About Petersen Rock Garden
Petersen Rock Garden is what happens when collecting pretty rocks stops being a hobby and becomes an entire landscape.
Rasmus Petersen began building the garden in 1935. Using agate, jasper, obsidian, petrified wood, lava rock, thundereggs, and other stones, he constructed miniature buildings, bridges, towers, walls, pools, and monuments across several acres around the family property.
The details are obsessive. Tiny structures are assembled from carefully chosen stones, while larger features include a roughly seven-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty. The museum adds mineral displays, including specimens that fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Peacocks roaming the grounds make the already improbable scene even less conventional.
The nonprofit attraction celebrated its ninetieth year in 2025 after major restoration work and continues to operate on a limited weekly schedule. Visitors should check the official website before traveling because museum staffing and open days can change.