Maine Mineral & Gem Museum Awarded $27,500 Tourism Grant, Partnering with VisitMaine.com to Launch New Storytelling, Geo-Tourism Project
BETHEL, MAINE — October 2025 — The Maine Mineral & Gem Museum (MMGM) is launching a new interpretive storytelling initiative, featuring a geo-tourism experience and a social media video series created to celebrate the state’s geological and cultural heritage, leveraging media archives from MMGM and its partner organizations. This project is in partnership with VisitMaine.com. A $27,500 Enterprise Marketing Grant provides some funding through the Maine Office of Tourism’s Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program (MTMPP).
This year-long project highlights the ties between Maine geology and the people and places shaped by it, connecting us all. Through digital storytelling, oral histories, interpretive angles, and community collaborations, Stones & Stories will explore our geological heritage and the wider Bethel region.
“Every stone tells a story,” said MMGM Executive Director Kristy Griffin. “From the families who worked in Maine’s historic quarries, to the artisans and scientists who carry forward that legacy today, Stones & Stories is about celebrating the human side of Maine’s mineral heritage. With the support of the Maine Office of Tourism, we’re excited to share those stories with visitors from across the state and beyond.”
The museum’s winning proposal centers on revitalizing “Maine Voices,” an initiative that highlights the personal stories of miners, quarry workers, and gem artisans who shaped Maine’s mineral heritage via the “Stones & Stories” social media series. The grant will also fund the development of the “Stones & Stories” Geological Heritage Trail Map — a brand-new map linking MMGM to nearby historic quarries, geological sites of interest, and community landmarks across Western Maine.
“This project is all about connection — between geology and people, past and present, MMGM and the region around it,” said Jessica Siraco, MMGM grant writer and former executive director. “Thanks to this grant, we’re bringing those connections to life in new and compelling ways.”
Here’s a sneak peek, available now:
Follow along on our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages for more!
The VisitMaine.com grant will support:
- The “Stones & Stories” social media series: Sharing archival and newly collected oral histories via weekly posts, interpretive videos, and visitor-generated content
- Design and launch of the “Stones & Stories” Geological Heritage Trail Map: Providing an experience guiding visitors to publicly accessible mineral-rich sites and cultural touchpoints
- Community partnerships: With local businesses, historical societies, educational institutions, and tourism groups to co-create content and extend the trail’s impact
- Community Programming: Storytelling-themed events, hands-on programming, and opportunities to capture community engagement for the MMGM archives.
“The trail map is a tangible invitation to explore the land through the eyes of a geologist,” said Myles Felch, MMGM Curator and Staff Geologist. “Every feature of our landscape tells a story, written by powerful tectonic forces, carved by glaciers, and sculpted by rivers that continue to shape the bedrock and sediment beneath our feet. We look forward to sharing those stories with our visitors.
The Stones & Stories Geological Heritage Trail Map will debut next year, building on the Geologic Fact Localities that the Maine Geological Survey has been producing for over two decades. MMGM’s Myles Felch has partnered with MGS over the years to provide content about sites published by MGS — some of those sites will be included on MMGM’s Geological Heritage map.
MMGM’s geo-tourism map will focus on public lands owned, managed, or in easement by a local-area land trust. It will be hand-drawn by a New England-based mapmaker as a collectible printed piece, displayed in a gallery, and offered as a pocket companion that visitors can take with them on the road. MMGM also plans to release a limited edition of artist-signed prints, postcards, and framed maps available in the museum store.
The Enterprise Marketing Grant supports Maine nonprofits, municipalities, and tribal governments in tourism promotion that drives sustainable growth and aligns with the Maine Office of Tourism’s Destination Management Plan.
For more on the Stones & Stories social media series, the Geological Heritage Trail Map, or to get involved, visit mainemineralmuseum.org or follow @mainemineralmuseum on Facebook and Instagram.
About the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum
Nestled in the heart of Bethel, MMGM is home to the most significant collection of Maine minerals and gemstones in the world. A one-of-a-kind destination where geology, history, science, and education come to life, the museum also boasts the largest display of meteorites in the world, including Moon and Mars rocks. Through hands-on exhibits, expert storytelling, and cutting-edge research, MMGM inspires curiosity in visitors of all ages. Inviting them to explore the incredible story of our planet — and beyond.
For more information, visit mainemineralmuseum.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mainemineralmuseum.
About MTMPP and VisitMaine.com
The Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program (MTMPP) is administered by the Maine Office of Tourism. It provides funding for strategic marketing efforts that support Maine’s travel economy and destination stewardship via VistiMaine.com.