New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science

Approaching the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, located in historic Old Town in Albuquerque New Mexico, you are welcomed by two life-sized bronze dinosaurs, Pentaceratops (nicknamed "Spike") and Albertasaurus (nicknamed "Alberta"). They are the tip of the iceberg as you begin to experience everything the museum has to offer. The natural history museum has been one of my favorite museums in the country since I first visited it in 1987. The museum just finished a large expansion in 2000 and I wanted to pass on many of the highlights that keep me coming back to the museum.

Walking into the central atrium, you can see huge Pterosaurs soaring over your head. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History is centered around a "Journey Through Time", a series of interconnected exhibits that takes the visitor from the very beginning of the universe up through the Pleistocene Epoch of New Mexico. Each of the exhibits focuses on what was happening in New Mexico in the appropriate time, so the visitor gets a good feel of how the New Mexico landscape has been changed and shaped by the forces of the earth.

To start our journey, we head from the atrium up the stairs to the first exhibit, Origins. Origins begins in darkness, with blacklight the only illumination, as we learn about the creation of the universe. As we head on we learn about the formation of the earth and the rise of life on our planet. There are several hands on displays where you can touch different rock samples, including a meteorite sample from Odessa Crater in Texas. The tour continues through the Permian and early Triassic, highlighting the fossils that can be found in New Mexico.

After Origins comes the Age of Giants and a look at the dinosaurs that roamed New Mexico during the Jurassic Period. As you enter the hall you are captivated by a full-size reconstruction of a Brachiosaurus's front leg, standing nearly 30 feet tall. A large mural provides a wonderful backdrop to the three excellent skeletons mounted in the hall, an Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and a Camarasaurus, mounted in the hall. While visiting, I spoke with one of the docents, George Holly. He was quite knowledgeable, having volunteered with the museum for 13 years. He explained that the museum is continuing to plan for expansion and is working on plans for a new Triassic exhibit, and plans to mount Seismosaurus, one of the longest sauropods, that was found in New Mexico. The Age of Giants hall is great for kids as there are several actual dinosaur bone that are available for them to touch and pick up. There is also an exhibit that was featured in the May 2001 issue of Smithsonian magazine. It is a small model of an Allosaurus skeleton that allows blind visitors to the museum to feel the bones and hear descriptions of each section of the skeleton. (Unfortunately the exhibit was down for repairs when I visited, but George assured me it would be back soon.)

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