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New exhibits open at the Crater of Diamonds By Margi Jenks The remodeling of the Crater of Diamonds State Park visitor center is now complete with the opening of new exhibits last Friday, October 14th. The new exhibits reflect a change in focus from worldwide diamond mining, to the history and geology of diamond mining at the Crater of Diamonds, and to the impact of the diamond mine on the state of Arkansas. Kimberlite Diamond Mining and Washing Company structure The largest area of the exhibits tells the story of commercial diamond mining and then the private tourist attractions before the Crater became a park in 1972. The introduction tells about the two different owners that ended up with parts of the diamond field. Then, a large structure recreates the inside of one of the three large ore processing plants that were built from 1906 to 1922. The structure contains artifacts from those original mining operations. Then, a 27-foot-long timeline traces the fortunes of the owners and operators on the two different diamond field ownerships. Short audios linked to the timeline tell some of the fascinating stories from this pre-park period, including tales of arson, murder, failure, and finally tourism success.
Pre-park history timeline of commercial mining and tourism
In the exhibit center our “geologist” figure narrates the story of the Crater’s formation shown on a large screen TV monitor above his head. Interactive exhibits surround the figure and illustrate the amazing characteristics of diamond crystals. Next, the geologic story is laid out and ends with a geologic map that also shows the drill holes and trenches that were the result of an early 1990’s testing project. This testing project for the first time settled the almost 100-year-old question of the true shape and extent of the Crater’s diamond bearing volcanic deposits.
Since the first diamond was found in August, 1906, diamonds have come to symbolize many features of the state of Arkansas. A panel shows all of the public ways in which diamonds have been incorporated into the state’s symbols, including the state flag, the Arkansas quarter coin, and even the emblem of the Arkansas Girl Scout Council. Finally, another large screen TV has a continuous display of many of the Crater’s largest and most beautiful diamonds and the regular people who found them. We hope that these new exhibits will inform and entertain our visitors--both those who have been coming to the Crater to look for diamonds for many years, and those who are coming for the first time. Search area last plowed: October 10, 2011; Most recent heavy rain: October 11, 2011 Total diamonds found in 2011: 441 Diamonds registered for October 10-October 16 (100 points = 1carat): October 10 - Kenneth Shoemaker, Murfreesboro, AR, 1 pt. yellow, 1 pt. white; Jeff Taylor, Maryland Heights, MO, 1.64 ct. white October 11 - Mary Lytle, Miami, OK, 62 pt. brown October 12 - David Hinzie, White Bear Lake, MN, 43 pt. yellow October 13 - Gayle Snider, Mansfield, OH, 15 pt. brown; Eudeen Hult, Sandy, OR, 13 pt. yellow October 14 - Sean Ramsey, Seattle, WA, 1 pt. white; Jeff Taylor, Maryland Heights, MO, 13 pt. white October 15 - Glenn Worthington, Hot Springs, AR, 1.95 ct. white; Tim Pittman, Jacksonville, AR, 9 pt. white |
209 State Park Road
Murfreesboro, AR 71958
Email: craterofdiamonds@arkansas.com
Phone: (870) 285-3113
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