Amethyst Oscar (Artigas Department, Uruguay) and Chrysanthemum Stone (Hunan Province, China). Dr. Robert Lavinsky Collection. Photos: Gina Cholick, 2025. Courtesy of NHMLAC.
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Senior Staff Writer
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April 11, 2026
It can be easy for locals to put off trips to some of L.A.’s best tourist destinations, but the Natural History Museum (NHM) offers a truly memorable experience right in Exposition Park, from the unbelievable Dinosaur Hall to the seasonal Butterfly Pavilion.
Right now, the museum is hosting a one-of-a-kind gem and mineral exhibition called Unearthed: Raw Beauty, which makes for a compelling addition to their enormous permanent Gem and Mineral Hall.
Keep reading for everything to know, and scroll to the bottom to learn how to visit for free.
Unearthed: Raw Beauty
It’s not often that you can see the world’s rarest minerals in their uncut state, but Unearthed: Raw Beauty provides plenty of these and more.
The exhibition showcases a range of specimens in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors, from California’s own bright pink kunzite to massive crystals thicker than a tree trunk. The focus is on rare specimens that haven’t experienced any human intervention.
Some standouts include several bright purple amethyst geodes from Uruguay that date back 80 million years, one of which naturally frames a white crystal formation that resembles an Oscar statue.
The Chrysanthemum Stone from China’s Hunan Province is estimated to be between 273 and 284 million years old, with celestine crystals growing through the shale rock to create remarkable “blooming” shapes.
You can also see exquisite Chinese mineral carvings, ornate jewelry, and a huge fossil ammonite with touchable crystals.
Unearthed: Raw Beauty opened in December 2025 and will remain on display until April 18, 2027. The gallery is included with general admission to the Natural History Museum.
Chrysanthemum Stone (Hunan Province, China). Dr. Robert Lavinsky Collection. Photo:
Gina Cholick, 2025. Courtesy of NHMLAC.
Gem and Mineral Hall
Unearthed makes for a great addition to the NHM’s existing Gem and Mineral Hall, which has one of the country’s most significant collections of mineral science specimens.
The museum displays about 2,000 specimens from its 150,000-piece collection, and is especially famous for its California-native gems and crystals.
Visitors can even examine and touch some of the museum’s fascinating meteorites, many of which are around 4.6 billion years old.
Whether you’re there to gaze at exquisite rubies and diamonds or take a closer look through the scanning electron microscope, there’s plenty to admire.
💸 Free admission: The Natural History Museum offers free general admission to L.A. County residents with valid ID on weekdays from 3–5 pm. Admission is also free to EBT cardholders, CA teachers, active/retired military, and children 2 and under.
🎟️ General admission: Get tickets to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County here.
🕜 Hours: Open from 9:30am to 5pm daily.
📍 Location: 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007