Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:1801 Mountain Rd. NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Get up close and personal with the gaping maw of the second largest T. Rex ever found in full attack mode! Take a ride around the world, ride the Elevator high-tech time machine, and peruse ancient stones and gems!
Upon entering the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science visitors will be greeted by statues of two dinosaurs, a Pentaceratops named "Spike" and an Albertosaurus named "Alberta", who stand together at the museum's entrance. From the formation of the universe to the present day, this museum will take you through 12 billion years of natural history, offering a stunning display of stones and gems, and dinosaur skeletons cast from the real bones. Kids will love the Elevator, a simulated time-travel experience that moves and rumbles through 38 million years of history, as well as the Naturalist Center, where kids can peek through microscopes and make their own bear or raccoon footprints in sand.
The newest addition to the museum, the LodeStar Astronomy Center, is a planetarium with the Virtual Voyages Simulation Theater, and the DynaTheater, which surrounds you with cool images and sound. Families can enjoy movies such as "Greece: Secrets of the Past" and "Ride around the World", and there's a gift shop on the ground floor which sells imaginative nature games you can take home.
Plan to spend at least 1 to 2 hours here, and if the enormous beasts all around make your appetite just as voracious, run to the M Café for a quick pick-me-up. With all of this, plus great science lectures offered on a regular basis, the museum has something for everyone to enjoy.
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is located at 1801 Mountain Road NW in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From Interstate 40, take Rio Grande Boulevard south about half a mile to Mountain Road, then east on Mountain Road less than a half a mile to the museum, turning north on 18th street to the parking lot. The museum entrance is on 18th Street.
From New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science:
The mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is to foster an understanding and appreciation of the diverse natural history and physical sciences of New Mexico and the Southwest for the benefit of residents of, and visitors to, New Mexico. The Museum provides educational experiences and promotes scientific inquiry through focused collections, research, public programs and exhibitions.