Geoscience Museum

Located at GSH Geoscience Center
1790 W Sam Houston Pkwy N., Houston, TX  77043

Open:  Tuesday through Thursday 10:00am until 4:00pm and Mondays by appointment.  Contact the GSH office at 281-741-1624 or [email protected]

The Geoscience Center and Museum in West Houston, Texas located at 1790 W Sam Houston N, Houston, Texas This facility serves as the primary public display location for geophysical artifacts, while also supporting three satellite locations that extend its reach and visibility.

Beyond preservation, the Center is a dynamic educational hub. It hosts workshops, demonstrations, and meetings, and provides resources for firsthand learning experiences. These programs support school career days, classroom presentations, scouting events, science fairs, and broader STEM engagement, connecting students and professionals with the field of geophysics.

The collection spans from the 1920s to the present and continues to grow through donations of instruments, documents, and publications related to the history of geophysical and geological exploration. Each item is carefully cataloged and preserved to ensure long-term accessibility and historical integrity.

The Center also develops and deploys exhibits both on-site and at educational institutions and corporate offices across Texas. A new initiative launched on January 1, 2026— “Campus to Corporations”—brings the museum directly to audiences through a mobile presentation. This program highlights the evolution of geophysical instruments over time, complemented by hands-on artifacts that engage participants in a tangible learning experience. Offered to universities and corporations in the Houston area, the program emphasizes how past innovations continue to inspire modern technology and foster appreciation for today’s advancements.

Planned initiatives for 2026 include updating exhibit labels, implementing bilingual QR code–guided self-tours, and introducing interactive features for select displays, further enhancing accessibility and visitor engagement. Financial support for the Museum and initiatives are always welcome.  Donations can be made through the “Donate Now” button below.  Checks may be sent to the GSH office at 1790 W Sam Houston Pkwy N., Houston, TX  77043, with memo: Museum.  Tip: check to see if your company has a matching donation program.  The GSH is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Gravity Instrument Collection 1920 to 2022

A FOUR PART VIDEO SERIES EXPLORING THE 100 YEAR DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUMENTS TO MEASURE THE EARTH’S GRAVITY

Over the years, the GSH museum has been collecting vintage geophysical instruments including gravity meters. The goal is to “preserve and educate.” In 2022, Bill Gafford, GSH Museum Director, observed that the collection had grown to span 100 years: from a 1920 Askania Torsion Balance to a 2022 Syntrex gravity meter. Bill decided it was time to have an archive made of the principal instruments in the collection. He set out a plan that included asking Scott Hammond at Bell Geospace, Houston, for funding and Corine Prieto at Integrated Geophysics, Houston, to be a geophysical advisor.

The list of instruments was organized into a Timeline starting with the 1920 instruments. Corine Prieto reached out to industry colleagues for their insights on development of the gravity meter; asking them to relate stories about the pioneers who initially designed and built the gravity meters. Colleagues came from Canada, California, New York, and Texas to have their commentary filmed and recorded. The result is a four part video series. It took two years to complete this project and deep gratitude goes to the colleagues who volunteered their time to share their expertise. Special thanks to the financial support provided by Scott Hammond and Marshall MacNabb. Additionally, the unwavering commitment of Bill Gafford and Corine Prieto was instrumental throughout the entire process.

Museum displays around town:

Since 2019, SEG has partnered with GSH members to catalog more than 1,400 artifacts on the SEG Wiki, creating a robust Virtual Museum accessible to members worldwide.		Founding Sponsors:
Geoscience Center Events
August 12th	9:00 AM  Living Legends Social Gathering:
	Retired or nearly retired doodlebuggers, and their spouses are invited, as well as anyone who is interested in visiting our Geoscience Center.  This is a chance to visit with some of the Legends in our industry and see some of our more interesting geoscience artifacts and some of the Mystery Items that have been featured in the GSH Journals.  This is a free event, no reservation is needed and parking is free. Light snacks, coffee, soft drinks, and water will be provided.   For more information click here