Founding the Rice Museum
Richard and Helen Rice were avid rock and mineral collectors who later in life turned their home into a museum
Richard and Helen Rice
The Rice Museum is the legacy of the Rice family and their love for rocks and minerals.
A Trip to the Oregon Coast
While visiting the beach in 1938, the family picked up a handful of agates. A local rock shop polished the stones, and after seeing the transformation of these seemingly ordinary little pebbles, their lifetime romance with rocks and rock collecting began.
Joining the Rock and Mineral Community
Soon after their beach collecting experience, the Rices joined the Oregon Agate and Mineral Society, where they learned about and took part in collecting field trips. Both Richard and Helen would go on to play active roles in the mineral community – locally and nationally.
A Museum is Born
As the Rices reached their 80s, they decided they wanted to preserve their collection and make it available for generations to come. In 1997 their house was converted into a museum and incorporated as non-profit.
Their Legacy Lives On
That same year, Helen and Richard Rice passed away within several months of each other. Their rock and mineral collection was willed to the museum, and their children donated the property.
Today, just as in 1953, the lower level of the house remains a display gallery for the Rice's collection!
