Odessa Meteor Crater

If you come, don't expect to walk into a deep crater because it has been mostly filled in over the many years since this was created. However, there is a trail that allows you to walk over the filled in areas with historical information from the research that was done many years ago. The trail leads you into and around the outer edge of the crater and into a museum. I was surprised that the museum was opened on July 4th. Inside you can read more about the crater, see artifacts, and learn more about the site.

I can't evaluate the museum, because we were there on Memorial Day, & the museum is always closed on Mondays. I enjoyed seeing the plants and lizards, so different than what I see in Pennsylvania. There were a number of wildflowers blooming, possibly due to thunderstorms the previous day or so. The Crater itself isn't overwhelming, because it has filled in considerably from the elements. And yet I still found it intriguing.

Very cool place to visit and they have a great meteorite collection.

Other than my daughter and future son in law finding a puppy (pic of puppy at vet next day)that was dumped....it was a very interesting place!

Two craters formed as a result of meteor impacts. Note that the craters, while large, are mostly filled in.

Nice displays in the visitor center. It would have been neat to see it before it's been mostly filled in due to nature. Still worth a stop. Donations appreciated.

Located just outside of Odessa, TX, 3 miles South of I-20. It was very easy to locate, and is well worth the visit if you are in the area. Unlike the Barringer Crater in AZ, this is not a family owned cash grab. It's free admission, has a small, but interesting museum, and they rely heavily on donations and sales to maintain the place. The site actually has two impact craters, one which is completely filled in and one that is mostly filled. They have a footpath around the crater rim area with plenty of informational signs. As you leave the site, there are signs designating the bodies of our solar system. It's crazy to think about the scale of it. The inner rocky planets and sun were all located within about 200 feet of another, and three miles later there's Pluto.

Odessa Meteor Crater is a gem more for the outstanding museum than even the large 550 crater ring and trail around it. This, 63,000,000 crater has been greatly filled in by dirt over time, but it is still very discernable. The museum has an amazing group of meteorites from around the world. NO CHARGE for visiting. It is non-profit and deserves strong support. A bonus is the adjacent smaller 2nd meteor crater.