Kansas City Area Metal Detecting, Gold Prospecting, & Treasure Hunting Clubs

Want to find like minded people who share the love of getting out and playing in the dirt?  We can help.  We get this question all of the time.  So, I figured I would list the ones that we are familiar with and let the list start growing from there.  Please comment below if you have any more to add!

MOKAN Search and Rescue

MoKan Search and Recovery Metal Detector Club was founded in the 70's by a small group of metal detector enthusiasts. Members look forward to monthly meetings as a lively atmosphere in which to share information, display recent finds and gain new techniques or knowledge. Diverse and interesting monthly finds are judged as a competition for annual awards. And to “show their stuff” in a spirit of camaraderie and fellowship.

Club Dues: January through December, $10.00 Individual, $15 Family

Club Meetings: Held on the 3rd Wednesday of the Month at 7:30 PM

Location: Security Bank 5959 NE Antioch Rd Gladstone,Mo 64119

Website:  www.mokansrkc.com

Topeka Treasure Hunters Club

The Topeka Treasure Hunters Club is a metal detecting club founded over 40 years ago.  This is a family oriented club that enjoys the hobby of metal detecting.  Meetings consist of business and stories along with ideas from members.  Each meeting has a 50/50 raffle.  Members donate items and tickets are drawn to see who wins.  Twice a year (July and December) a ticket is drawn and the winner gets 1/2 the money each time.  The other half is given to the club charities in December.  There is also a door prize raffle and it has several drawings. Money from this raffle is used to buy the coins for the next month's door prize raffle. (tickets are $1.00 each for either raffle).  The club also sponsors a national hunt the 3rd of May each year.   This hunt is open to all who want to come.  It draws people from all over the Midwest.  Vendor tables for all your detecting needs can be found and a great time is enjoyed by all.

Club Meetings: The 3rd Sunday of every month except May, September, and December.  

Location: Papan's Landing Senior Center  619 NW Paramore St, Topeka, KS 66608

Website:  https://ricketts1461.wixsite.com/tthc

Mid-Western Artifact Society

 The Mid-Western Artifact Society is a non-profit, incorporated metal detecting club based in the area of Kansas City, KS. The club was founded in 1976 and is a proud member of the Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs, Inc. (FMDAC). We are dedicated to preserving the hobby of metal detecting.

Club Dues:  You may come across posts that refer to the “CLUB” or “DUES” from time to time but please don’t feel obligated to send us money.  These posts referring to Dues are intended for our local club members who frequent the message board.

Club Meetings: Usually, monthly meetings are held on the third Sunday of each month. Meetings are held indoors in the evening during the months of November through March, and outdoors at various times of the day at hunt sites from April through October. Outdoor meetings typically not only include a hunt together, but also a pot luck picnic.

Location: For more information contact:  Dan Spielbusch at wyjon1@aol.com

Website:  http://www.mwas.org/wp/

Pony Express Prospectors

 Pony Express is a chapter located out of St. Joseph, MO that was developed for like minded individuals to discuss gold prospecting and treasure hunting. Many of the members go to other states to prospect and their experiences are well received. They also learn about and sometimes demonstrate new equipment. They have a monthly raffle of items that have been donated by the members.They also plan outings for gold prospecting and treasure hunting.  This is a very fun group of good folks.

Club Meetings: Chapter meets the first Saturday of the month at 11:00am - 2:00pm

Location:  St. Joseph REC Center, 2701 SW Parkway, St. Joseph, MO.

Mailing address:
Pony Express Prospectors
P.O. Box 8535
St. Joseph, MO 65408

Website:  https://www.facebook.com/ponyexpressprospectors/

Show Me Gold Prospectors

Show Me Gold Prospectors has been around since 2003 with Doug Foster and Tom Gabriel starting the club, it originally met in Smithville, Mo. where it quickly outgrew the meeting place.  The club is a Chapter of a nationally known organization called "Gold Prospectors  Association of America" or GPAA. There is a sister organization called "The Lost Dutchman Mining Association" or LDMA.

Since they are a chapter of GPAA they have adopted the suggested basic constitution put out by GPAA.  Therefore  officers and board members are required to members of GPAA to hold office or to vote in elections.  You DO Not have to be a GPAA member to belong to the chapter. 

There are at least two or more raffles going on before the meeting.  One is run by the chapter and may also include a 50/50, and a large item raffle.  Since there are NO Dues this is how they pay for the meeting place, food and other items needed to run a large fun loving club.  

The other raffle is run by "The Mining Rights Chairman" Melvin Altis who uses the money collected in this raffle to send to organizations like American Mining Rights Association or "AMRA" and the Eastern Oregon Mining Association for use in their Legal Department to fight anti-mining laws and lawsuits.

Both Raffles rely on members to donate items to the raffles.  These items do not have to be new or related to prospecting. 

Club Dues: None

Club Meetings: Held on the 2nd Saturday of each month.

Location: 109 E. 4th Street, Wellington, MO

Website:  https://showmegoldprospectors.org/

Olathe Gem & Mineral Society

The OGMS is an area rock, gem, mineral and earth science club located in the metropolitan Kansas City region. They welcome all who share interests in rocks, gems, minerals, fossils, etc. and invite you to visit them and/or join our club. Membership age and make-up is broad and varied, and we anticipate you’ll find like interests to network and instill your interests — whether it is collecting, exhibiting, preparing or making stunning jewelry from rocks and gems.

The Olathe Gem and Mineral Society meets the first Tuesday of each month (except June, July and August — these months are set aside to accommodate family summer vacations). Presently the club meets on the designated Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 PM at the Indian Creek Community Church, 12480 Blackbob Road, Olathe, KS. 

 Website:  http://olathegemclub.com/

Kansas City Archaeological Society

The Kansas City Chapter of the Missouri Archaeological Society. 

Yearly membership dues are: Student: $10.00 Active: $12.00

Website:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/237309689982/

Topeka Gem and Mineral Society

The purpose of the Topeka Gem & Mineral Society is exclusively educational and scientific:

1. To promote interest in geology and the lapidary arts.
2. To encourage the collection and display of rocks, gems and minerals.
3. To encourage field trips and excursions of a geological, mineralogical or lapidary nature.
4. To encourage greater public interest and education in gems and minerals, cooperating with established institutions in such matters.

As a club member, you'll receive the following benefits:

1. Classes covering various aspects of jewelry making and metal work, including wire-wrapping, silversmithing, and lapidary classes.
2. These classes are usually free of charge (except for materials) and are put on by members of the Society.
3. Access to club-owned equipment for lapidary work (weather permitting).
4. Our club newsletter, The Glacial Drifter, full of interesting articles and valuable information.

Junior members can participate in the AFMS Junior Rockhounds program, a series of classes and activities geared to teaching youngsters about various aspects of geoscience and lapidary arts.

In addition, Society members can vote at meetings and run for office.

Dues
Individual: $15.00/yr
Couple: $20.00/yr
Junior Membership (17 years or younger): $5.00/yr

Dues come due in December for the coming year, and are considered delinquent after the February meeting.

Our regular meetings are on the 4th Friday of every month from September through May (except December) at 7:30pm in Stoffer Science Hall on the campus of Washburn University.

Website:  http://www.topekagms.org/home.html

Independence Gem and Mineral Society