Never miss what is happening in Sussex County
Events, new openings and weekend plans from Newton to Vernon, Sparta to Stanhope. Straight to your inbox, free.
Franklin, New Jersey, is the Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World, and the Franklin Mineral Museum at 32 Evans Street is the place to start. Our team put together this fall guide to things to do in Franklin NJ, from museum exhibits and Buckwheat Dump rock collecting to Night Digs and a short hop to the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in neighboring Ogdensburg.
Franklin sits in the heart of Sussex County along Route 23. The mineral museums stay open into November, so October is a strong window for a day trip built around geology, fluorescent rock under UV light, and a walk through downtown Main Street.
Franklin Mineral Museum
The Franklin Mineral Museum is open April through November. Regular hours are Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Outdoor collecting closes one hour before the museum. The address is 32 Evans Street, Franklin, NJ 07416. Phone: 973-827-3481.
Museum exhibits and rock collecting together cost $25 for adults, $20 for children ages 3 to 16, and $23 for seniors 65 and older and veterans. Rock collecting only is $18 for adults, $16 for children ages 3 to 16, and $17 for seniors and veterans. Each paid admission includes two pounds of rock and a collecting bag. Extra material is $2 per pound plus tax. Tickets are purchased at the door.
Kids ages 3 to 16 can also book the Kids Adventure Package for $39, which covers fossil dig, gem panning, museum admission, and collecting. The museum store sells local and worldwide minerals, fossils, UV lamps, jewelry, and earth science books. Picnic tables sit behind the museum and under a covered pavilion. There is no food service on site, so pack a lunch if you plan a longer visit.
Buckwheat Dump Rock Collecting
The Buckwheat Dump is the museum’s main collecting field, a steep, rocky slope where visitors hunt for franklinite, willemite, zincite, and other fluorescent minerals. Closed-toe shoes are required. Tools are not needed, and children are not allowed to use tools. Adults who bring rock hammers must also bring wraparound goggles for everyone in the party. An upper collecting area is available for guests who cannot manage the dump’s grade. A shed with shortwave mineral lamps lets you check what glows before you leave.
Night Digs at Franklin Mineral Museum
Night Digs turn the Buckwheat Dump into a UV treasure hunt after dark. Remaining 2026 dates on the museum calendar are Saturday, October 3, and Saturday, November 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Admission is $18 per adult and $16 per child, with poundage fees of $4 per pound for 1 to 20 pounds and $8 per pound above that. Children ages 3 to 16 must stay with a paid adult. We also flagged the October 3 Night Dig in our Halloween weekend events roundup.
Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Nearby Ogdensburg
About two miles from Franklin, the Sterling Hill Mining Museum at 30 Plant Street in Ogdensburg pairs an underground zinc mine tour with the Zobel Hall Museum and the Warren Museum of Fluorescence, including the Rainbow Tunnel. From September 8, 2026, through June 26, 2027, the guided mine tour runs Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. only. Arrive between 12:30 and 12:45 p.m. for tickets. Tours are not sold online, and the mine stays about 56°F, so bring a light jacket.
Gift shop, mineral collecting, and sluicing are open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tour prices are $16 for ages 13 and up, $15 for seniors 65 and older, $14 for ages 4 to 12, and $5 for children under 4. Phone: 973-209-7212. Pairing Franklin’s museum with Sterling Hill’s mine tour makes a full fluorescent geology day without leaving Sussex County.
Downtown Franklin and a Full Fall Day
Franklin Borough Hall is at 46 Main Street (973-827-9280). Main Street is a short drive from the mineral museum and a natural stop between collecting and the ride home. For a wider Sussex County fall list that includes farms, festivals, and outdoor picks beyond Franklin, see our Things to Do in Sussex County this October guide.
Franklin’s fluorescent minerals, hands-on collecting, and the neighboring Sterling Hill mine give this small Sussex County borough a day trip few New Jersey towns can match. Start at 32 Evans Street, bring sturdy shoes, and leave room in the car for a bag of glowing rock.
Featured photo: Hannes Grobe via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Have a Sussex County event coming up?
Share it with Sussex County.
Festivals, fundraisers, 5Ks, school nights, grand openings. Send us the date, time, place and a flyer, and our team will reach out about getting it in front of Sussex County.
Enjoying our Sussex County coverage?
Add us as a preferred source and our stories show up higher in your Google results.
Add as a preferred source
