by Jacob Carvalho

Created on: August 06, 2009   Last Updated: January 27, 2010

Mesa, Arizona is an amazing place with tons of adventure. But what you want to see, either visiting or staying, is the Arizona Museum of Natural History. This museum is perfect for anyone who is looking for a top-class museum to visit. From dinosaurs to the Southwest culture, this museum has the entire history of the Southwest.

When you walk in, you walk into the Cenozoic Lobby which has fossils and bones form mammoths and other strange animals like them. The main piece is the mammoth though. It towers over you as you walk in. From there, you can go to the many exhibits and explore.

The featured exhibit there is the natural exhibit which is the dinosaur exhibit. The dinosaurs in this exhibit are life size. Well most of them. Some of the dinosaurs' real size would go through the roof. But anyway, they have three different halls for this exhibit because it is their featured exhibit.

The first hall is called the Dinosaur Hall. This hall features tons and tons of dinosaur skeletons. From very big Tyrannosaurus Rex, to little dinosaurs like the Psittacosaurus. That dinosaur is called a parrot-lizard because of its beak. This hall also features the favorite Triceratops, which is a fan favorite there. The second hall is the dinosaur mountain. A giant mountain is here with dinosaurs that almost look real. It is so much fun to take a picture and then tell your friends you were with a dinosaur.

The third hall in this exhibit is called Arizona through time. As you walk around you get to see everything through time starting 4.5 billion years ago. Then you work your way to the origins of Arizona. This is where you can learn about galaxies, comets, asteroids, and the solar system. What does this have to do with Arizona you ask? Well, you can touch some meteors and learn about the famous Meteor Crater which is one of the few craters on the entire Earth. That meteor you were touching was actually from that crater.

Some more exhibits are: Southwest Cultures, Mesoamerica, Arizona History, and Sculptures and Public Art. They also have a brand new exhibit call Mars. This exhibit is a great place for kids. Then can sit in a real size Mars Rover. Or they can see what their wait is on Mars with the museums Mars weight scale. This exhibit also features many pictures from the red planet.

One of the most amazing things there is that they have a 3-story waterfall. This waterfall stretches down from the top of the building to the bottom. Hey, maybe you can throw a penny for good luck. Good luck can always help.

Schools and groups are most definitely welcome to this museum. They will give you your very own guide that will help your travels and help you explore.

The museum has a store where it is so cheap to buy anything. Nothing here is expensive that it will make your wallet empty. And it is always important to bring home a souvenir to prove you were there at the museum.

The museum is located at 53 N. Macdonald Mesa, AZ 85201 and you can contact them at 480-644-3283. I hope you will visit and have fun adventuring at the Arizona Museum of Natural History.

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