# How Many Moon Rocks Have You Seen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2017, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959 "2017-10-27T05:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/21 "2017-10-27T15:03:24Z")
3 - Smithsonian (DC), San Diego Air and Space Museum, Kennedy Space Center (Florida) ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/22 "2017-10-27T15:47:36Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > 3 - Smithsonian (DC),\, Kennedy Space Center (Florida) I’ve been to both of these, but cannot specifically remember how many lunar rocks I saw at each/either. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/23 "2017-10-27T16:17:06Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > I’ve been to both of these, but cannot specifically remember how many lunar rocks I saw at each/either. I can only remember seeing one stone at each of those sites (San Diego, too). I don’t recall being able to touch any of them (behind protective glass). ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/24 "2017-10-27T16:19:40Z")
Four: the two in DC (Air and Space Museum; National Cathedral) and the two at Morrill Hall in Lincoln, NE. I’d forgotten about the one in the cathedral; thanks for reminding me, **CalMeacham**. I’d also forgotten about the ones in Morrill; they’re so small as to be inconsequential, but I guess they count. ---
**Author:** ![tallcoldone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@tallcoldone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tallcoldone)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/25 "2017-10-27T16:57:26Z")
I’ve been to several places that people mentioned seeing moon rocks, so I can’t say a number, but I do know the first place I saw one: The Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, OH (Neil’s hometown and 30 miles from my kidhood home). Right along I-75 if you’ve ever driven through NW Ohio [https://www.armstrongmuseum.org/](https://www.armstrongmuseum.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/26 "2017-10-27T17:11:42Z")
The Smithsonian and Kennedy Space Center. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/27 "2017-10-27T17:16:25Z")
The first was in September 1969 at MIT, where there was a display of moon stuff, with some dust and a rock. I went to it for my extremely short lived reporting career. I’ve seen the one in the Smithsonian. And I seem to remember that on a tour of the Johnson Space Center in Houston they showed, behind glass, a room where the moon rocks were stored. There were quite a few in there. This was about 1985 or so. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/28 "2017-10-27T17:31:31Z")
I’m a huge space enthusiast but somehow I don’t find actual moon rocks to be very memorable or awe-inspiring in any way. They don’t even have any features that distinguish them as moon rocks. But I’ve seen 2 Moon Rock_ets_ (i.e. Saturn Vs - Houston and Huntsville). And four Apollo capsules (Smithsonian, Houston, Huntsville, Chicago). ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/29 "2017-10-27T17:35:08Z")
Three I think. One was part of a travelling display that stopped at our school, one at the Smithsonian, and at the Kennedy Space Center ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/30 "2017-10-27T17:38:17Z")
I’ve seen probably 10 or so in various museums–I think I even touched one at the Space Center in Houston. They’re impressive in that it’s cool that someone actually picked them up and brought them back, but otherwise moon rocks aren’t all that exciting to me. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/31 "2017-10-27T20:05:50Z")
When I was in the 6th grade (1971-72) a traveling exhibit of moon rocks came to our high school gym and we were all let out to go see them. They were tiny little things no bigger than the gravels in a beanbag ashtray (which was what they looked like), enclosed in a glass or lucite magnifying dome. It was highly underwhelming. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/32 "2017-10-27T20:55:40Z")
3 or 4. Chicago, Huntsville & Florida. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/33 "2017-10-27T22:48:30Z")
Funny you should ask. Just last week I saw my first Moon rock at the Wallops visitor center. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/34 "2017-10-27T22:57:08Z")
Just the big one, almost every night. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/35 "2017-10-27T23:44:47Z")
Do they still have the wafer-thin sliver of moon rock out for people to touch at the Smithsonian? It was a little piece about the size of a guitar pick, solidly glued down to a suitable display, with a sign inviting people to touch a piece of moon rock. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/36 "2017-10-28T03:29:00Z")
Smithsonian and National Cathedral. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/37 "2017-10-28T04:12:07Z")
[One I think](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=uJb4Jylh&id=A521AA7E69819FEE53873F131469C17C44ADE359&thid=OIP.uJb4Jylhq2JpLxolSq2VrQElEs&q=spirit+of+%2776+train+exhibit+moon+rocks&simid=608035627133763778&selectedIndex=1&qpvt=spirit+of+%2776+train+exhibit+moon+rocks&ajaxhist=0). There was something called the American Freedom Train that toured the US for the bi-centennially. I waited in line with my family for hours in Sacramento to see it. I definitely remember there was a moon rock and waiting in line. Nothing else. Is there one at the national air and space museum. I toured that be don’t really remember much except there is a flight worthy ME262 (and it was tiny). ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/38 "2017-10-28T04:25:24Z")
Only one, at Seattle’s (excellent) Museum of Flight a few years ago. They had an exhibit of items from the Apollo missions, and one was a moon rock. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/39 "2017-10-28T04:48:39Z")
I remember one, the goodwill sample housed in a [museum in Mdina, Malta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Natural_History,_Malta). That was from the Apollo 17 mission. Unfortunately that sample [has since been stolen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta_lunar_sample_displays#History). ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959/40 "2017-10-29T00:26:39Z")
Two. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in DC and NASA in Florida. I think I touched both - certainly touched the one in DC. With all the visitors to the Smithsonian, I wonder how much of the rock is worn away each year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-moon-rocks-have-you-seen/799959.md?page=3)