Arizona Museum of Natural History

This museum is part of a collective of museums and a membership we have with the Cincinnati Museum Center was honored here! This is a hidden gem in the city. Great displays with several languages, interesting fossils I've never seen before and a fantastic layout. My children especially loved the panning for gold (pyrite) and could have stayed there all day. We look forward to visiting again when we are in the area

My 3 year old loves this museum. It’s a great place for both adults and children to visit. We were gifted a membership and have visited over 8 times in the past year and it is always fun. There is so much to see and my son loves the children’s learning room they have. The exhibits are interesting and the gold panning they offer outside is fun for little ones.

The museum had a strong focus upon dinosaurs and everything from the displays to exhibits were excellent. Dinosaur mountain was pretty cool to see in action. Unfortunately, the flash flood feature was out of order when we visited. The mesoamerica exhibits were also well done. Enjoyed an informative lecture quite a bit about the developmental lineage of the modern human. And despite all this, the kids (and parents) flocked to the outdoor area to pan for gold.

I love dinosaurs and I love a good museum. The Arizona Museum of Natural History checks both boxes. With its informative exhibits and now forever cherished Dino Mountain, there’s plenty to see at the museum. It’s a great way to kill an afternoon if you’re in the area. The staff were all super friendly and the price was extremely reasonable. I’m glad I was able to stop by while I was visiting family in the area.

We arrived there a little late (3:30) but did have time to see everything. Unfortunately we couldn't read everything if we wanted to see everything in 1.5 hrs we had until closing. I would allow 3hrs or more to fully immerse yourself in the experience and not rush. Unless you have children with you then allow more time. It's an interesting place for all ages. There's even a room you can go into with your kids where they can just play for a while. Let them out of the stroller for a bit etc. They don't want anyone touching the display items so this room is a good break. There are several floors but ramps & an elevator so it's easy to get around inside.

Arrived about 3:30 in the afternoon and could have used an extra hour as we were hustled out at 5 pm. Lots of interesting exhibits from dinosaurs, native american cultural exhibits, and South American Mexico displays. Meteorites and timetables of earth's history that boggle the mind. Wanted to visit the gift shop and get some items I saw other patrons carrying out as we entered. Panning for fool's gold was a lot of fun. This place is good for all ages.

During our family trip to Arizona, we visited the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa. Thanks to our Discovery Cube Pass and the ASTC program, we were able to visit for free. We explored numerous exhibits, and the kids were particularly impressed by the interactive and educational displays. This museum is a must-visit for families. Highly recommend!

Lovely, clean museum with so much to look at and interact with! I had a lot of fun panning for gold, looking at all the rocks on display (and learning about those specifically discovered in AZ), and comparing dinosaurs. Parking is free and within close walking distance. We came on a Sunday afternoon, and it was not crowded, at all. Visited from 2:30pm - close (5pm), and probably would’ve wanted at least another hour to really take the time to go through everything. Gift shop closes slightly earlier at 4:45pm. I was a little worried it would be too geared towards a younger audience, but still found a lot of the displays and exhibits exciting and engaging as an adult. Yes, the displays are a bit dated, but I personally feel it adds a nostalgic charm to the experience of other museums I grew up visiting. It looks like a smaller museum from the outside, but it packs a lot into several floors—almost like Ms. Frizzle’s pocket from the Magic School Bus. The only thing, really, was that I was bummed the flash flood exhibit was broken, though it did not take away from the overall experience. Still lots to explore!

I love dinosaurs and I love a good museum. The Arizona Museum of Natural History checks both boxes. With its informative exhibits and now forever cherished Dino Mountain, there's plenty to see at the museum. It's a great way to kill an afternoon if you're in the area. The staff were all super friendly and the price was extremely reasonable. I'm glad I was able to stop by while I was visiting family in the area.

This museum is nice. There are plenty of things to do for little kids. It is not a very flashy museum but I stilled learned a lot here while exploring.

Very interactive and informative! It was really nice to see everything offered and information given on the exhibits. It was spacious and ADA friendly except in one exhibit but there's a warning before going in. I really wish there were maps for people to take on to know where the exhibits are, there is one posted but it's close to the exit. I definitely recommend to visit again, enjoy with more time and definitely recommend seeing it in person!

Quite an entrance! All sorts of dinosaurs surround the building with one about to crack through the building. Well informed educator was in the front area talking about the extinct mammoth within Arizona where the research has been paused since it's owned by the government. It was amazing to see these fossils up close. There are 4 entrances within where one is 75000 BC, another is where you can go through the mine and jail (established in the 1880s) with metal beds and no bedding so a fire cannot be started, and brings you to the outside courtyard to pan for fools gold and "excavate" dinosaur fossils; the gift shop was another entrance; and the main entrance with a huge set of teeth above the doorway. The little mine maze was fun for the kids and same with the jail. Interesting to see to sure. Panning for gold was a popular activity as well as the excavating of the fossils with hand brushes. The entrance with the large set of teeth allows you to go to the top and also to the bottom with many levels of paleontology artifacts. One of the floor does have a live looking trumpet fish. There are all sorts of activities for kids such as a triceratops gigantic puzzle where you put its 3D skeleton together. Another area has a large ocean mammal puzzle on the floor to put together as well. There was building blocks which mimics the mining blocks. Beading. There is a room for little kids for legos, small puzzles, "fishing" and more. Bathrooms are throughout each level. Security and staff are within each level and rooms. Overall an educational and fun place for kids and adults.

We arrived a bit late at 3:30 but still had enough time to see everything, though we couldn't read all the details in just 1.5 hours before closing. To fully enjoy the experience without rushing, at least three hours are recommended, and even more if you have kids. The museum is engaging for all ages, with a designated playroom for children, strict no-touch rules for displays, and accessible ramps and elevators for easy navigation.

It took us over 3.5 hours to finish exploring this museum! What fun! Staff were friendly and helpful. Make your way to the courtyard in the back too, for Gold-panning, it's very fun.

I'm always a sucker for a museum and am not sure why being fourth generation it's taken me this long to visit. One part had south and central Native American displays, lots of pottery, statues & figures that were on display. The dinosaur exhibits had full-scale tyrannosaurus, brontosaurus, and triceratops skeleton. Kids could pretend to mine for gold and were able to collect it. There was also an old Mesa jail cell that added to the fun. An affordable place to bring kids. However, if you're like me there's plenty of entertainment for the young and mature. Worth a visit!

Fantastic 3 level museum plus areas out back behind building for gold panning too. I highly recommend this museum. Our kids age 2 1/2 and age 6 loved it. We also liked the rock and crystal exhibits and the quality American Indian arts like pottery and baskets. Great museum with lots of cool experiences

This review is in regards to the gift shop. My goddaughter was interested in a triceratops toy but I decided not to purchase it at the time. I later regretted as I could not find anything similar online. I called the museum's gift shop and spoke with Jeff. He kindly described all the triceratops and the brand he suspected I was referring to. I shared to Jeff what I wanted was still not online from the brand and he offered to ship it. I was amazed!! I did not know that was an option but Jeff reassured me he would take care of it. He asked for my information, where he'd ship it, the cost with delivery and a message I could leave to my goddaughter. He later called me the next day to confirm delivery and the tracking number. The Museum of Natural History was already a delight but Jeff made the whole experience incredible. Thank you kindly!

This was our first time visiting the Arizona Museum of Natural History and I've got to say we loved it!! There was sooo much to see and we still didn't get to everything within being there for two hours. You could easily spend a whole day there if you read all of the educational pieces and saw every level within the museum. We kept saying how impressed we are with the whole thing and how it's better than any other museum in Arizona! We will definitely come back as our baby gets older and will even consider buying a membership!

Having procured tickets at museum we were thrilled by exhibits and learned much about the galaxies, earth and my Winter home, Arizona. Arizona Museum of Natural History is a more-than-worthwhile undertaking for kids and adults alike.

This is a lovely museum! They have a menu of ticket prices for children of different ages, students, and adults. This is a good place to go if you have kids because there are a lot of places they can touch the bones or rocks, and an interactive outdoor area where you can "pan for gold" which is quite fun even as an adult. Our favorite exhibit is always the dinosaurs, and they have lots of cool displays--some bones, some recreations, some that move, etc. they even have some "living fossils"--try and find the iguana and the snails! There are three floors with stairs and elevators, and restrooms and drinking fountains. There is AC, and you can take photos without flash. They also have a gift shop near the ticket counter for stuffed animals, magenta, rocks, etc.

I've lived in Arizona for six years, and this was my first visit to the Museum of Natural History. I passed by almost every week. I especially recommend this place if you have kids or grandkids. They have a lot of interactive elements that kids will enjoy. Even adults. It's located in downtown Mesa. The parking was easy, and there were lots of little shops within walking distance.

Wow, I was really impressed with how the museum is done. My eyes were constantly wide open in amazement. The many full-sized dinosaurs had me in awe the whole time I was there, trying to imagine what it was like back in "the day". The museum also had great displays of native Americans of the area through history. Funny but one of the coolest little interactive displays was the "shaker" booth. It was a small booth that while standing on it gave you an idea of what it would feel like to be in a minor earthquake tremor. Living in California a few years and being in a couple of minor earthquakes I can say it really gave you an idea of what it feels like. All in all a nice experience and well worth it.

Fantastic Museum - Good Luck Parking I was looking forward to my 2nd visit to this great museum. However, after 15 minutes of driving around the block I found absolutely NO general public parking spaces available. The visitor center across the street has a few, but about half are designated PERMIT ONLY parking. I tried the parking garage but it was GREEN and YELLOW permit parking only. Street parking was disappointing as well - a few 2 hour spots which were all filled and only the 30 minute parking spots were open. Who builds a beautiful museum that accommodates several hundred people but only provides parking for about 30 guests? City of Mesa I guess. The experience was a big waste of time and gas. Sad.

This is a fantastic museum that caters to all ages. I highly recommend checking it out!

This is an excellent museum that appeals to all age groups. It has been on my travel wishlist for some time, and I'm pleased we managed to visit. It's located in a charming area perfect for grabbing lunch or coffee. Especially with schools closed, I'd strongly recommend giving it a look.

You've seen one Nat Hist museum, you've seen them all..right? No. This adorable little museum packs a punch. Educational. Fun. Very cool. We liked it a lot!

This is an awesome museum! So many different exhibits and experiences for everyone. I am truly impressed with this museum and the ticket price was very reasonable for the quality of the experience. This is truly an awesome way to spend a couple hours.

LOVE THIS PLACE ! My family came down for summer vacation and was looking for some fun to get into. This was a place that the whole family enjoyed. My son is a DINOSAUR LOVER so this was right up his alley. The overall building was huge especially from the inside. Very great historic attention grabbers in here. To say the least I prob enjoyed it more than the kids but shhh don't tell them lol. Pros: staff was great , professional and super sweet. Cons: street parking only, do not park in the parking structure you will get a ticket. HOPE YOU ENJOY THE PICS.

For an indoor activity, this place is fantastic! My 2 little ones thoroughly enjoyed their time here. I was pleasantly surprised by the plethora of activities designed for young kids. It's both highly educational and engaging for children.

Visited the Arizona Museum of Natural History on 1/17/2022 for MLK Day as they were offering 1/2 priced admission. This museum is geared completely towards children, which made it feel a bit awkward walking around sans children. If you don't like the screaming stroller crowd, skip this museum. There are quite a lot of animatronic dinosaurs on display with some dinosaur skeletons, including some dinosaurs that I'd never heard of, including the Quetzalcoatlus. Apart from the dinosaurs, there is an exhibit on geology and the prehistoric ocean that covered Arizona, an exhibit on the native people in the Americas (although all of the artifacts were removed from one of the rooms due to "cultural significance.") Lastly, there is an exhibit that is about mining and the Old West, featuring a small jail that was used up until 1975. While this is a good place to bring small children to learn about science and history, it may be a bit too elementary for older kids and adults without kids.

Such a delightful surprise! Terrific exhibits from mastodons to dinosaurs, with an interesting emphasis on gliding / flying species! Many dinosaur skeletons from our western US area and examples from Asia too! They have waterfall feature indoors to show ancient landscapes with dinosaurs and even a gold panning area outdoors. A neat section on meteorites and a special ancient peoples Central American culture, lots of pottery and art , a true bonus for the area!

It was a good museum! Not the best, but I think the price reflects that. It was $13 per adult and my baby (2 and under) was free. We went on the Thursday afternoon and it wasn't too busy. It had good variety- rocks, space, dinosaurs, indigenous history, etc. Some things seemed a little outdated, but overall it was a super fun activity for my little family. It took about 2 hours to get through. My favorite part was the rock/mineral section. My husbands favorite was the dinosaur exhibit. This isn't somewhere I would want to go over and over, but it was a fun one-off experience! I would recommend checking it out

What a great collection of dinosaurs and so much more! My grandkids really enjoyed it, and so did I.

Randomly decided to check this out place out two days before Christmas, and I'm so glad that we did! This place is a hidden gem! Well it's not exactly hidden but I had no idea that it even existed lol. I purchased the tickets online and it came to $33 for two adults and one 4 year old. We went around 11 AM and there was barely anyone there. It was such a cooool Museum and my kid had a blast looking at all the dinosaur bones, gold panning and dino bone excavation area! This is such a cool place to bring kids and adults! We will definitely be coming back here in the future!

This is an initial experience, which is unfortunately compared to the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. So....first off, very fun museum. It is quite interactive and has many levels to explore, which gives kids an expansive experience. That being said, it does feel a bit disjointed. There is a wonderful 'exploration through time' sort of vibe, only if you start from the bottom level. If you don't do this, it does feel a little all over the place. Upon arrival, we could tell there was some sort of disjointedness. You find yourself in the dinosaur exhibit, but then all the sudden in Indigenous People's history, but then Dinos again, but wait, now it's Native Americans. The structure of the museum wants to be a flow of history, which is actually a brilliant layout for a museum of history, but only if you work your way up in one direction The problem with this one is that it doesn't flow as it should. There is a wonderful exploration through time, but then breaks off and it's just more of the same in different rooms. Hopefully that makes sense, cuz I didn't know how to convey it. That being said, I know that funding can be an issue, and wanting to expand into new exhibits could also be a desire, but the structure is an issue. No matter where you go, it's either Dinosaurs/ Prehistoric Reptile or Natives of the Americas, with random fun facts sprinkled in. Overall, I had a great time. Specifically learning about the Indigenous People of the Americas history. Very rich history with an expansive library of artifacts! Also, the primitive 'flooding' demonstration took a LONG ASS TIME, but I loved it!! If you have kids, bring them here!! Just don't bring them into the jail cell or cave.... Even I was nervous, thinking something or someone was gonna jump out at me lol. Side note, the alligator gar they have on display is so cute. And on that NOTE, im out!!

One of my friends from the Midwest was in town and suggested we check this place out. I had never been, so I was game for a visit. I was expecting some dinosaur sections but as a whole, I didn't really know what we were getting into. Several parking options (lots and street parking) around the location. Since it was the weekend, I was able to park in the covered garage next door no problem. The individuals working the front desk were nice, I paid admission and off we went. The space ended up being way bigger than I expected, although I found the layout to be a bit confusing. Maybe I just missed an initial map, but we kept walking through different doorways, and heading up and down steps to more and more exhibits. There are definitely interactive stations for those with kids. I would say overall this is mostly for a younger audience, although there were still exhibits that I found interesting. One of the cooler sections has you walk through a "mine" and end up in an old jail area. That was probably my favorite part. They also have a large, multi story set up with Dinosaurs which I was not expecting. Overall, there are some cool things to see but some of the items on display felt kind of random to me. They even had a small section about movies filmed in Arizona, but not much information about them. I would have liked to learn a bit more, but I can see kids having fun here. Overall I think it's worth one visit, but maybe not more than that.

This place is amazing! You can tell this is a main spot for field trips for schools around here because when we visited, there were plenty of children learning about dinosaurs! The employees are amazing here. They're so helpful and you can tell they're passionate about what they do. First of all, this museum is HUGE and there are so many amazing displays you can take pictures of. They have dinosaur bones, fossils, some historical artifacts from old time Arizona and so much more! The place is a few stories high so if you plan to bring you family here, it's filled with educational entertainment. There's even a jailhouse and you can scoop up some gold in the water outside! Super cool.

This museum holds a surprising number of exhibits. While the dinosaurs are the stars, there are also educational exhibits on gems, meteorites, Native Peoples and cultures, the Lost Dutchman mine, movie history and more. It was very family friendly, with lots of activities kids can explore. (I think I even saw them mining gold in the outdoor courtyard.) My favorite, as a child at heart, was the several-story exhibit of dinosaurs, many of which move. It's located in downtown Mesa in walking distance of restaurants, shopping and other cultural attractions. On the weekend, free parking was available in the garage right next door.

This was a nice Cool place to go to in Phoenix area. Great interactive things for kids to do. On certain days they have paleontologist working in a room viewed through a window.

My family got a membership a few years back. We went many times that year. Great place for all ages (young and old!). The gold pan mining is always a favorite. The kids could spend the entire time there.

Awesome little natural history museum with a ton yet exhibit selection with the main categories of dinosaurs, regional geography, and indigenous native Americans. PROs: We went on a Saturday and free parking was easy to get in the parking garage next door. Prices to enter were cheap and reasonable. They offer free entry for Active Military plus 5 dependents until October 2022. All of the dinosaur exhibits are top notch, the largest single collection in Arizona. There is an outdoor dinosaur fossil dig pit for kids- that's open as of July 2020 (previously closed due to CV19). The geologic exhibits can teach kids complex scientific problems in simple ways. Lots of cool history on the formation of North America, volcanoes, and gemstones. The top floor is dedicated to Native American history-defiantly worth checking out. All of the bathrooms we went to were clean and had changing stations-even in the mens room. This museum is designed for kids/families, so don't be shocked when you arrive if your expecting a mature, quiet library like facility. All of the staff were knowledgeable, cheerful, and helpful. CONs: Some fans or mist spray cool down zones in the gold panning/Paleo Pit area would go a long way for the littles during the heated summers. Gift shop could have more diverse items offered, but the prices are not crazy high.

I love museums. I'm one of those people who enjoys reading every placard. But this is a kids museum and kids have attention spans of gnats so there isn't a whole lot of placard reading. The museum isn't a huge... and I wasn't really sure if the price was justified because of this. Parking was a little weird. But enough with the negativity. The good is that I enjoyed the big Dino waterfall and having it turn on and activate. I also liked the mining cave walkthrough for some reason. Panning for gold was interesting but I had no idea what I was doing. Maybe I missed the instructions? My overall feeling is that this is a good museum to go to where the kids are a little older (young teens) or very interested in the exhibits. If you have kids my age (2 and 4) then they will just be running around and if that is all they want to do then there are places better suited for that and are free.

In all of the years I've lived in Arizona, I haven't spent much time in Mesa. We met our homeschool group here first thing in the morning for an experience at the museum. I couldn't believe how big it was! They have a basement, main floor and then a second floor. Easy access by stairs or elevator. Native America history,, Arizona's history and dinosaurs. Many hands on stimulating activities. The staff is so warm, friendly and full of information. They are always welcoming volunteers and donations. A nice place to take the family.

Had a great time here with a friend walking around and seeing all the fun exhibits. Would love to take my niece here someday, she's really into dinosaurs!

I love this museum! If you have 1-2 hours to spare this should be one of your stops. Set in an old high school this museum is condensed on the main floor and showcases a bewildering amount of new and very old copper artifacts and art pieces.

I have been here a few times and both kids and adults love it. Many exhibits for entertainment and learning. They host birthday parties too. They have the animal-tronics, dinosaurs, geological rocks, gold mining experience, jail, Arizona through time, native people, structure and public art and more. There is a small gift shop and you can get some goodies.

10/10 would recommend and go again! This place is so much fun. The kids loved it, I loved it! It was a blast. Even with covid they still have a bunch of interactive displays for the kids and plenty for everyone to see and do. Please go atleast once!

Have been here a couple times over the years with our little kids. Came yesterday on "I Love Mesa" day (which was free admission) We were over at the IDEA Museum down the block & our kids got bored after about 30 minutes so we tried our luck getting in here the last hour they were open. We were able to get in & our kids had so much fun looking at all the animatronic life like dinosaurs & dinosaur skeletons. They also had a ton of fun in the arts & crafts room. This is a pretty awesome little museum to have in the East Valley. We'll definitely be back again

This is a pretty good museum for downtown Mesa. I was pleasantly surprised by how many things it had! It was definitely designed for children with interaction and exploratory options. I really appreciated how there were staff members or volunteers available throughout the museum to answer questions about specific items. Probably one of the coolest parts was the jailhouse as part of it was original to Mesa. The dinosaurs and fossils was very impressive.

Took my grand kiddos here and we had a great visit. Love the dinosaurs and the thunder with flash flood that occurs at the hour. Free gold mining in the outdoor patio. The original Mesa jail is there to explore. Lots of exhibits to learn and explorer. There was a gentleman with artifacts and asked the kids if they had any questions about the fossils, teeth, and claws... of course my grandson had 101 questions which this young man had all the answers. This place was bigger than I expected. Easy free garage parking. Family restrooms throughout the museum, lots of hand sanitizer stations. Staff very friendly and helpful. Two thumbs up!

Wonderful museum! Perfectly set up for kids and adults. Prices are at a perfect price point as you can easily spend 3-4 hours here. Extremely clean and well maintained.

Tons more than I expected. Clean and roomy. So much to learn. From 4 to 56 there was plenty for everyone.

This museum is so very dear to my heart. We've had a membership consistently for about 7 years. We've homeschooled in here & spent countless hot Summer days hiding from the heat in here. I love how the museum is constantly adding new details/exhibits. It doesn't stay static for decades at a time like other places I take the kids to. Different interactive elements have been swapped out over the years rather than just sitting around broken. The staff also definitely remembers their regulars. We took some time away over the past year or two due to the COVID situation and on our first visit back, even after being gone for almost a full year we were remembered and welcomed back.

A first visit for our 5 year old granddaughter and she LOVED it! We will make it an annual visit when we're in Arizona. She still believes the dinosaurs are real!

Lots of fun panning for gold and learning about different dinosaurs and rocks in the museum

Great little museum for all ages. The has been on my list of places I wanted to go for for awhile. Glad we made time to go. It's in a really cute area to have lunch or coffee. With school closings I would totally recommend checking it out.

Took my 1 year old daughter here. We had a lot of fun. She loves looking at everything and we even bought a nice stuffed dinosaur animal from the gift shop