - Science Saturday - STEAM Festival! 10 a.m.- noon; Join us in celebrating everything Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics! More info - Reservations encouraged!
March 28 - Director Kristen at the DeLand Wildflower & Garden Festival - Catch Gillespie Museum Director Kristen Marshall Mattson presenting at this annual downtown festival, time tbd; find more information on the Mainstreet DeLand website.
April 9 - Science Cafe & Exhibit Opening - Minerals of the Tristate Mining District with Dr. Sam Upchurch, Geology Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social. More info - Reservations encouraged! Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
April 14 - Museum CLOSED for Stetson Showcase
April 18 - Science Saturday - Earth Day at the Gillespie! 10 a.m.- noon; Our annual celebration of the planet & its wonders! More info - Reservations encouraged!
April 24-27 - City Nature Challenge - Document plants and animals in your city or with us on the Gillespie Museum grounds! Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates. More details to come.
May 18 - International Museum Day - Join the Gillespie Museum as well as other DeLand museums celebrating International Museum Day with museum bingo! Visit as many museums as you can to fill up your bingo card and win a prize. More details to come.

Want more details on museum happenings? Join our mailing list to stay informed!

Stay tuned for updates about Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 exhibits, events, and programs... Join our mailing list to keep informed!

Exhibits

View all current Museum Exhibits, as well as an archive of selected past installations.

(For a complete listing of the museum's online educational resources, including selected exhibit materials, see our Educational Resources Page, or download this comprehensive Overview of Gillespie Museum Online Resources.)

Opened October 2025! - Spooky Stones - this new seasonal exhibit showcases some of the museum's strangest and most mysterious specimens. On display for a limited time only! Come check it out today...if you dare!

New Fall 2025! Treasures Out of the Attic - featuring lost treasures and fascinating oddities that our curation team has recently uncovered from the depths of Gillespie Collection storage! Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.

Minerals in Space: Building Blocks to the Stars is a student-curated exhibit about the importance of minerals in space exploration and the aerospace industry. Developed by Mary DeNote, Stetson History & Political Science major, class of 2027; and opened April 22, 2025. Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.

Now Open! The Nature Nook - This new permanent exhibit & gallery space features the nature photography of Ray Johnson, along with an ongoing touch table, artifacts, & nature activities. Come check it out in the Rinker Environmental Learning Center (RELC) adjacent to the museum! (Open during regular museum hours except when classes, field trips, and special events are in session.) See museum front desk for info.

Meteorites/Rocks from Space - Come explore space rocks at the Gillespie! Learn how rock fragments from outer space reveal clues about our planet and the solar system in this small display of iron meteorites and silica-based tektites from the Historic Gillespie Collection. Continuing in the museum.

Florida Formations - 500 million years of Florida geology - This permanent exhibit is a tale of the state's past environments and climates as told through its distinctive rock units and associated fossils. Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.

Outdoors & Grounds

See what's happening Outdoors at the Gillespie Museum.

The Grounds of the Gillespie Museum and the adjacent Rinker Environmental Learning Center (RELC) provide natural space for outdoor education and place-based research, constituting an integral part of the continuing environmental programming and initiatives of the museum and of the larger Stetson community.

The acreage surrounding the Gillespie features the Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem restoration project, as well as our Native Florida Plant Landscape. It also provides greenhouse and garden space for Stetson's Hatter Harvest, a sweet home for Stetson Beekeeping, and seasonal replenishment for our Seed Library.

Join us for upcoming Volusia Sandhill events!

Museum Hours

Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The museum is occasionally open weekday evenings for special events and programs.
Saturday: Open once a month for Science Saturday from 10 am to noon.

The museum will be CLOSED during the following 2025-26 academic holidays: Fall Break (October 9-10); Veterans Day (November 11); Stetson University Values Day (November 13); Thanksgiving Holiday (November 26-28); Winter Break (December 8-January 2); Spring Holidays (March 2-6); Good Friday (April 3); and Stetson Showcase (April 14).

Staff may be reached by email ([email protected]) or phone 386-822-7330. Stay tuned to our website and subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date on all Gillespie Museum and Volusia Sandhill happenings!

Admissions & Membership

Walk-in Visitors

No admissions fee. Donations support educational programming.
The Gillespie is proud to be a Museums for All participant.

(We are pleased to offer discounted museum memberships to SNAP EBT cardholders.)

Educational Programs (Classes K-12, scouts, homeschool groups, etc.)

Students: $2.50
Teachers/Chaperones: No charge

Membership

Benefits include special members-only programs, gift shop discounts, subscriptions to our weekly e-newsletter, and participation in the ASTC Passport Program.
Plus, your membership directly supports our educational programs and exhibits! Apply for your Gillespie Museum membership today!

Identification & Donation of Specimens

Unfortunately, we are not able to assist with specimen identification or to receive acquisitions of collections or new specimens at this time. Thank you for your understanding.