If Rocks Could Talk!
Welcome to the American Museum of Natural History! My name is Rondi Davies, and I'm and Earth scientist here at the Museum. I'll be your guide today as we meet some fascinating rocks.
  Limestone Obsidian Sandstone Granite Deformed Conglomerate Chondrite Meteorite Click the rock below you'd like to meet first.

Many rocks have traveled a long way to be here, from places like California, Scotland, Mexico, and even another part of the solar system! Some formed about 4.5 billion years ago—that makes them as old as the Earth. Others are only 900 years old—that's just a baby in rock years.

Every rock has a story to tell. And every story gives us clues about the history of the Earth.


All rocks fall into these three groups:
Igneous Sedimentary Metamorphic
Igneous rocks formed from melted rock deep inside the Earth.
Sedimentary rocks formed from layers of sand, silt, dead plants, and animal skeletons.
Metamorphic rocks formed from other rocks that are changed by heat and pressure underground.