Earth science for everyone
Our outreach team engages with learners of all ages to share our knowledge of Earth history and processes that impact our everyday lives.
Earth Sciences Museum
Located in the Centre for Environmental and Information Technology (EIT), The Earth Sciences Museum is home to more than 5,000 minerals, rocks, fossils, artifacts, and meteorites from right here in Ontario to as far away as the Northwest Territories, China, Madagascar, and Brazil. Gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Earth’s environments, materials, and processes. And don’t forget to check out the Dino pit!
Admission is free. The main exhibit area is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, though the majority of our exhibits can be viewed at any time. Drop in and explore the museum at your own pace. School tours are also available for booking.
Peter Russell Rock Garden
The Peter Russell Rock Garden has become a landmark at the heart of the main campus. It’s the largest geological garden in Ontario and houses more than 100 rock and mineral specimens spanning 4 billion years, which were collected from all over North America, from the Yukon to PEI to Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Come and take a self-guided tour. The garden is open year-round.
Lectures and speaker series
We host free and informative public lectures throughout the year.
Farvolden lecture series
This annual lecture honours Dr. Robert Farvolden, who established the department’s world-renowned groundwater research program in the 1970s. It brings together members of the department, alumni of the hydrogeology program, and the groundwater community at large.
Adrian Smith lecture series
An annual lecture in environmental geochemistry, this series was established by colleagues and friends in memory of Dr. Adrian Smith. Dr. Smith was a regular visitor to the department, initially as a guest speaker and later as an adjunct faculty member, colleague, and student supervisor.
Community events
Gem and mineral show
Join us every October for two days of gems, minerals, fossils, and jewellery spanning two floors in EIT. Admission is always free.
World Wetlands Day Symposium
Be part of Waterloo’s annual World Wetlands Day (WWD) event! WWD is celebrated each year on February 2, which marks the day when the Convention on Wetlands was adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.
Connect with us
Have a question about an event? Looking for information about the museum or rock garden? We’d love to hear from you!
Heather Neufeld
Manager, Science Outreach
Email: hneufeld@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 31083
Location: EIT 2010
Corina McDonald
Curator, Earth Sciences Museum
Email:earth.museum@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 35633
Location: EIT 2036