Located in Youhao Beilu, Urumqi, the Xinjiang Geological and Mineral Museum exhibits geological finds, plant and animal specimens as well as explorations of the local natural environment.
Established in 1956, it used to be a geological exhibition room for the Xinjiang Geological Bureau, but in May 2004 it opened to the public, becoming the largest geological and mineral museum in northwest China. It has five floors and seven exhibition halls, including halls devoted to the universe and earth, the evolution of life, metal and minerals, energy, jade and the tourism environment.
The first two halls exhibit fossil specimens from over 230 million years ago, together with dinosaur models to spark the imagination. The second and third floors exhibit large crystals, natural bronze, a model of the largest gold mine in northwest China, and models of three Xinjiang oilfields as well as various samples of jade and rare stones. A 30 ton aerolite (a kind of meteorite) is one of the museum' s star exhibits, being the third largest in the world.