More than a half-century since it opened in a space far smaller than its present-day gift shop, Crater Rock Museum will host a grand reopening Saturday that would make its founder proud.

Nearing final completion, an expansion project that began in 2003 has almost tripled the former 5,400-square-foot museum to more than 12,000 square feet, tacking on additional community meeting rooms, exhibit area and a larger gift shop and gallery for local artists.

In addition to having far more space, a formerly tiny gift shop now boasts 1,000 square feet of display area, including a gallery area for local artists to show their work, and exhibits formerly shown only periodically because of limited space.

A brand new exhibit, a "petrified wood room," will debut on Saturday.

In coming months, a new American Indian artifact room will open, featuring a collection of arrowheads totaling in the thousands as well as one-of-a-kind artifacts such as baskets and weapons.

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Opened in 1954 by Delmar and Frieda Smith, the museum is the descendant of its founders' overwhelming collection, still on display at the museum today.

"The story goes that Delmar's wife, Frieda, told her husband back then, 'I'm sick and tired of these old rocks taking up space all over the house. You need to find a place to put them,' " recalled museum administrator Gary Yeoman.

"So Delmar and a friend built that quaint little gift shop as a small museum and here we are now."

From his "quaint" little space, Smith, a butcher by day, sold honey from bees he kept, hosted mineral society meetings and, decades later, gave tours of the sprawling collection that draws visitors from around the Pacific Northwest.

Delmar has passed away, but his wife, Frieda, will be on hand for Saturday's ribbon cutting.

The expansion started in April 2003 when an anonymous donor from Tucson, Ariz., known only as Neil, offered his personal mineral and glass collection and funding for a proper expansion to house the collection.

Despite a few funding hurdles caused by increased materials cost and scheduling delays, Yeoman said project coordinators and volunteers had persevered.

While expansion designs were "modified a bit," because of funding shortfalls, major goals of the original expansion have occurred.

"As of July 1, Crater Rock Museum owed $80,000 on construction projects and an unfinished facility," Yeoman said.

"We've managed to pay the debt, complete the gift shop, black-top our parking lot and complete most of our entryway. The outside is 90 percent done, so I think we're doing all right."

Yeoman said little would change regarding the museum's educational focus, continuing to encourage frequent visits by local school children. But the formerly free venue might start charging a small admission fee beginning this summer.

"It would be a minimal admission," he noted.

"And when I say minimal, we haven't decided on a figure, but I wouldn't expect it to be more than $3-$5 for an adult. And we'd have annual admission passes for locals. We just have to have enough to keep things going."

Ken Morrow, a Central Point resident and 37-year member of the Roxy Ann Gem and Mineral Society, said his old friend Delmar would be pleased with the museum's recent face lift.

"I think he'd be quite pleased," Morrow said. "It's coming along fine. We don't owe anybody anything and we're looking for grants and whatnot to finish the last little bit. It's going to be real nice."

Saturday's open house will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission, for now, is free.

For more information, see www.craterrock.com online.

Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at buffypollock@juno.com.