Mesa, Arizona, is home to the Arizona Museum of Natural History, whose mission inspires people to value the natural world. The museum’s exhibits are interactive and are designed for everyone from toddlers to seniors. It is one of the most notable attractions in all of Arizona, and it will give you a new appreciation for this state’s natural phenomena.
The Arizona Museum of Natural History is a non-profit museum that has been open since 1988. It is located in the beautiful city of Mesa, which is in Maricopa County. There are interactive exhibits that will allow you to touch fossils, skulls, and animal tracks. The museum has almost 40 employees who help maintain an annual attendance of over 150,000 people from all over the world.
The museum promotes interest in the natural sciences and helps children and adults learn about Arizona’s natural history. A team of skilled educators guides tours and teaches students using a state-of-the-art science lab and live animals. You will find this museum incredibly fascinating, and you will learn a lot about Arizona’s vast wildlife.
Exhibits in Arizona Museum of Natural History
The visitors can enjoy several traveling exhibits at the museum, which change every few months. The permanent exhibits include:
Cenozoic Lobby
At the Cenozoic Lobby, animals dating from the Pliocene-Pleistocene Epochs, which is about 3 million years to 10,000 years ago, welcome you. Mammoth, mastodon, American lion, one-toed horse, Glyptotherium that resembled armadillo, and four species of fossil turtles are among them. This exhibit is a great place to meet up if you are with other people.
Natural History
Kids and adults will enjoy the popular exhibits: Origins, Dinosaur Hall, Dinosaur Mountain, Arizona through Time, and Paleo Dig Pit. The Natural History exhibit encourages you to touch and feel the fossils, skeletons, and other specimens in their displays. This is an excellent opportunity for children to learn about the history and science of nature interactively.
Southwest Cultures
The Southwest Gallery tells the story of central Arizona’s ancient indigenous people, from the Paleoindians who arrived around 13,500 years ago to the sophisticated irrigation systems of the Hohokam farmers that operated until A.D. 1450. The museum houses a large exhibit hall with exhibits of ancient artifacts and replicas of Hohokam villages excavated by the museum’s archaeologists.
Mesoamerica and South America
The Hall of Mesoamerican Cultures is part of the Arizona Museum of Natural History’s Hall of North American cultures, which illustrates how ancient Native American civilizations connected to Mexico and Central America’s high cultures. The exhibits will show you the rich heritage of the Hopi, Olmec, Maya, Toltec, Teotihuacan, and Aztec civilizations. The Mesoamerica and South American exhibit is smaller but equally impressive.
Arizona History
The Arizona History exhibit will introduce you to the First Peoples in North America, the culture shock when explorers from other continents showed up, and how technologies such as irrigation and weaving transformed these civilizations. You can learn about Spanish missionaries and American settlers in this section of the museum.
Sculptures & Public Art
Visitors can appreciate the beauty that comes from mother nature with a view of some unique sculptures and public art close to the museum. For example, you can see the bronze Dilophosauraus sculpture created by Michael Trcic that captures the prehistoric creature in an attack position.
Make plans to visit the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa, Arizona, for an experience you’ll never forget. This museum is a very special place that helps visitors learn about Arizona’s land, wildlife, and history.
If you are visiting Mesa, Arizona, don’t miss the adventure of a lifetime by visiting the Arizona Museum of Natural History. This attraction is fun for people of all ages, and you won’t find a dull moment as you explore the exhibits. The museum provides an opportunity to learn about science, nature, geology, biology, and more in a hands-on way that helps visitors understand the exhibits on a deeper level.
