General information
3817 Mineral Point Road
Madison, Wisconsin 53705-5100
tel. (608) 262-1705 | fax (608) 262-8086
email: info@wgnhs.wisc.edu
Got a question?
Check out our list of experts to contact a subject matter specialist.
Looking to identify a rock, mineral, or fossil?
Before we can help, we need a few things to make an accurate identification: (1) A clear picture that includes a scale (such as a ruler, your hand, a pencil), and (2) details about where you found the object.
Other resources to explore for answers:
- Start local. Your local gem and mineral club is an excellent source of information.
- Fossils. Check out our Fossils of Wisconsin pages. Many Wisconsin fossils can be identified using our Common Paleozoic Fossils of Wisconsin publication.
- Minerals. Our comprehensive Minerals of Wisconsin database lets you search for minerals by county or name.
- Geology. If you’d like to learn more about Wisconsin’s geology, we have web pages and educational materials devoted to the subject.
- Rock units. Want to know the name of a rock group, formation, or member? Check out Bedrock Stratigraphic Units in Wisconsin.
- “Leaverites”. This site by Steven Dutch, emeritus professor of geoscience at UW–Green Bay, offers a lengthy list of oddball features that defy classification. It’s worth a read for the wide variety of possibilities suggested.
