When the rain started falling last Thursday, I knew it would be the perfect day to hit a museum or two. I headed out with my 21-year-old son, Christopher, to explore two Mesa museums — including the Arizona Museum of Natural History.
We first explored the museum when Christopher was a very young child, so I was eager to see how he’d enjoy it as an adult. Turns out we weren’t the only grown child and parent pairing at the museum that day — but there were also younger children and what appeared to be a group of students enjoying a field trip.
I always seem to make the funky finds first, as evidenced by the first picture I’ll share below — capturing one of three metal dinosaur sculptures you’ll find outside one side of the museum. Once you enter the museum, you’re greeted by those giant dinosaur skeletons that kids find so fascinating.
Here’s a photo essay of sorts that’ll give you a glimpse into the diverse nature of the exhibits at the Arizona Museum of Natural History…
An outside sculpture garden features whimsical dinosaur artThis might explain why some folks simply call it "the dinosaur museum"This baby hangs from the ceiling just over the entrance to the main exhibitsTurns out this museum boasts much more than an impressive dinosaur collectionBronze casting of a Tucson meteorite relocated to the Smithsonian in 1863One of three paleographic maps exhibited in "Origins" courtesy of Ron BlakeyCrystal displayed in an area featuring minerals and cool Arizona mineral factsThese babies look a lot like bookends I admired in the museum shopThis area experiences "flash floods" complete with thunder & lightningThis dinosaur femur looked to be nearly as long as my son is tallBaskets of giant puzzle pieces help children enjoy hands-on learningThis would be fun for children to replicate at home with clay and found objectsSeveral areas in the museum replicate prehistoric habitats and extinct creaturesPieces like this petrified wood blur the line between nature and art'Buettneria perfecta' lived in Arizona during the late Triassic periodChristopher was delighted to find (and photograph) this 'Mesozoic' gar fish on exhibitThere's a spacious area for children to read and create museum-inspired artworkSome of the dinosaur images colored by young visitors to the museumIf your child enjoys reading dinosaur books, consider a trip to the museum gift shopThe museum store has affordable books, toys, jewelry & other gift optionsOther fun finds at this museum include this stagecoachWe also stumbled on an exhibit about Arizona and the moviesCheck out the old-time jail cell -- always a favorite during field tripsI found this Santa impersonator hanging in the museum gift shop
Remember the many fine museums of Mesa, and the rest of the Valley of the Sun, as you’re enjoying time with friends and family this holiday season.
Today’s museums are anything but boring and stuffy. They’re full of hands-on activities, creative uses of new technology and spaces that keep learning fun.