Zuhl Museum
New Mexico State University is home to the Zuhl Museum, which displays an extensive collection of petrified wood, mineral, and fossil specimens. The museum opened in 2004 thanks to the generosity of Herb and Joan Zuhl who funded the expansion of the NMSU Alumni and Visitors center for the display of their extraordinary collection.
On a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1970, the Zuhls were driving through Arizona when they spotted a rancher digging in a field. Intrigued, the couple stopped and observed the excavation of a giant petrified log. From that moment onward, Mr. Zuhl was fascinated with the idea of these ancient and beautiful pieces of history. “I just became obsessed with it,” Mr. Zuhl remembers.
The rancher let them dig in his field and purchase the resulting finds. Mr. Zuhl sent the logs to a monument works in New Jersey who “cut them up like slices of fresh bread!” The Zuhls had hit upon something unique and found that the beautiful polished pieces were desired by collectors all over the world. The Zuhls divided their time searching for new pieces and working in their Manhattan gallery.
When the Zuhls chose to retire, they hoped to donate their personal collection to a museum. In much the same way they stumbled upon their first petrified log, the Zuhls became interested in Las Cruces, NM, by accident. One of their many summer excursions brought them to the city and they soon found that New Mexico State University was an eager recipient for their collection.
Today the museum displays hundreds of polished slabs of petrified wood, as well as spheres and even whole logs from a variety of ancient trees. The museum features pieces from all over the country and each is a unique blend of colors and designs created by nature. In addition to petrified wood, the museum also houses minerals, fossils and even a meteorite.
Researched and written by Barbara Bogucki for New Mexico State University.
