A list of rare, and often unique, facilities in the western part of the United States is presented that is designed to serve as a resource for researchers. The list of facilities is a guide to what uncommon equipment, centers or institutes, and collections are available at western higher education facilities and what provisions exist for sharing those facilities. The information was obtained through mail requests in late 1979 to all residents and public information officers in all graduate-level colleges and universities in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education region. The respondents nominated unique facilities, verified the accuracy of the description, and categorized the facility's work into primary and secondary research fields. The catalog contains 294 entries that include equipment, such as electron microscopes and nuclear reactors; centers or research institutes, such as laboratories and land preserves; and collections, such as specialized libraries or art galleries. Each entry contains a description of the facility, the name and address of the director or another individual to contact for further information, and the arrangement through which researchers may use the facility. While some facilities are open to the public, others are more restricted and require individual arrangements. The catalog is organized into 14 chapters, which represent the primary research applications of the facilities. There are two indexes: one lists the facilities by institution; the other by primary and secondary research fields. A facility description form is appended. (SW)