Welcome to the Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum, a fascinating destination for anyone interested in the natural beauty and historical significance of gems and minerals. Located in Franklin, North Carolina, the museum is housed in the Old Macon County Jail, a building with its own rich history dating back to 1850. This charming red-brick structure, with its unmistakable barred windows, once held prisoners but now captivates visitors with its dazzling collections.
The story of the Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum begins in 1972 when the Franklin Gem & Mineral Society was founded. Just a few months after its inception, the society ambitiously proposed transforming the then-abandoned jail into a museum. Thanks to the dedication of volunteers who contributed over 2000 hours of hard work, the museum opened its doors to the public on May 25, 1974.
Franklin itself is renowned as the ‘Gem Mining Capital of the World.’ The surrounding Cowee Valley is rich in corundum, sapphires, rubies, garnets, and quartz. The museum showcases this local heritage with eight rooms filled with thousands of specimens, including a remarkable 48½-pound ruby crystal. This enormous gem was unearthed at the nearby Corundum Hill Mine, a site with its own storied past.
The museum’s exhibits also include a North Carolina Room, highlighting the state’s rich mineral deposits, and a captivating collection of fluorescent minerals that glow under ultraviolet light. Visitors can explore the history of mining in the area while marveling at the natural beauty of the stones on display.
An intriguing feature of the museum is the preserved ‘Slammer’ cell, complete with its original two-inch-wide woven-style iron bars. Once used to house up to six inmates, it now serves as an exhibit space, connecting the museum’s gemological focus with its historical roots as a former jail.
Among the museum’s treasures are displays of Native American artifacts and fossils, providing a broader context of the region’s history. The museum not only preserves the dazzling allure of gems and minerals but also the stories of those who mined them, contributing to Franklin’s rich cultural tapestry.
