
The Gillespie Museum
The Gillespie Museum is open with regular hours, Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come see what's new at the museum in the New Year!
You are also 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 outdoors 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 multiuse 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.
Follow Us
During the school year, don't miss our weekly #MineralMonday, #WingedWednesday and #FollowerFridayposts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (click link buttons below). And...New this year: the Gillespie's on TikTok! Check out our "Meet the Staff" video! 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
Fall 2022
- September 6-December 2 - Meteorites/Rocks from Space - Exhibit of meteorites and tektites on display in the Gillespie Museum.
- September 17 - Science Saturday - Smithsonian Museum Day - Our Place in Space, 10 a.m.-noon; Join us for some hands-on Earth/space science activities as part of the Smithsonian’s annual museum day!
- Rescheduled to October 13 - Science Cafe - The Birds and the Bees: Creating Backyard Habitat, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the RELC; Join new Gillespie Museum director Kristen Marshall Mattson to find out how to create backyard habitat, no matter where you live. Please RSVP to reserve you place today, as seating is limited!
- October 29 - Science Saturday - Mostly Green Halloween - Our annual family-friendly fall fair! 10 a.m. - noon; Outdoors activities & explorations, costumes encouraged!
- November 12 - Science Saturday - Founder's Day Celebration & Exhibit Opening! 10 a.m. - noon; It's the Gillespie Museum’s birthday! Join us for some special activities and to check out our new exhibit Minerals in the Artist's Palette. Cultural Credit activity available.
- November 12, 2022-May 3, 2023 - Minerals in the Artist's Palette - New exhibit on the historic use of minerals in art on display in the Gillespie Museum. Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
- Rescheduled to November 17 - Science Cafe - Conservation in Action: The History of Lyonia Preserve with Stephen Kintner, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the RELC. Please RSVP to reserve you place today, as seating is limited!
Spring 2023
- January 10-May 3, 2023 - Minerals in the Artist's Palette - New fall 2022 exhibit on the historic use of minerals in art on display in the Gillespie Museum. Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
- January 26 - Science Cafe - Developed Shorelines and Climate Change with Dr. Robert S. Young, Director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
- February 11 - Science Saturday - We Love Rocks & Minerals! 10 a.m. - noon; the Gillespie Museum's Valentine's Day celebration!
- February 23 - Science Cafe - Snakes 101 with Dr. Jason Ortega, Stetson University biology; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
- March 18 - Science Saturday - STEAM Festival! 10 a.m. - noon; Join us in celebrating everything Science Technology Engineering Arts & Mathematics, woohoo!
- March 30 - Science Cafe - Bird Populations and People with Dr. Chris Marsh, Director Emeritus, Spring Island Trust; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
- April 15 - Science Saturday - Earth Day at the Gillespie! 10 a.m. - noon; Our annual celebration of the planet & its wonders!
- April 20 - Science Cafe - Historical Uses of Florida's Springs with Robert Mattson, retired Senior Environmental Scientist, St. Johns River Water Management District; 6 p.m. in the RELC, 5:30 for snacks/social; Cultural Credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
Stay tuned for updates... 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.)
Minerals in the Artist's Palette - Opened November 12! Our newest exhibit investigates the use of natural mineral pigments in art across the ages and around the globe. On display through May 3, 2023 in the museum with cultural credit available for Stetson undergraduates.
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 through May 3, 2023.
Florida Formations - 500 million years of Florida geology - is a tale of the state's past environments and climates as told through its distinctive rock units and associated fossils.
Storied Stone explores some of the fascinating narratives and lessons—geological, historic, cultural and spiritual—of the world of minerals and crystals.
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.
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 a.m. to noon.
The museum will be closed during 2022-23 academic holidays, including Fall Break (October 6-7); Thanksgiving Holiday (November 23-25); Winter Break (December 12-January 9); Spring Holidays (February 28-March 3); and Good Friday (April 7). Staff may be reached by email ([email protected]) or phone, 386.822.7330.
Admissions & Membership
Walk-in Visitors
- No admissions fee. Donations support educational programming.
- The Gillespie is proud to be a Museums for All participant.
Educational Programs (Classes K-12, scouts, homeschool groups, etc.)
- Students: $2.50
- Teachers/Chaperones: No charge
- Benefits include special members-only programs, gift shop discounts, subscription 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.