Helena Mineral Society marks 80 years with gem, fossil show

Helena’s long-running gem, mineral and fossil show reached a milestone Saturday, as the Helena Mineral Society opened its 80th annual event at the Helena Civic Center Ballroom and turned the city’s love of rocks, fossils and geology into a weekend tradition for families, collectors and students.

The show ran Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and continued Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 340 Neill Ave. Admission was $3, while children 12 and under were free. Veterans and active military with valid ID were also admitted free, keeping the event within reach for families looking for an inexpensive outing in downtown Helena.

This year’s anniversary centerpiece was a polished slab of lapis lazuli measuring 21 inches by 9 inches and weighing about 43 pounds. The society sold $10 raffle tickets, with the drawing set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. The winner had to be present, arrange shipping or pick up the slab in person.

But the raffle was only part of the draw. The show floor included minerals and jewelry, agates and crystals, grab bags, a ball toss, a garnet hunt, a silent auction, raffles, a fluorescent mineral display, gem and mineral displays and concessions. Dealers from Montana and surrounding states brought specimens collected from around the world, turning the Civic Center ballroom into a compact marketplace for collectors and a hands-on science exhibit for children.

Sarah Hall of the Helena Mineral Society said the club’s main focus is education, and that mission has shaped the show for decades through scholarships, geology camps and grants for local teachers and students. The society describes itself as a nonprofit dedicated to promoting mutual education in mineralogy, geology, gemology and lapidary, while also encouraging ethical and responsible collecting of rocks, gems, crystals and minerals.

The group’s 2024 newsletter said its motto is “Gem, Mineral, and Geological Education and Experience,” and described scholarship support as having a lasting impact. That emphasis was visible in the way the anniversary event blended entertainment with instruction, offering young visitors a chance to hunt for garnets or study a fluorescent mineral display while seasoned collectors browsed specimens and traded stories.

Alexis McEwan served as show chairperson for the 2026 event. After 80 years, the Helena Mineral Society has stayed relevant by doing more than staging a weekend sale. It has remained a community institution that ties Helena’s families, classrooms and collecting culture to Montana’s geology, one specimen at a time.