Clement Mineral Museum is Marion's Gem

Andrea Clement, granddaughter of

museum namesake Ben E. Clement and

“Geology John” show some youngsters

how to make something akin to cave drawings.

MARION, Ky. – Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum is one of Marion’s most unique attractions, housing what is believed to be the world’s largest collection of fluorspar specimens and preserving the history of a mining industry that once made western Kentucky and southern Illinois a global leader.

Earlier this month, the musuem held its annual show, a signature event featuring minerals, gems, jewelry that celebrates the community’s mining heritage.

A new generation of the Clement family is working to elevate the museum to new heights.

Andrea Clement, granddaughter of museum namesake Ben E. Clement, has taken a leadership role at the museum and is spearheading efforts to expand its reach. Her work is already attracting attention.

In May, the Marion Tourism Commission voted to offer up to $25,000 to hire a national consulting and marketing firm to help promote the museum and strengthen its position as a tourism destination.

The investment reflects growing confidence in the museum’s future and the momentum that has developed under Clement’s leadership.

“This place is for anybody,” Clement said during a recent interview inside the museum. 

She said her grandfather and father before her envisioned a museum where anyone from all walks of life could come in and experience the beauty of God’s creation, where anyone could walk in and get a love for learning.

The museum traces its roots to the lifelong passion of Ben E. Clement, a pioneering fluorspar miner, scientist, historian and collector whose fascination with discovery began as a teenager after a sewing

machine repairman gave him a telescope and an astronomy book.

Born in 1891, Clement graduated from Vanderbilt University, served as a pilot during World War I and moved to Marion in 1919. After taking a teaching job in Henderson, he used his earnings to lease mining properties in Crittenden County and entered the fluorspar business.

According to museum history, Clement quickly recognized he was witnessing an important chapter of American industrial development. Throughout six decades in mining, he preserved minerals, photographs, letters, records and artifacts connected to the fluorspar industry, creating a collection unlike any other in the nation.

Today, visitors can see thousands of mineral specimens, mining equipment, historical documents and photographs that tell the story not only of Ben Clement’s life but also of the people who built the region’s mining economy.

“He passed in 1980 shortly after I was born, then my dad spent his life working two jobs, raising us kids with mom and making his dad’s dream come alive,” said Andrea Clement.

That father was the late Ed Clement, who became one of the museum’s earliest champions. Alongside community supporters such as the late Bill Frazer, Fred Stubblefield and numerous volunteers, Ed Clement spent years building support for the museum, collecting artifacts and recording the stories of former miners.

Andrea recalls spending much of her childhood accompanying her father as he visited retired miners throughout the region. He interviewed them about their experiences underground, documented how mining equipment worked and preserved their advice for future generations.

Those efforts helped transform the museum into far more than a mineral collection. Today, the museum tells the story of fluorspar mining from start to finish. It also serves as a reminder of the region’s once-dominant role in global mining. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Southern Illinois-Western Kentucky Fluorspar District became the world’s largest producer of fluorspar, a mineral used in steelmaking, glass manufacturing and chemical production.

The museum markets itself as a destination for history enthusiasts, amateur geologists, fossil hunters, families and travelers seeking unique roadside attractions. Museum officials say it houses the largest collection of fluorspar specimens in the world and contains hundreds of fossils, gemstones and pieces of petrified wood.

In recent years, the museum has expanded its educational programming, particularly for children. The annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil and Jewelry Show held last weekend has become one of its signature events, drawing vendors and visitors from across the country. This marked the event’s 19th year.

In August, the museum will host an event to celebrate the storied Hudson Mine disaster and rescue.

With local leaders now investing in professional marketing and long-range planning, supporters believe the museum has the potential to become a much larger tourism draw for Marion and Crittenden County.