Early in Stardew Valley, players receive a request from Gunther at the Museum, who highlights the need for rare artifacts. He encourages players to donate any unique items they discover to enhance the Museum’s collection. Similar to the mechanics found in Animal Crossing, completing the collection earns players a valuable Stardrop, which boosts maximum energy permanently.
### Museum Operating Hours
The Museum is accessible from 8 AM to 6 PM, except during town festivals, and is conveniently situated in the southeast corner of town, adjacent to the Blacksmith. Inside, visitors will find a vast assortment of books where they can read any lost books they come across, in addition to a large exhibit area dedicated to new donations. To contribute an item, players can speak with Gunther, who allows them to place donations in any desired location, with future options for rearrangement.
Gunther provides rewards at various donation milestones, including specific totals for Artifacts and Minerals. While most rewards offer useful perks, three stand out: players unlock the sewer key at 60 items, receive a Stardrop at 95 items, and obtain the Dwarvish Translation Guide by donating all four Dwarvish Scrolls, enabling communication with Dwarves.
### Acquiring Artifacts and Minerals
There are various methods to gather items for donation, falling into two categories with a total of 95 items: 53 Minerals and 42 Artifacts. Minerals typically come from mining, with different gems appearing in their respective nodes, while foraged minerals can also be collected from the mines and Skull Cavern.
Geode Minerals represent the largest group, sourced from cracking open various geodes, including Basic, Frozen, Lava, and Omni Geodes, which players can open at the Blacksmith for a fee of 25G each. Omni Geodes present the best chance of yielding any mineral. Additionally, some Minerals can be found in treasure chests while fishing, although this method is less reliable.
Artifacts, on the other hand, are more elusive. Many, such as the Dwarf Scrolls, can drop from monsters in the mines and Skull Cavern. Others have a chance to appear at artifact spots in the dirt, identifiable by three wiggling worms. Players can also obtain artifacts through Artifact Troves, purchasable from the Desert Trader for 5 Omni Geodes, or occasionally from fishing treasure chests.
To efficiently complete the Museum collection, players are advised to allow time for natural discovery of most Artifacts and Minerals. Once around 80 items are donated, the focus can shift toward specifically hunting down the remaining missing pieces, keeping in mind that many items may only show up by chance.
