Discover New Mexico: Explore the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque | Travel New Mexico
Story by Ken Hulsey
When I lived in Albuquerque, one of my favorite places was the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. I have to admit that back in the 80s, the museum wasn't much to write home about - it had a couple of dinosaur skeletons and little else. However, it was still really interesting, and I always enjoyed exploring the exhibits, with my favorite being the giant leg bones of a Seismosaurus, the largest dinosaur ever discovered, which used to call New Mexico home.
Today, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science has grown into one of the premier museums in the country, with so many fascinating exhibits that it rivals the renowned Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. Founded in 1986, the museum operates as a public revenue facility of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, located near the historic Old Town Albuquerque. It's truly a must-visit destination for anyone interested in natural history and science.
The Museum's permanent exhibits take visitors on a captivating journey through time, covering the birth of the Universe (≈13.6 billion years ago) to the Ice Age (≈10,000 years ago). The eight "Journey Through Time" halls showcase the museum's impressive collection, including Origins, Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Jurassic Age of Super Giants, New Mexico's Seacoast, Age of Volcanoes, Rise of the Recent - Evolving Grasslands, Cave Experience, and New Mexico's Ice Age.
In addition to these immersive chronological exhibits, the museum offers an interactive planetarium with daily programs, as well as a floor of exhibit galleries dedicated to astronomy and space exploration. Visitors can also enjoy the observation deck to gaze through the telescope, though the observatory is only open occasionally, usually during the museum's evening hours.
The Fossilworks exhibit allows guests to witness the process of removing material from fossilized dinosaur bones. The museum also houses a "Naturalist Center" home to live animals and insects, and features a geologic exhibit highlighting the minerals found in the local region.
Overall, the museum provides a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the Earth's distant past, inviting guests to embark on an educational and captivating journey through time.
The Jurassic Super Giants exhibit at the museum features the complete skeletons of massive dinosaurs like Seismosaurus, Saurophaganax, and Stegosaurus, as well as a leg bone from a Brachiosaurus. Previously, the museum's atrium housed the skeleton of Stan, a 40-foot (12.2 m) long, 12-foot (3.7 m) tall Tyrannosaurus rex - the second largest T. rex ever discovered. However, Stan has since been moved to the Farmington Museum in New Mexico, and will soon be replaced by an animatronic model of the Bisti Beast (or Bistahieversor) dinosaur.
Beyond the dinosaur exhibits, the museum offers changing exhibits, a cafe, a discovery store, and a Dynatheater - a 3D theater similar to an IMAX. The films shown focus on a variety of documentary-style subjects. Outdoors, the "A Walk Through New Mexico" exhibit showcases the state's diverse topography and geology.
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