Listen to this New Hampshire Public Radio Audio Postcard from the 2006 Gilsum Rock Swap.
About the Gilsum Rock Swap
The town of Gilsum, located in the scenic Monadnock Region in southwestern NH, will once again host 6,000 - 8,000 people from all over the U.S. who will attend the Gilsum Rock Swap and Mineral Show. Here more than 70 dealers, swappers, distributors, and collectors can buy, sell, or swap beryl, quartz crystals, semi-precious stones, and rocks and minerals of all sorts. Displays range from newly found specimens in the rough to fossils, prized collector’s pieces and even hand crafted jewelry.
This year’s event will include a special presentation. The presentation will be held Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Elementary School auditorium immediately following the annual Ham and Bean dinner.
The event takes place at the Gilsum Elementary School grounds, Route 10 in Gilsum, just north of Keene, NH, and is about 2 hours from Boston. Show hours are 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Sunday. The Gilsum Rock Swap is truly a community event with more than 60 people volunteering at the show. That number rises to more than 100 when one includes all the volunteers that bake home made beans and pies for the annual Ham and Bean Supper.
Gilsum’s many mines operated until the 1940s and yielded feldspar, mica and beryl. Most are now abandoned, although one, the Beauregard mine, is available to mineral clubs through prior arrangement. Today collectors prize other minerals such as beryl. Maps showing locations of local mines are available during the show.
Since the show’s inception, the town of Gilsum has opened its doors for the event. Activities include a daily pancake brunch, bake sale, book sale, chicken barbeque dinner, and a traditional Saturday night New England ham and bean supper with all you can eat home-made pies.
Admission is free, although donations are graciously accepted. All proceeds go to youth recreation and community programs.