What is the Arizona Museum of Natural History?
The Arizona Museum of Natural History is the
premier natural history museum in Arizona. It is
dedicated to inspire wonder, respect and
understanding for the natural and cultural history
of the Southwest.
What will I experience at the Natural History
Museum?
Explore Arizona and the Southwest from the
creation of the earth 4.5 billion years ago to the
present. See the origins of life on earth,
meteorites and minerals. In
Dinosaur
Hall, discover some of the biggest dinosaurs
that ever lived, and on
Dinosaur
Mountain see how some appeared and sounded in a
natural context. In a
Walk through Time,
explore ancient Arizona’s Paleozoic Seas, Triassic
Petrified Forest, monsters of the Cretaceous Seas,
and the first animals to fly.
In the
Southwest Gallery, you will see Paleoindian big
game hunters and gatherers, the first inhabitants of
North America, and the Desert Cultures that
developed later. Visit a Hohokam village, with
pithouses and above-ground structures, outfitted
with real artifacts as they might have been from
about A.D. 600-1450. See the magnificent
Ancient Cultures
of Mexico.
Have Fun
with History, and explore the Spanish Southwest,
Territorial Arizona, and Arizona’s historic 5 Cs in
the History Courtyard. Discover many of the movies
that have been filmed in Arizona, and be in a
western movie yourself!
What’s Cool at AzMNH?
The museum is a place for family fun. Where else
can you see a flash flood cascading down a
three-story mountain inside a museum? See Elvis the
American alligator and a live Gila monster.
Experience a real territorial jail, pan for gold in
the History Courtyard, and wend your way through the
Lost Dutchman’s Mine. Check out the new special
exhibitions. Bring a friend or family member of any
age to the museum: there is always something new to
discover at the Arizona Museum of Natural History.
Can I visit with my School or my Group?
Of course! Kids by the thousands come with their
schools to the Arizona Museum of Natural History to
learn about the natural and cultural history of the
Southwest. Visitors of any age can come in a group
and receive special rates. Click on
Educator Resources for
school field trips and educational materials, and on
Groups to arrange a visit
for 10 or more persons.
Does the museum conduct active field research?
The Arizona Museum of Natural History is renowned
for its field research programs and provides the
public with opportunities to work on archaeological
and paleontological digs. Come join us on one of our
exciting scientific expeditions and contribute to
these fascinating fields of science.
The
Southwest Archaeology Team (SWAT), sponsored by
Curator of Anthropology Dr. Jerry Howard, conducts
archaeological research and undertakes historic
preservation initiatives such as at the
Sirrine House. In
addition to excavations such as at Riverview, Park
of the Canals, Pew Site and Rowley Site, AzMNH cares
for and has plans to develop Mesa Grande, an ancient
Hohokam temple mound site in Mesa, as a cultural
park open to the public.
Dr. Robert McCord, Curator of Natural History,
assisted by the
Southwest Paleontology Society (SPS), conducts
paleontological research throughout Arizona.
Research expeditions have explored the Cretaceous in
southeastern Arizona and Sonora, and Pliocene and
Pleistocene deposits in the Phoenix area and
eastern portions of the state. These expeditions
have yielded theropod and sauropod dinosaurs,
ceratopsians, hadrosaurs and many other kinds of
Mesozoic animals, and glyptotheres, rhyncotheres,
camels, horses, mammoth, turtles and other members
of the later Cenozoic faunas.
What are the collections and where does the
museum get them?
The museum holds substantial
collections in
natural history, anthropology, history and art. The
museum obtains most of its paleontological and
archaeological collections from the museum’s field
research programs. AzMNH receives many collections
items from generous donors.
How can I support the Arizona Museum of Natural
History?
- Participate as a
volunteer. There are many volunteer
opportunities to work in almost all areas of the
museum.
- Become a member.
Visit the museum year around anytime it is open.
Receive museum publications, invitations, store
discounts and other benefits. Give a membership
to a friend.
- Make a donation to the museum through the
AzMNH Foundation.
Your financial support assists our educational
programs, exhibitions, research and collections
care.
- Shop in the museum
store. The museum store carries great gifts
for the entire family. You do not pay sales tax,
and store proceeds go to benefit museum
programs.
Some facts about the Arizona Museum of Natural
History
- Owned and operated by the City of Mesa
- Founded 1977
- Over 1 million visitors since 2000
- 60,000 objects of natural history,
anthropology, history & art
- 10,000 historic photographs
- Cares for Sirrine House, 1896 home of Joel
Sirrine on Center Street
- Preserves and interprets Mesa Grande, one of
the last surviving Hohokam platform mounds in
Arizona
- Mesa Grande and Sirrine House listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
- Thousands of students from hundreds of
schools throughout Arizona visit the museum each
year
- Core of the museum is a 1937 WPA era
building that originally housed Mesa City Hall,
municipal courts, city library, police and fire
departments
- Expansions in 1983, 1987 and 2000 bring the
museum to 80,000 square feet
- Research Facility at northwest corner of
Macdonald and Pepper added in 1995
