Arizona Museum Of Natural History Reviews

My daughter and husband were able to spend the night at the Museum and she absolutely enjoyed herself. It was money well invested. She said that it seemed to be very, very kid-related. She wants to go back to the Museum now and take her time to see everything. We love having this Museum in Mesa.

I'm not usually huge on museums but this really exceeded my expectations. We went specifically for the exhibit on Mesoamerica, where I have traveled extensively but everything there was delightful. There is something for everyone, from children to adults. If course, the kids will love the dinosaurs but the SW archaeology exhibits and informations were outstanding.

Well, this a nice museum. The lower level is clearly aimed at the kiddy winkies and there are loads of them even on a Saturday with dinosaurs and interactive stuff. Having said I also thoroughly enjoyed panning for gold outside too.

The lower floor also has a small gallery referencing the western films filmed around Mesa, Tucson and Sedona, particularly John Ford ones. Films shot here range from the oldie but still enjoyable Arizona, Stagecoach and Return of the Jedi.

There are sections for the Lost Dutchman Mine, the Territorial Jail which has half a dozen cells dating from 1893, shipped to Mesa in 1937 and only decommissioned in 1975. Also sections for ceramics from Ancient Americas including bowls, figures and whistles.

On the upper level the kiddy winky count diminishes a bit. On the upper level, there's really nice galleries covering a number of different Native American cultures. Ok, so it isn't the Heard Museum but there are some interesting items on display nonetheless. Courtesy of Mr & Mrs Grubb.

For example, a pair of amazing beaded, suede Apache leggings. A beautiful beaded quivers bag. Items I don't recall seeing in the Heard, though it was soo cold there you couldn't linger too long on any display. ( The Aircon in this museum is perfect.)

The upper gallery also has a smashing corner gallery on Cultures of the Ancient Americas with some fine ceramic pieces, basket work and amazing ancient textiles. Additionally, digital displays where you can look up more detail on any item. I was particularly intrigued by a piece of woven material containing small figures that had been clearly patched up and repaired in places. It turns out it dates from 1200-1500, a high ranking Peruvian child's poncho.

There's a lower level which covers earth science and the galaxy with displays of pyrites Fool's Gold and many other minerals in the raw and how they appear after being polished, for say, jewellery. An enjoyable visit. There's a small shop but no restaurant.

After reading some of the other less than glowing reviews I was pleasantly impressed by this small but well laid out and informative natural history museum. Is it like the New York one or the Royal Ontario Museum or other major museum? No, but it packs a lot into a small space, has very clear informative exhibits and explores a lot of Arizona natural history. It covered aeons. (I never expected to see a jail or pan for gold as well as gawk at dinosaurs and pit houses.) Would have liked a little more about the geology and formation of the area but there is only so much space. Lots of fun, lots of learning, easy to find, easy to park and easy to navigate (and easy to temporarily lose the others in your party.) And the price was relatively low. Thank you museum staff and volunteers.

This is a great museum with dinosaurs and other fascinating things to see. Great for kids, they have classes and group events too.

I took my daughter here, the place is big under street level, with many activities for kids; there is a lot to read, see, and touch!

Great place if u enjoy the story of dinosaurs and the different periods of evolution. It is all presented in an interesting way. Throw in some Arizona history and an opportunity to gold pan with informative videos you have a great place to learn something.

Plenty of variety and well organized. Most the sections weren't particularly big. But it is good for an hour or two of time if you like natural history museums.

Visited this gem of a museum on the 22nd June 2017, it’s one of the best I've ever been to, very well laid out, on 3 levels, with interactive exhibits of many kinds, extremely informative and very well presented themes. My wife and I spent a good 3 hours here absorbing the atmosphere and the wealth of information on display. As you might expect this attracts a lot of school parties, and rightly so, I only wish I had access to this lovely place when I was a child (too many years ago now to remember!) so if you want a quieter more reflective experience choose to go in the early afternoon when the majority of the school parties have gone. I would have no hesitation in scoring this 10/10 and 5 stars, the staff are very helpful, pleasant and attentive, a must see!............Brian and Lyn from the UK.

Never too old to learn a thing or two, we visited the museum. Fantastic displays of everything from dinosaurs on through the Mayans, up to the southwest. We saw children being entertained by the same things as seniors!! Impressive displays everywhere!!

We have been members here since our kids we babies. They are teenagers now, and still think of this as their favorite museum. After all these years we still discover new things each time we go.

Always enjoy our visits to the museum! From the dinosaur exhibit to the territorial jail and gold panning. A fun day.

my wife and i spent an hour at the museum, got a referral for a nice restaurant, had lunch and returned for 2 more hours. The golf panning was great although you had to fight for a spot with the kids...:). All good fun and a very interesting and educational experience.

Good collections and interesting items to view and to touch, Good to bring your kids and grand kids here

He enjoyed all but like the gold panning the best. He wants to go back again. He also liked the flood.

Lots of dinosaur bones and fossils and minerals. It was a pretty cool museum with several levels. In the center of the building there is an exhibit showing dinosaurs in what their natural habitat would have looked like. There's supposed to be a "flood" about every half hour. Apparently we got there too late and missed it which was a shame because I thought that would be a fun thing to see. We did not do the gold panning. If you're into dinosaurs this place is a must see.

Well-crafted and sometimes animated exhibits give you a glimpse of ancient times. The flash flood (with thunder and lightning) was great fun.

We came with a 5, 7, and 10 year old. The oldest got bored quickly but the two littles were entertained. It was just big enough to keep their attention without over doing it.

If you have a dinosaur lover this museum is a fun place to take them. They have the opportunity to see so many of them. There are also other things at the museum to see. They have a play area that’s small for kids to do things. Great for all ages and for families.

Of everything there is to see in the PHX metro area, this is still my sons favorite. Several floors of interesting exhibits,seeing the old jail calls, panning for "gold" and the multi-story flash flood all add up to adwinning visit for kids.

We had actually been here before, but I insisted to my husband we hadn't. Turns out I think I blocked it out because it was so dreadful. It's constructed round a fake waterfall with plastic dinosaurs. Museum? I don't think so. The notice outside telling you not to bring guns in is the most interesting feature.

I visit this museum with my daughter at least once a year. Great learning experience for children in terms of science. If you and your children are interested in paleontology, then this is the museum for you. It is free admission every first Sunday of the month. High marks.

This is a great museum w many different areas to learn about. Adults and kids both enjoy roaming from hall to hall finding something new to explore.

Beautiful museum, great displays if you get to them. We went on a Tuesday morning thinking it would be quiet and we could take our time looking at the displays. Unfortunately there were many out of control school groups there. I was shocked at the behaviour of the children and surprised it was permitted. I understand hands on learning and know a group of children can be a challenge but this was ridiculous. Screaming, running, rude young people, they butted in front when we were trying to see something, they ran every where and the din from their screaming was really something. We left after about 30 minutes of this chaos. You should go see this museum, I am pretty sure it's good but don't ever go on a weekday morning when the schools are there.

The Arizona Museum of Natual History cover from the beginning of earth thru wild west hollywood movies filmed in Arizona. Items well displayed with infomation panels. Some staff scattered with hands on displays. Area to pan for gold for the young ones. Enjoyable visit.

It was the first Sunday of the month so admittance was free. Lots of very interesting exhibits from dinosaurs to artifacts from human cultural around the world. They have old jail cells and gold panning. very nice and enjoyable place to spend a few hours.

My 5 year old son had a awesome time and so did I just seeing his face with big smiles the whole time was priceless. He's a BIG dinosaur fan that can actually name them so he was in heaven. They have tons of dinosaur exhibits and one big one that has a big water fall and dinosaurs displayed but at certain times which is posted "wake up" and start moving which was a big it with my son. We actually went to the "Dinosaur Preschool Party" which was free. Check the website under events because it seems like they do different little events like that frequently.
If you don't get a chance to do a special event then they are open Tuesday-Friday 10-5, Saturday 11-5 and Sunday 1-5.
Admissions prices as follows:
$12 - Adults
$ 7 - Children 3-12 
$ 10 - Seniors 65+
$ 8 - Students 13+ with ID
Free - Children 2 and under 
So all and all even though we attended a free event it's very much worth the admission prices because they have tons to look at other than dinosaurs.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see the quality of the museum overall. The Native American displays were the best part of the museum.

Great place for children and/or adults. Much to see and read, even a small theatre playing videos, and it's ok to bring your camera so we took lots of pictures. We liked the dinosaurs best, with the meteors next.

if you love museums you have got to go here alot about az and surrounding area . lots of native american artifacs

I had a day to kill in Mesa, so one of the things I opted to do was the natural history museum. I found it very interesting. Even though it was flooded with kids on school field trips, I still spend over two hours wandering through the displays and exhibits. Lots of historical geology, rocks, dinosaurs, and Arizona history to name a few. Well done and informative exhibits. Reasonably priced with easy parking. Highly recommended.

Great museum filled with excellent displays for people of all ages. Many interactive areas the kids love playing in.

This is a small museum but it offers a lot. They had dinosaurs and Native American history. An exhibit on western movies and a chance for the kiddos to do some gold panning. A great value it's like 4 experiences in one. U will love this place. A history of the Mesa jail as well. Go for the day.

Dinosaurs are very lifelike and the flooding of the Valley at various times is quite interesting. Great Mineral exhibits and history of the area going back in time. There are 3 levels of exhibits and a lot to see. Not to be missed are the Mesa Jail and also the Gold panning which is hands on for all visitors to try your luck!

Good and helpful staff and a reasonable admission price.

Great place to take children. They get to see Dinosaur bones as well as many other things...one of the highlights for my grandsons was to pan for gold. The entire museum held their interest for 2 hours

We did not have very high expectations when we saw how inexpensive the entry fee was... but WOW! This place has so many dinosaurs. It was very easy to navigate with a whee chair and even spaces we thought would not be accessible were made large enough to accommodate a standard chair. Plenty of hands on activities to keep everyone busy, including panning for gold! The exhibit on mining was very well done and gave people a real sense of how dark and scary it was. I highly recommend this if you have kids. Or if you are an adult who loves dinosaurs, old west history, minerals and rocks, and to have fun. We were so excited to arrive when an archaeologist was present with a series of skulls and was answering questions about the evolution of humans.

This place tells you all you need to know about the history of Arizona. Way back to the dinosaurs to the present. Some of the exhibits areinteractive for the kids. Staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. Reasonable admission.

Stopped in with friends on a spontaneous visit. Nice lay out and you get to see the history of the area. Loved the t-Rex bursting of the wall

Nice museum. Lots of things to see and do. Activities for children. Plan on 2 to 3 hours to see everything and you will probably still miss something. Have things for different interests.

I enjoyed this because I enjoy almost every museum

A person knowledgeable in natural history may not learn a lot here. But some of the exhibits are well done. I especially like the minerals discovered in Arizona. It was a small display, but I enjoyed seeing some of the minerals discovered in AZ. Something I would not run into in my various mineral books is a list like that.

They had a display of an old jail. Very cool IMO

Adults, especially older adults would probably enjoy the cinema exhibit I saw. A collection of movie posters of movies filmed in AZ. I suspect that's not permanent, but that's a guess. As a movie lover, I very much enjoyed that

I would say, if you have the time and money, and love natural history, you will probably get sometime out of it. If you have kids, I would say this museum is for them more than the adults in some ways

We took our four and six-year-old boys: they had a blast, and there was plenty to keep the adults interested, too. My kids' favorites were the animatronic dinosaurs on a flash flood on a "mountain," and the many (about 10?) large floor puzzles of dinosaurs and such as hands-on entertainment. There is a nice section on prehistoric cultures of the American Southwest (i.e. Pueblo and Hohokam) and on the major cultures of central and South America. The museum is larger than it seems with one gallery leading to another. We arrived as soon as it opened and had the museum to ourselves, but it was quite busy by the time we left.

Went on a Friday afternoon. Price is great for what could be a whole day if one really took their time. Easy to get around and plenty to see. Location is great with ice cream and restaurants around. Museum store is tiny, but overall well put together.

Living in Mesa for over 25 yrs I have visited this several times over the years. From the outisde its not so impressive. But on the inside its quite impressive with a lot of pictorial history of Mesa and its surroundings. The Dinosaur exhibits and the huge water flood at periodic times is quite an excitement for little kids and adults too!

This museum is wonderful for the whole family. It was interesting to see Arizona's development overtime which included animal life, people, and geology.

Although I had no children with me, there were a lot in the museum and a lot of activities directed toward that age group. I still found it very interested and well presented. Heavy on minerals and dinosaurs. Could have used more on Native American tribes from AZ, less on other areas.

So I am a huge history buff! This place was great! Depending on when you go they have different things on display! It is a great hand-ons experience of the olden days and I really enjoyed it! It is family friendly and surprisingly my teens enjoyed it as well! Very inexpensive and they have some good restaurants nearby! There is also a gift shop!

The main attraction would be the dinosaurs, but there is actually lots of other stuff. They have a bunch of interesting rocks from the area. There is a flash flood demo that runs every half or so, which is perhaps useful for some to realize how they work, but not that impressive. There are also exhibits on Native Americans and also an old jail and panning for gold. I would recommend 3 or older as there isn't much for really young kids. Free parking all around.

We drove nearly an hour to get there, only to be turned away at the door because they were closing in an hour- we could have seen plenty in an hour... But we drove back home instead. Thanks.

Don't waste your money. People who love museums will be bored beyond measure...If you have a 6 year old it's probably fun, but my family lost interest within 30 minutes and we left for lunch.

Our kids loved this place!!! The dinosaurs are so cool!! Lots of exhibits to look at! Good prices and a must do when in Mesa!!

This was so much more than I dreamed it would be! Fantastic! Don’t miss this one! I was on overload there was so much to see and so well done!

Very kid friendly fun museum. Very cool exhibits and the flash flood dino exhibit is so awesome for kids and adults alike. Always worth the visit and time spent here.

Great info about local history and local details (fossils and minerals). Lots of attractions geared toward smaller kids, but most of the displays are not kid-friendly (too high, very detailed). Displays need better lighting. Overall a good experience.

A good museum for kids and adults alike. We had a most interesting talk with one of the staff on geology. It covers many different areas for local Indian cultures to dinosaurs to movies filmed in this area. An excellent way to spend time with the family.

If you get the chance to visit this museum do not miss it. It's fascinating and very informative at all levels of knowledge. The exhibits are stunning and everyone is so willing to explain that you'll come out wanting to go back.

We tried this museum while visiting Phoenix because of all the reviews saying it was fun for kids. I brought my 8 year old and 5 year old, and they didn’t love it. It’s a really well done museum, but if your kids are used to traditional children’s museums that are full of interactive exhibits, this isn’t for them.

Took our two children (7 and 2). They enjoyed exploring the museum and panning for gold. The staff where really friendly and the admission prices are very reasonable. The museum kept us busy and engaged for over 3 hours. We would visit again.

Only limitation is a lack of a cafe but there are plenty in a short walk.

Wow, great place! The dinosaurs were great, very realistic...even could see them "breathe". The grandchildren loved it! Beautiful geode specimens, meteor specimens, and other artifacts from the Arizona area. Great place a little pricey but worth a visit.

Theeere was so much to see and read that when i put my photos on Shutterfly "people" and "dinosaur times."
The main entrance has the skeletons of a shark and an American Mastodon. Grabbers for the children and me too. Then you go through the different halls learning about the geology of the SouthwestThe other half of the museum presents the evolution of prehistoric man from hunter-gatherers to living in a pit house. There is even a life size model of a pit house and everything in it.
Finally, there is an exhibit of The West-a real stagecoach and western clothes; an Aztec stone clock and how to read it; Arizona's first mission altar and the story of Father Kino; a mock up the Jacob Waltz mine in the Superstitions (complete with tools and treasure maps). Finally, there are displays of all the cowboy films made in Arizona;

Extensive mineral exhibit. Great info on our home, planet earth. Dinosaurs were a thrill for my granddaughter. You have to visit the jail, makes you feel for those who spent time here.

Arizona museum of natural history is an extremely informative and entertaining place to visit. There's something there for everyone. Whether you're gold panning, sitting on top of a triceratops, or viewing beautiful ancient ceramics, you will find something there for the whole family. You can learn about the ancient peoples who used to live in the valley and built the canals that we still used today. You can touch a meteorite that fell to earth from somewhere in space. There are lots of hands-on activities for you and your children.

Nice dinosaur exhibit, great for kids with lots of hands on things to do. Make sure kids get to pan for gold in the outdoor section.

Museums are free on the 1st Sunday of the month. The Arizona Museum of Natural History is awesome! 3 story flash floods occur a few times an hour. Great beasties' skeletons!

After seeing "Sue" at Chicago's Field Museum, my wife and I have become enamored with all things prehistoric. Yes, we still are most interested in the history of the Civil War. But while traveling through Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, we are always alert to museums and archaeological sites dedicated to natural history. So here we are, at the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa, Arizona. Located at 53 North Macdonald Street, it is the only natural history museum in the Greater Phoenix area. Established in 1977 in a building that once housed Mesa City Hall, the museum has grown to 74,000 square feet containing about 60,000 objects of natural history, anthropology, history and art with about 10,000 historic photographs. Among the exhibitions include a three-story indoor waterfall on Dinosaur Mountain in Dinosaur Hall, a real territorial jail, a recreation of the fabled Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine, exhibits about ancient Native American big game hunters and gatherers, the first inhabitants of North America, a recreation of a Hohokam village with pit houses and above-ground structures dating to 600 AD to 1450, ancient cultures of Mexico and the Desert Cultures native to Arizona. Dinosaur Hall is perhaps the most visited and most popular exhibit in the museum. The Paleontology Section features several dinosaur skeletons, including a Tyrannosaurus rex skull. In the lobby, you'll be greeted by the skeleton of a Columbian Mammoth.

Good place to visit especially you are a dinosaur lover. Too bad that some exhibition is under renovation during my visit.

I hadn't been here for a few years. They have added a LOT to the museum. It was fun before, but I think the new additions have pushed the education level up a notch while still maintaining a fun environment for the kids (2 nine year old boys in this trip). Waterfalls, moving dinosaurs, the different development periods of the earth with a focus on AZ, panning for gold like the early Superstition Miners, a short sit in an Old Territorial jail cell, a trip through a mine, the different caves in AZ, the craters in Northern Arizona, meteorites found in Holbrook, dioramas of the Grand Canyon development, stones from the various mines in AZ, Canyon de Chelly, an archeological dig that is interactive. Whew, I probably left something out! It is a great get away from the hustle and bustle to thinking about where and how this beautiful planet has evolved. Great time! Full sized dunosauer bones !

This was well worth the visit and entrance fee. What a wonderful day. The folks who put this exhibit together are to be congratulated. Tremendous is the only word that covers this particular visit..I encourage everyone to go and see the Arizona Museum of Natural History

This place is great. It is self guided and lots of signs to explain the history. It has dinosaur exhibits, Native American history and much more. It's not very big but took us 4 hrs to see it all. The security guard lady was very nice. They closed the area to pan for gold as we ran out of time she allowed my family about 10 minutes to pan for gold and my 6 year old was so happy to find some gold (pyrite). This place was great and she was the icing on the cake

Our son just loved the dinosaur exhibits at this lovely and well-appointed museum. There were helpful volunteers on hand to give you history, advice and information on exhibits. The outside gold panning was also a big hit along with the reasonable priced gift shop. During our visit the museum was not very busy so you were never rushed or queued to view any of the exhibits. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

This museum is one of the finest small museums in the US. Immediately inside the doors you can see fossils of mastodon and mammoth...before you even pay the admission fee! From The Origins Gallery to the three story high dinosaur mountain, we traversed through hundreds of millions of years of earth's history. The dinosaurs on the mountain are animated along with a periodic flash flood event. Fun! Ancient cultures of the Americas are included. Good for all ages. Children under 5 might think it's too scary but will love the Exploration Station. Don't go during the school year in the mornings - elementary field trips are very popular ... They especially like to pan for gold and get thrown into jail in the western history area.

We go with our grandson. He knows everything about this place and tells us. Lol
it has so many things to se and enjoy.

This is really a great museum and one that you can go back to multiple times. Just when you think you might be at the end, there's more to see! I've been here about once a year for the past five and every time I go, I see something new. I'm not sure how often the exhibits change but I find it interesting every time! The only downfall is that it can get extremely noisy. The acoustics and layout are such that sounds are greatly amplified. Other than that, I highly recommend a stop here... well worth the money!

First of all, for older adults, go after noon to avoid the school children. This is a surprisingly large museum with a large dinosaur display and a fun “flash flood” exhibit. A true natural history museum that is very nicely done. I always learn several new things at museums and this one was no exception. Plan to spend some time to hit all three floors.

We really enjoyed the museum. So much to see. Not just about dinosaurs but also had a lot on local history and native cultures. The day we went there were 3 different school groups which did make the visit less enjoyable. We couldn’t do the gold panning or the outdoor activities, or visit the gift shop because there were too many kids. We would have spent more time on the displays and in the museum but it was difficult with all the kids running through and constantly in our way. Many of the activity displays are broken from all the kids which was disappointing. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable (although some were a little pushy, but it’s probably because we were attentive instead of all the kids).
Overall I highly recommend visiting, but I would call ahead and make sure there are no school groups scheduled if you want to be able to fully appreciate the museum.

This Museum is well worth a visit. Very informative, lots of information and great displays. Easy to get to on the light rail and great for the whole family.

If you have kids, it is probably a great museum. For adults, it is small and not super informative. Well payed out.

I was very surprised at how big this place actually is. At almost every turn there is another section to explore. The curators of this museum have done an outstanding job. There are very large collections of fossils, rocks, meteorites, local Native American exhibits and exhibits of indigenous people from other parts of the world. There are a lot of cool fossils. The one I found fascinating was the one of the largest flying animal to ever live. That thing was huge. Someone has put a lot of work into all of the exhibits. In many areas there are people explaining and giving demonstrations.

This is a great museum for all ages. There were a lot of kids but also quite a few adults walking around the museum. This is definitely one of Arizona's better museums. You could easily spend three plus hours in this place. Entry is $12 and very much worth every penny.

Every time we go to the museum there is something new. They are always introducing new exhibits and refreshing and adding to the existing ones. It is a great place to view and become fimiliar with Arizona cultures and how they influenced our environment today.

My boyfriend and I decided to visit while we were staying in Scottsdale. We loved all the dinosaurs! There was a lot to do and see and we were pleasantly surprised by how large it was and the variety in the exhibits! Mining for gold was also fun! If you go during the week, I would recommend going after 12:30-1:00pm as that's when most of the students who are there on field trips leave!

Learned a lot about the natural history of Arizona. Nice exhibits on rock & minerals native to the area. There was also a lot of information on the Native American tribes of the area. Great dinosaur exhibit. There a water show that happens every half hour (I think) with automaton dinosaurs. Little kids will enjoy.

What a wonderful place to visit. I was pleasantly surprised with this museum. I was not expecting to see all the culture, information and exhibitions of the past along with desert animal and meteorites lessons. This place is for people of all ages and not just about dinosaurs.

A fun place to visit with a nice staff and neat exhibits. Reasonable admission and nice facility. Worth the trip if you're in town.

This is the perfect place to bring young children and teenagers to learn about natural history. My husband and I brought our baby and had a wonderful time. We both learned a lot. I loved the dinosaur and fossil displays. Everything in the museum very well organized and presented. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

My family loves the Natural History Museum. Kids had a great time. My favorite was the jail. My husband got locked up.

This museum is oriented toward younger children, and particularly those who have recently discovered and are fascinated by dinosaurs. There are a number of "hands on" activities including putting together puzzles, interactive photo ops, panning for gold and "searching" for fossils. We were there with a 4-year old and he had a really great time, and we enjoyed the visit as well, partially because our young charge was having fun, but also because a number of the displays were well done, appealing to both children and adults.

My husband and I took our grandchildren (ages 5, 9 and 10) on our recent visit to Phoenix. We had a great time! I was amazed that this place does not have more publicity because it was fantastic! The exhibits are top notch and the volunteers at the museum were friendly, knowledgeable and engaging. We always took our children to museums on vacations, such as the Field Museum in Chicago, The Smithsonian in Washington, etc, and this one was every bit as enjoyable as the "big" museums. A definite must-see!

Really this is a "CHILDREN'S MUSEUM", and the staff should really let you know that when you come here to visit. Now I understand the sign on the reception desk that says no refunds, We would have asked for our money back. This place was so noisy and overrun with school groups, that you could not hear yourself think, you could not talk, and I was really in fear that my elderly mother was going to be bowled over by rampaging school chiidren. Worse, the adults supervising them didn't seem to care that there groups were out of control. The museum's attitude?? yea, they are kinda loud, why don't you just wait till they leave?? Whhhaaat?? Oh well, if you have kids they are bound to have a good time here, it is kind of a cross between a museum and plastic dinosaurs park. The skeletons, some are real, some are fake, and are not well labeled to let you know the true origins. So, really, take into account that most of what you see here is fake...and this is really an amusement park trying to pretend to be a museum.

Worth going and taking friends or visitors. Lots of variety ranging from dinosaurs to mining and frontier jails. The 'phone booth' exhibit made me laugh since it made me feel old to know what it was. Parking in the neighborhood was easy.

Since larger museums are overwhelming for small children, this museum is perfect for those who love dinosaurs.

Much more interesting than I anticipated. I recommend this especially for families. The exhibits were very well done and informative.

Good museum. A different variety of exhibits. Seemed to have spots for kids to play. As adult, the messages were good.

I used to go to this museum with my grandmother, I did not remember it being this large or grand. I took my nephews (aged 9 and 6) to the museum on the first Sunday of the month. There is free admission on that day. I would suggest you go during the last two hours, most people were leaving at this point.

The museum is huge and there is plenty to see. I'd like to return when it is less crowded. There truly is something for everyone.

What a surprise for all my kids and wife to see so many things and very good explanations about animals, our country and all about our planet, Nice staff, good coffee and nice place! Just one word GO

This museum of natural history has many exhibits to entertain children of all ages and adults alike. Life-size skeletons of a mastodon and a mammoth stand in the main lobby. The dinosaur exhibits are outstanding: skeleton and skull casts of Tyrannosaurus bataar, Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Camarasaurus and many others are invaluable pieces of work by paleontologists and curators. Kids will love the animated exhibit with creatures that lived in what is now Arizona during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and the Cenozoic Era. The "Origins" exhibit is very well documented with beautiful pictures of our Universe and the Earth. For geology lovers, there is a beautiful collection of minerals and rocks.

I consider this museum a "must-see" that I am sure you will enjoy.

They had some beautiful displays here with dinosaurs, fossils, gemstones and Indian artifacts. They also had a cool mining and jail exhibit. If you have kids, you can even pan for gold outside! This was well worth the money and even offers a discount for students.

This museum is impressively designed. My sister and I visited on a Saturday and it was full of families and VERY excited small children. Traffic flow is smooth and we didn't feel crowded or rushed.
If you are looking for research level science this isn't the place for you but if you are looking for an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours that doesn't include the internet, I would recommend AMNH.

This is the best small museum of it's kind. I have been coming here on a regular basis since my son way a wee boy. At 15, he still enjoys it. I look forward to the fun events they have like Brew and Bones. I give this venue 5 stars.

This Museum of Natural History is perfect for this area. They have great local history and exhibits as well as others that you'd expect at a natural history museum. A must go to!

Amazingly informative and well presented natural history museum! Great for kids. We took our five year old grandson and he loved it. Especially when he successfully panned for gold!

Attended with 5 and 7 year old grandsons: they never wanted to leave. Especially loved dinosaur mountain and the "flash flood." Jumping forward a few million years brought them to gold panning. This is a great family event.

An interesting place that exposes one to the history of the Mesa/Phoenix area. While the site is small in area the guest is exposed to a view of how Hohokan people lived and provides an insight into their culture and contributions to the history of Arizona. The entrance fee is $5 per person. A interesting location for anyone interested in history.

Very interesting little museum. Many of the exhibits are geared to engaging children, but adults will find it fun too. They have a real touchable dinosaur fossil. Many of the exhibits had "please touch" signs. In the middle of the museum is a mountain with a stream, at predetermined times there is lightening and thunder at the top of the mountain and then a "flash flood" roars down the stream to a pool at the bottom. This is a great "indoor" day visit.

We went to this museum on one of their free Sundays. You get a tag which allows you 1 1/2 hours in the place which for us was plenty of time. Because of the free day there were lots of people especially kids but the museum is arranged to handle the crowd.

Inside we learned about the prehistoric and ancient Southwest with interesting displays and dioramas.

From the outside the museum looks like a pretty ordinary two story building. But inside it is actually three stories and quite large.

We enjoyed our visit very much.

We had a few hours to kill before our flight left so my wife, daughter, and I headed over. The staff is very nice and helpful. The exhibits are wide-ranging yet tell a very good story of prehistoric life as well as civilizations that have long since come and gone. My daughter was just over a year but there was plenty for her to see, do and play with. You should definitely spend a few extra minutes checking out the big animatronic display of dinosaurs in the middle. Not only do they move but the light system that indicates which dinosaurs you are reading about while they move. The waterfall is also a nice touch. If you are in the area and you have kids, this is a good Museum to check out.

My wife and I went here on vacation while visiting family. We both thought it was extremely well done and it branched out into subjects beyond natural history but still all good stuff. It held our attention for several hours! The only complaints I could come up with is it doesn't have a theatre like some natural history museums do for little kids, had a theatre but was more adult orientated. Also the gift shop was smaller and less to offer than usual. I don't complain about the lack of a gift shop very much though. Overall very well done our compliments to the staff and volunteers that make it a great museum!

We went to the museum as part of a reception for a coach tour.

The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable and the museum was very interesting. It had a good collection of dinosaur models and my children enjoyed the pitch black tunnel that they needed to navigate.
Well worth a visit and could spend a couple of hours in there.

This was a nice place to go during the hot day. It's much bigger than it appears when you first enter and there is a lot of information about the area. We enjoyed it.

Great Fun for all ages.They are always changing exhibits and have some of the same favorites like the flood zone and gold panning.

This is a really interesting museum. They really do a good job of making in fun for kids under 12.

They have puzzles and many cool interactive displays. My kids really enjoyed panning for gold and pretending to be in a black and white western movie!

Very cool exhibit for kids of all ages and parents alike. You only need 2-3 hours to really see and experience everything.

The prices are okay....I'd like to have more exhibits for the price. the brink exhibits and the local AZ exhibits are by far the best to see

really enjoyed all of the museum, especially the dinosaurs.The volunteers were very knowledgeable and helpful. Will go again next year

I went on a day with free admission. Lots of folks but we spread out just fine. Good place if you like dinsaurs and Arizona rocks & minerals. There' an old jail in the basement which seems out of place in a natural history museum but it is intersting. Small gift shop.

This Hohokam Platform Mound site does not have a website of its own as it is controlled and operated by the Museum of Natural History. We were lucky enough to have 3 senior archaeological experts as well as the site's resident archaeologist on our visit, which allowed us to understand the site, which as it stands is basically a series of mounds. The interpretive plaques sited around the park give a good explanation of Mesa Grande and the Hohokam builders, however, the site has not been excavated or restored so difficult for the layman to fully appreciated and understand this second largest Hohokam Platform Mound site. A lovely park and good to know the history and culture of Hohokam is preserved and available to the public.

OK, this is a "kid" museum and we're on the other end, but we enjoyed the displays. The museum is extensive (and rather maze-like) and worth an hour or 2.

I must say that at first I was skeptical of the size but once you get inside the building it is quite large. There are a lot of hands on activities for children including gold panning and dino digging outside in the courtyard. Overall allow about an hour and a half to two hours...perhaps less on a slower day. Would not recommend bringing a stroller! There are tight spaces and lots of stairs!

This is a great place to take 1st time visiters. Especially if you acn go for free! We got to go free when Target offered their 3 for free. Uf your little one loves dinosaurs bring them to this museum. They also have outdoor gold panning. Parking is easy and free.

Checked this place out with the hubby and his sons a few months back. Very impressed, great for learning and fun, kids loved it, awesome rainforest area! Had no idea it would be so cool!

Was pleasantly surprise. It was very nice and informative. A lot to see. Plus the old city jail cells. Pan for gold too. And dinosaurs !!!!!! I would recommend it. Great for kids too.

Great activity to attend first sunday of the month. Admission is free and lots to do keeping young ones interested

We needed to kill some time so we went here. It was a good informative museum. I’d say more for the 5-12 year old age. They have animated dinosaurs. A lot of hands on stuff and learning rooms. It took a couple hours to walk through. Reasonably priced.

I was on vacation in Arizona with family (all adults) and were looking for something to do in Mesa and decided to check out the Museum. While not a bad place to visit by any means, it felt like I was visiting almost any other museum I've been to.

There was a large dinosaur exhibit which made up the majority of what we saw, a small exhibit on the history of the world (big bang, formation, etc.), and a section about Arizona, as well activities for children.

While nothing was bad, it wasn't extremely interesting, save the Arizona section. Being from Alaska I'd experienced most of it except that.

If I were with children, I'd definitely be giving this a 4/5 or maybe even 5/5, but being with all adults this came up a little short and we were all underwhelmed at the end.

A comprehensive tour de force of Arizona history dating from the dinasaur days to native American ancestry. Exhibits are well planned and executed. Fun for the kids even includes an opportunity to pan for gold. Include this museum if visiting the Phoenix area.

We visited this museum when visiting Phoenix and the surrounding areas and we all had a good day. The exhibits are interesting, informative, and well planned and organized. There is something here for people of all ages.

Was pleasantly surprised by how much was packed into this museum. Lots of hands on things for the kids to do and many interesting facts for the adults. The monsoon was so fun to be in. Put a big smile on my 81 year old mother. It was really nice using our wheelchair with how the floor was angled so you went gradually into the next level without using the elevator. There were different exhibits from Gems to a little set up of Superstitions Lost Dutchman's mine to jail cells to movies filmed in AZ and Native American history and of course dinosaurs. Worth the trip.

I was really impressed with the dinosaur exhibits! There is a great variety of fossils and replicas of land, air and sea dinosaurs and very informative placards for every species on display. Also, I learned so much about the types of rocks, gems, and formations in Arizona. There were fascinating exhibits as well about Native American tribes and artwork. I was only able to spend 2 hours at the museum but if I had more time I could've easily spent an entire day or more soaking in all the information from all the exhibits!

Not only was this museum reasonably priced, but it had engaging displays and volunteers. The kids (9,8 and 6 mos) very much enjoyed the dinosaurs, flash flood, panning for “gold”, and gem/mineral displays. Would definitely visit again.

We enjoyed this museum a lot. Lots of neat exhibits and things to keep the kids interested. They learned a ton of new and exciting things and want to go back again.

I LOVE this museum. It's got so much packed in and displayed phenomenally, it's worth getting a pass for several visits! They specialized exhibits and events are great for all ages! They even have a sleepover event. MAKES for a PHENOMINAL party activity or creative slumber party--for boys? and girls! Definitely a hidden gem in the desert for parents planning a party and a diamond in the rough for summer activities!

Museum is a great source of information related to the area. The dinosaurs were all found locally and the exhibits were very informative. Price was fair for the tour. we spent about 2 hours in the museum.

If you haven’t been yet, you have to check this place out! So much to see that you will be in awe with every room!

Good place to take the kids when there nothing to do in the summer - no rush just take your time and enjoy

This museum has a wealth of information on many subjects. The meteor displays are very good and interesting and there was docent there today who had examples of different minerals and rocks. The dinosaur hall is remarkable and is visible on different levels because it opens on to 3 different floors of the museum. Since we tend to be interested in Southwestern archeology, we spent the majority of our time in that display area which is quite well done showing living structures from different time periods as well as pottery shards, bowls and plates and some jewelry. We found the layout of the museum to be difficult to navigate.

This is a really nice little museum . Lots of dinosaurs for the kids and many inter- active displays. Very nice local cultural artifacts. There was even an area to pan for gold . Fun and educational !

The combination of dinosaurs and skeletons were magic to the grandkids---they rate it 4 stars! They were completely engaged while we were there. They are 7, 5, and 2---and had a great time

First of all, you may want to figure out a better place to park than across the street with its 3 free hours of parking, because 3 hours may not be enough time.

The museum is mostly dinosaurs, but there are other interesting exhibits (Lost Dutchman mine, Arizona's "Five C's", early civilizations in the area that is now Arizona, movies made in Arizona, the old territorial jain (the actual jail is part of the museum!), and probably something else that I forgot.

The heart of the museum is Dinosaur Mountain. I went down to the first level and just spiraled my way around and to the top. Some of the exhibits near the top were dated (Pluto was described as the ninth planet), but all in all, my wife and I spend a very enjoyable 3 hours here and would recommend it to anyone coming to the Mesa area.

We all liked to hear about various dinosaurs. The children liked to touch one of the dinosaurs (they were allowed to do so by one of the curators), watch some of the films upstairs in the nice chairs, and walk around to see the various gems. One of the most attractive places for the two- and four-year-olds was the playroom with so many types of toys. I would recommend it to people of all ages; it is a gem of a museum in Mesa!

Visited the museum with my fiancee with my in-laws. It was a great day out defineitly got favorite parts of the place by far. Will return to visit one day.

This is a Must see Museum. Small but great art pieces from many different nations. Perfect place to take the grandkids. Places for them to play and learn history at the same time. The moving dinosaurs and the flash flood was very cool!!! Panning for gold was neat to try too!

There's a lot of fun to be had at this museum--roaring dinosaurs swinging their big tails, water rushing down a mountainside, real jail cells in the basement--but it could be so so much better. Most of the exhibits have no explanation. Two obvious examples. The central mountain is arranged in evolutionary order, with the oldest vertebrates at the bottom and a bighorn sheep at the top. But if there's a sign that tells you that someplace, we couldn't find it--and we looked. Then there are the dramatic flash floods that come down the mountain. There are signs that tell you when the next flash flood will be but nothing else. Have flash floods been important in shaping Arizona's natural history or is there something important to know about them now? No clue. There are lots more examples. What's that display of stars all about? Why are there those four or five big photos of the Grand Canyon on one wall?

I hoped that maybe the website would provide more information, but it was equally opaque. There's a beautiful display of small Mesoamerican heads. But when I went looking for more information about them on the website I came up with a blank. Another possibility would be to have lots of docents around engaging visitors in learning about the exhibits. But though there seemed to be lots of teen volunteers on site, they were all engaged in various play events with children.

I notice that lots of the reviewers talk about what a great place it is if you have a dinosaur-obsessed young child. I had exactly the same thought. But it could be much more.

The Arizona Museum of Natural History is a great place to take the kids, and they do have a cool dinosaur hall. Sad that the dinosaurs don't move or growl like they used to. But still worth a look.

It's a nice Museum with pre historic artifacts, replica of animals and little about our universe and how the earth and moon formed from one solid hot ball. There are not of puzzles through out the Museum to solve which is fun. The best part was to pan gold from the water reservoir. I got a few gold some as big as 4mm in length. Best souvenir ever.

Had some down time and noticed this was a short walk from my hotel so I wandered over. I can say that I got my full $12 worth. Nice mix of prehistoric dino bones, minerals and early culture displays. Fair number of kids running around but that's to be expected on a weekday.

This is a surprisingly large museum with big dioramas and large dinosaur skeletons among other exhibits. We loved it!

A lot to see if you are very interested in Dino's. You can spend several hours here. Great for kids too.

If you are an aviation buff, the museum is a fun place to bring friends and family. Lots of different planes and history to explore with plenty of volunteers to share exciting stories for all.

I have been to many, many museums in many states and countries and I would rate this one as one of the better ones. Great for Kids, bring your camera, and have a blast. Personally have been there twice and plan on going back. Their dinosaur hall is absolutely fantastic...one of the best displays I have every seen. Wait for the water falls and turn on your video on your phone....for a great desktop screen saver!!!

Many years ago I found this interesting place. This time I wanted my friend to experience it with me. So much to see and I love the "thunderstorm" area. Wish my grandchildren could have been with me. Never too young or old to learn.

Love visiting this museum, around every corner is another surprise. it is much larger than it appears from the outside. my kids love the lower level play and activity room. the thunderstorm flood with the dinosaurs is a favorite.

There are a lot of different things to see; dinosaurs (quite a lot), indian culture, film history and lots more. Well worth a visit!

You only need about an hour to go through the museum. It is good for some hands-on activities for kids. You see the dinosaurs that roamed Arizona millions of years ago, see and hear the animated dinosaurs, see skeletons and fossils. There is a section on the ancient Desert People, a walk through Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine, and some of the original territorial jail cells. Outside kids can pan for gold and there is an area for them to play. Avery nice way to spend time learning local and state natural history and interacting with displays.

We enjoyed the displays, but were surprised they didn't have more descriptions of the flora and fauna in AZ. If I hadn't known what a javelina was, I wouldn't have had any idea what the animal was on the top floor. I enjoyed the mineral display, but note that many of the specimens aren't from AZ. If your kids are dinosaur lovers, there's lots of those!

Enormous museum, which you really need to take time for. We got a bit lost, so big is it.
Onfortunately we only had two hours to spend in the museum, which was far to short. Start early in the day, so you can see everything.
And of course take pictures from rexy, Dum-dum and the other characters from the movie "Night at the museum". Have fun!

The Natural Museum was fantastic for children! They loved the dinosaurs and the hands-on experiences. The only downfall was that the museum was handing out posters advertising Jurassic Park, the new movie. Jurassic Park is great for teenagers and adults but will not be (in my opinion) suitable for children to watch.

This local museum is curated to perfection. The displays are artful, informative and a joy to behold. You can tell this museum gets a lot of love from its benefactors, staff, and visitors. I cannot recommend this museum enough. Nearby is the Children’s Museum but this museum will also thrill your kids. The dinosaurs, whether they are skeletons or fabricated are fantastic. There is a new small exhibit “Science Saved Cotton” which is wonderful and a great place to reinforce the application of scientific method.

We're so glad we visited the Museum. The young woman who greeted us and sold us our tickets set the tone with her friendly personality. This is certainly the place to visit for anyone who enjoys learning about dinosaurs and seeing real bones and skeletons. The exhibits are clearly marked and totally interesting. There is a two-story exhibit where the dinosaurs come to life. It was easy to see that this was a high point for folks, as many of them were sitting on the benches that provided a view of the exhibit. Besides dinosaurs, we visited the Spanish Arizona Mine and Jail exhibit. Here, you can walk through a rendition of a mine (Lost Dutchman Mine) and view the process and accouterments used by miners who worked the mines. The Jail, which dates from 1883 gave a history as well as info on the types of 'residents' who stayed there. All of the cells were open, providing an opportunity to get a look at a cell from inside out. Our next stop was the Hohokam exhibit which provided information on the architectures and lives of the Hohokam tribe.The Museum also features a wall of dated pottery representing AZ and other worldwide excavations. On our way out, we visited the gift shop (of course!). If you live in Arizona, and have not visited the Museum of Natural History, make this a next destination.

I will admit that this museum is more catered to kids, as an adult I found this museum to be very interesting. There are a lot of different areas to visit at a reasonable price. They have a lot of interactive things for kids which is a plus if you have children.

This is a very good museum with lots of different exhibits to interest both children and adults. The dinosaur exhibits are always a hit, especially with the boys, There are also exhibits on Ancient Art in the Americas, Ancient Civilizations with different types of dwellings used by the ancient tribes.There are also a lot of other exhibits. In addition to the indoor exhibits they have the outside history courtyard where you can pan for gold.always a hit with the children. The gold panning is included in the price of admission so no extra expense.

The museum is a very popular place for school field trips, the day I was there there were over 300 school children visiting, apparently this is pretty normal ion school days. If you are going to visit on a school day the tip is to visit in the afternoon as the schools are always ther from 10 until 12.

Definitely a place I will be visiting again.

If you ever need something to do with young children good place to. Lots of interactive things and sights and sounds that are entertaining. Parking is easy and tickets affordable. Our five year old granddaughter enjoyed it.

This museum is beautifully done with exhibits that rival the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. The place is much larger than it seems on the outside. It tells the history of the Phoenix area in a time line back millions of years. The dinosaurs will thrill the kids and the adults will enjoy the art and stories of the past. The "flash flood" exhibit is not to be missed. A four story exhibit with moving and roaring dinosaurs and a flash flood down the mountain every 15 minutes. My wife and I spent three hours there and saw about half, we will go back again.

A nice place to take your kids and explore prehistoric animals and early Indian artifacts. Lots of interactive exhibits for kids. Lots of free parking in the area.

A great place to take the family including your teenagers. There are 5 levels to explore dinosaurs, mining, Arizona's contribution to Hollywood and the beauty of this state. Allow at least two hours to gully explore the museum.

We are local to the area and came here for the first time today. It was a Fabulous experience for us, a family with young children. The mammoths and dinosaurs as soon as you walk in were impressive. Then there is the multilevel dinosaur walk with moving, roaring, life-like dinosaurs. With a toddler and 6yr old, it was tough getting to read the informational signs, but we got in enough that i feel like we all learned a few things. Like that there were mini tricertops, the size of small dogs, or that the southwest has some of the richest finds in dino bones. And it wasn't ALL about the dinos either. The Native American exhibits were done very well, lots of pottery, some in shards, many whole peices. I liked musing with my daughter, "Do you think a little girl, over a thousand years ago, picked flowers and put them in that vase for her mommy?" (She thought, yes, of course) There was a small Lost Dutchman Mine exhibit, a space exhibit, an old stage coach. They tied things in nicely with local culture, like when you are in the space exhibit, they talk about unique meteors that have been found here in AZ. Another huge plus for small children are all the thoughtfully placed hands on activities. Many of the rooms have a floor puzzle of some kind. My daughters favorite was the wall with a movable ball track, so she could move around the pipes and curves (which were held up with magnets) to create her own track pattern. My 2 yr old liked the "Exploration Station" which was a preschool classroom type setting with several tables full of educational activities-- a prehistoric "fishing" tub (magnetic fish and poles, no water), toddler puzzles, rubber bugs to sort, a carpeted reading corner with lots of books, and a coloring table with dinosaur stencils that my daughter loved as well. We spent quite some time there. In a nutshell, in 3 hours, we never made it to the gold panning or outdoor areas. We breezed past much of the reading ( to my dismay) but took our time with the hands on stuff. And of course visited and revisited the moving roaring dino displays a few times from all its different perspectives. The only thing that could improve it would be if they had a coffee and snack stand, as we would have stayed much longer if it weren't for the fact we all got hungry! I regret having to rush them through certain parts just for that reason. While it may be smallish compared to large scale museums, it was really jam packed with much to see and do, and is definitely worth multiple visits!

There were 5 of us adults and we decided to go to this museum. Our local Mesa family wasn't very encouraging about the museum; so we weren't expecting much. BUT were we pleasantly surprised! We spent about 3 hours in here looking, and learning all about the area, as well as the Dinosaurs. I highly recommend taking children and grandchildren here as well as they have several hands on exhibits. This is a must see!

Wonderful little museum, took my kids and it was very informational. Lots of interactive puzzles for the kids, my kids loved putting together the skeleton of the mammoth and putting back together native american pottery. They also had fun with the panning for gold. The dinosaur bones were very cool and the native american exhibits was nice. One drawback for me was that there was a lot of replicas but it was still cool. Worth the price.

Relatively small museum with a great setting - several levels on the side of a spectacular wall with animated dinosaurs. Small exhibits well presented, including examples of historical Native American buildings, a chapel, and a jail. Beautiful pottery from Central and South American cultures. Our favorite activities were panning for "gold" and getting in a Western movie. Nice gift shop too. Definitely worth a visit. Location in pretty downtown Mesa is a plus.

Interesting for adults as well as children. Many life-sized reconstructions of dinosaurs that bring them to life. Recommended!

I was with my 6 yr old granddaughter. She loved this place. The exhibits were wonderful and very lifelike. A lot of interactive activities for kids. Her favorite was panning 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.

I must say that I was very impressed with all of the history the museum had to offer. I especially liked the shark teeth, LOL! Mainly because that the closet i will ever come to a SHARK

At first I thought it was just a small museum without much to see but then realized it was bigger than I realized. It was a nice size to get around with a family without wearing everyone out. There were several interesting areas with exhibits on dinosaurs, Native American history and an outdoor area with gold panning. One area had a waterfall and simulated storms blowing through.

My daughter was a little young at 2 to appreciate it, but I was very impressed and looking forward to taking her back when she gets older. Even teenagers and adults would enjoy it. They do a great job with visuals for the little ones while still gearing information toward intellectually stimulating the older crowd.

This museum is great for kids and adults! Not so big to make younger kids restless but big enough for everyone. 2 hours or so. Loved the skeletal displays, the interactives for the kids and the flash flood! Definitely plan on going if in the area....especially for the kids!

I love this museum! It's probably my favorite museum I've ever gone to with my kids. It's not so big that you need to pack a lunch or are ready to pass out afterward. It's just the right size to have a good time and move along. It's also VERY affordable, so you don't have to save up to take a large family. There are lots of dinosaur bones on display and even live gila monsters! It was truly a great way to spend an afternoon.

We took my 92 year old mother to visit this museum on her birthday and she loved it, as did my wife and I. Right in the heart of downtown Mesa and easy to get to on the East-side of the Valley. Everything is wheelchair accessible which was important to us. Excellent exhibits with lots of good information about each section. Many good hands-on activities for young children too. We ran out of time to see everything and will definitely go back.

The displays are excellent.
Youngsters are sure to enjoy the animated dinosaurs, which is not to detract from the very interesting displays relating slightly more recent history

We heard about the museum from a friend but without any expectations as to what we would find. We weren't expecting much and when we arrived, still weren't sold it would be worth while. However once inside, it was incredible. One great display, then the next one topped the previous one and so on. in all, it was a great experience. There were great displays and information for adults yet it almost seemed geared towards kids. If you have kids, this is the place to bring them, take advantage of the first Sunday of every month when the admission is free. Regardless of your age however, this is a definite place to see if you are the area, and if you live in the area...don't miss this.

This is a well thought out museum. You are constantly surprised by what is round the corner and the dinosaurs throughout would put dedicated dinosaur theme park to shame. Total cost young family 5 around $50 about right. Experts on hand to give informed insight on range subjects. Basically excellent.

This is a neat museum that's way bigger inside than it looks! It's got quite a few dinosaurs replicas and many archaeological displays. Some of the signage could use updating but it's a good way to occupy a few hours.

Pros: Many dioramas. Had dinosaurs and a fake Pueblo village, a jail, and a mine. Along with all of these were signs that were informative enough for adults to read while kids enjoyed the sights. The "What is it" exhibit was a lot of fun for all ages.

Cons: The "Flash Flood" was extremely anti-climatic. Just a small waterfall that gets a little larger.

Tips: Bring your camera.

I had a little time to kill during a recent trip to Central Arizona. I decided to try the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa. The museum is an interesting mix of Arizona history, animals and other sciences. It is geared towards children but interesting for adults. I was especially interested in the copies of the Peralta Stones (map to Lost Dutchman Mine) and the mining relics in general. Well worth the time, especially if you have school aged kids.

Love this place. I've been going since my girls were little 12 years ago. My 6 year old boy had fun gold panning. He loved the jail and dinosaur roaring! He went quickly through exhibits and enjoyed it all. This list the perfect size for parents and kids. The only thing missing was the volunteer with dinosaur poop that my girls experienced years ago!

I bought a membership to go again. I went to check out the Easter Egg Hunt but lines were so long we ate dinner downtown and came back another day to enjoy without the crowds. So glad we waited!

This museum was much bigger than I first expected..It has a good cross section of things from Pre-Historic Dinosaurs, to Native American, Central & South American Artefacts and a fantastic section on the Solar System, you even get the opportunity to touch a real life Meteor that Pre-Dates our Solar System it’s pretty awesome stuff. Also there is the Old Mesa County Jail and the Cells you have the opportunity to go inside the cells to experience it yourself, I think this is were the name being in the ‘Tank’ must come from after seeing this place, it’s like a tin can definitely wouldn’t want to spend anytime in a place like that!.. The Museum was really super could easily spend a good few hours in there, and well worth the $12 entrance fee.

We have been going here for years with my kids. Since they were 3 and 5. Now they are 10 and 12. They still love it. They love the waterfalls and all the large dinosaur skeletons.

So much to do At the Natural History Museum and the price point was perfect! We took our boys (2,5 and 8) and there was something for everyone (even us adults!). A lot of hands on exhibits which was great for the kids. They loved the Dinosaur Exhibits the most. We spent 3 hours at the museum and probably could have stayed longer but had to leave because the boys were hungry. Not a lot of eateries in walking distance.

I grew up in Chicago and my favorite museum was the Field Museum of Natural History.
This Arizona Museum is the Field Museum in miniature. You will be fascinated, and you will learn painlessly. The staff and volunteers are knowledgeable and helpful. Kid friendly. Wheel chair friendly. Good air conditioning. Become a year member.

We visited the museum on a Wednesday afternoon & had a great experience. My 1 and 2.5 year olds enjoyed the full experience, and were fascinated by all of the dinosaurs! The interactive area in the basement, dinosaur slides & tunnels, and outdoor digging were favorites. We actually wound up staying for over 2 hours, so we definitely got our money worth! If we lived in the area, we would definitely be back to visit again.

While we were visiting family in Mesa, the treated us work a visit your great museum. My favorite parts (besides the dinos of course) were the lost Dutchman's mine and the old jail. We had a great time and learned a lot about the local history too. Thanks!

We have taken the kids to this museum several times. It is a nice escape from the Arizona heat. The employees are friendly. The exhibits are good. The museum isnt so big that it is overwhelming. 2-3 hours should suffice. They have gold panning for the kids. They have actual prison cells from way back. They are always a thrill for the kids. They do have rotating exhibits too. This place is definitely worth the money and time especially with kids. It has never been crowded.

This museum is not too large. Took us about 2-3 hours to tour it all. Lots of cool dinosaur exhibits! We even enjoyed the panning for gold.

We brought our 9.5 yr old niece and she was very interested in the experience. Much of the displays are heavy in scientific exploration, they're married well with AZ and southwest (Mexico, too) history. From astronomy, to minerals, to dinosaurs and beyond, we enjoyed the 3 floors of science and history. I think we spent 4 hours there. Not much for little kids to do (unlike the Science Museum)

He wandered listlessly through the various exhibits which were somewhat interesting but not overwhelming. Perhaps he’s just missing his family. Also, I guess I’m spoiled since my previous experiences with natural history museums were those in Ann Arbor, MI (Great!) and Chicago (awesome). This was advertised as premier but didn’t meet expectations. Just so-so and not worth the money. Also beware there are flashing lights on one large exhibit which affect people who get migraines or have seizures.

The museum put on a welcome which was wine ,beer and nibbles as we were part of a tour group. This was a nice surprise.The museum is a good place for anyone who is interested in natural history. Recommend

Wonderful trip! The workers were amazing and they were able to answer all the questions my kids had.

We went there with four young kids! They really had a great time. It is small but there is a lot to do. Lots of big puzzles of dinosaurs. Displays of dinosaurs bones every where.

We made the mistake of coming on the first Sunday of the month. I think all the museums are free the first Sunday of each month. The place was packed! I would probably give it a higher rating, but it was wall to wall people and we didn't stay long. FYI - the animatronic dinosaurs scared my 4 year old.

This is a great place to put on your vacation plans if you're in the Mesa area. It was cold and overcast the day we went and it was an excellent indoor activity. There is so much to see and do and is good for all ages. There is a room that is filled with items from the past and the object is to identify them. I realized I was old when I saw an IBM select typewriter on a stand. Several of us panned for gold outside and found some "gold". Plan on spending about 3 hours.

We had a excellent time and learned a lot. The kids loved it and are already begging to go again.
It is a great way to spend a day in Mesa. I was surprised how much bigger the place is on the inside than it looks from the outside. It extends below street level and is a bit deceiving on just how big the place is.

I brought my Niece (5) and Nephew (3) and they were so amazed at all the attractions. So much to see, do and learn, they did not want to leave. Their favorite thing to do was panning for gold. Looks small from outside but is big inside- but not too big. This museum is absolutely beautiful and the right size for young children. I was very very impressed.

My husband and I were in town visiting from NC and we decided to go to the museum. Very interesting.
Jan and Jerry Peterman
Graham, NC

Our kids of 7 and 5 loved this place. It has a nice mixture of dinosaurs, geology, and science and many interactive parts that the kids really liked. There were a few sections with staff at tables to teach the kids in more detailed that they enjoyed and their favorite parts were the old jail cells and being in the movies...it was a stretch for the museum to connect that to natural history but they did a good job.

I have taken all 10 of my grandchildren here at some point, all different age ranges. They all love something different about it. Some of them enjoyed panning for gold, some loved the dinosaurs and one even liked the old jail cells. There is just a huge variety of things to see, interact with and something of interest for all kids! Even teenagers will probably find something appealing to them.

Highly recommend,my kids love it and alot of hands on for them to do. We try to visit as much as possible.

This museum has exhibits and activities that appeal to children of all ages, as well as adults.. The kids love the play area with a slide in a tree and panning for gold. The dinosaur exhibit is of special interest. I would recommend not going on the free day as museum is very crowded, and it is hard to get close to the exhibits. There is also an actual jail from bygone era that is impressive.

This was fun for the kids ( ages 6 and 10). Probably best for under teenage years. Somewhat antiquated. I know it's a history museum ( so things are going to be old that are displayed) but it's been awhile since any money has been put into updates in how things are presented. The front entry is by far the most beautiful part of the museum. We spent 2-3 hours going through the museum at a leisurely pace. I can't say I would recommend this to out of towners, as there are certainly more impressive things to see in our city. But, locals should definitely bring their kids at least once or twice.

It a great place to visit. now the light rail will take you right to it. There is so much to see. take your camera you will have great pictures If you go during the day, You will be nice and cool too. Have Fun

This museum was very cool. My grandson loved the Mesa old jail and the play area at the end.It was very informative and he loved all the puzzles. However, they are very worn and should be updated. We liked so much we became members!

this isn't just for children, but people of all ages will enjoy this museum, also located close to some good resturants, make it day of fun.

Parking is free across the street with 2HR limit. $15 per adult ticket to get it. Kids under 3 are free. Cannot bring food or Soda. Only water. But the don't check bags. 3 level museum. Very cool stuff to see and learn. Many kids activities and play place. Quit big and outside fun with gold finding. Not much gold but you can buy them at the gift shop. Nice real jail cell that you can lay down. Cool water show every 45 mins or so. I will visit again.

We've been bringing our children--& now grandchildren--here for years. It just gets better! We love the permanent exhibits as well as the changing ones. The jail, cave, and panning for gold are always a hit!

The Natural History Museum has a variety of displays that keep all ages entertained for several hours. Find out when the flash flood times are. It is worth being at the dinosaur exhibit at that time to see the gallons of water rush through the exhibit. Very realistic and fun. There is an arts and crafts room if you are there at the right times. Very well used space with lots to see and do.

Great museum, so many interesting exhibits. I’m obsessed with dinosaurs so I loved that part of the museum! It has a great interactive section for kids too.

Looking to escape the heat or just something fun to do this is a great option. I had run out of ideas of things I wanted to see in Mesa and this popped up, reasonably priced so we said what the heck, why not!

My wife and I recently spent several hours here on a recent Saturday. A great mix of paleontology, native american culture and other things. We really enjoyed the three level walkaround dinosaur mountain. The museum even has the old Mesa city jail and panning for gold! (although it is just iron pyrite it is fun to see the kids faces when they find it).

Definitely a good place to go with a family, couple or even solo. Highly recommended!

They have a wide variety of very interesting Arizona items-well worth the visit. Kids will get a real picture of Arizona' past and present.

This is a great, well priced museum snuggled in downtown Mesa. It's not very big but has enough to do for a few hour visit. If you have any dino lovers in your family, its hard to find another offering in AZ that is as good. You can also take a break from inside the museum and pan for gold in the outdoor area. Overall a great little museum for all!

A special museum for both kids and adults. They have sections in dinosaurs, Az historic history, original settlers of the southeast. Fun for kids with lots of hand on experiences. I specifically like the history of movies done in Arizona. There is even a real two story historic jail and even a mining operation. You will enjoy this place.

had loads of different things to look at with knowledgeable staff.great for youngsters or grown ups of any age.from panning for gold to going down to the jail,and looking at all the prehistoric memorobilia.Gift shop not overly expensive. a good 2 hours is yours to kill!!

It's a great way to learn the natural history of Arizona. This is a wonderful activity for adults and kids to interact because of there are lots of hands-on activities for the kids. There is also a nice gift store.

My 9 year old daughter loves museums, so while on vacation in AZ she definitely wanted to check out this museum. It was OK, but would be better suited for very young children. We were through the whole thing in like an hour, including plenty of time in the gift shop. It's somewhat interesting, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're planning on taking very young children who are more easily impressed.

Get ready to spend at least four hours here! I have a place where you can go and eat and it's not too expensive. And then you can go out again and have some more fun! Fun for all ages

Spent 2 filled hours exploring this gem. Kid & Sr. friendly-hands-ons all over the place. Trip from prehistoric to 20th century Arizona. Spacious exhibits, well presented history, mind-bending exhibits. Don't miss the "flash flood" on Dino Mtn- wow! I panned for gold in the courtyard, tried a few puzzles, and even got in an old western film- green-screen program. Allow half a day if you have kids. Cost for seniors was $9, saved a buck. Easy to find, free parking across street, bronze street art all around. Highly recommend this museum- one of the best.

My kids are beyond the age of going to the Arizona Museum of Natural History, but my husband and I recently attended the annual Beers and Bones event. We had such a nice night! First off throughout the museum there were different tables set up with local craft beers, canned and bottled beers, wine and other non-alcoholic drinks. There were also various food items. Just buy your tickets in the lobby and exchange for what you want. There is also a basket raffle in the lobby. (we won a very nice basket! :)) As you walk through the exhibits You can grab a glass of your favorite beverage, listen to music and chill with no kids running around screaming! :) The also had the rooftop patio open for "Speed date a scientist". Every five minutes you would go to a new table and different scientists would talk about what they do and you could ask questions. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset with a glass of wine up there. :)
Now as far as the museum goes it is really nice and I can't think of a child that wouldn't like it. Lots of dinosaurs, a waterfall and monsoon, even an aquarium. Visit soon!

I thought this museum would be a typical low budget exhibit. I didn't realize that there are many rooms and levels here. It is almost like a maze. So much to read and see. There are activities for kids but it is blended well with the exhibits where adults can enjoy building things too. It is not just for kids. Lots of hands on activities for kids.

Reason for 4/5 rating is there is no captions for their videos. I requested the desk lady to look into this so deaf people can enjoy the film too.

My daughter enjoyed herself and she took the time to read the descriptions.

Great for the whole family and educational for everyone. Be sure to add this to your list of things to do while in the Valley of the Sun! There are a lot of great museums and other educational places to go and this is one of them. Don't miss out!

Very informative! But if you have youngsters even better!! So many interactive opportunities!! So many learning opportunities!' Check it out!!

This museum was wonderful with all the displays of different types of dinosaurs from bugs to huge dinosaurs. There were stories of where they lived in Western U.S.A. and some from other areas Great displays in their habitat. Also an abundance of Indian information along with their life, their culture and differences between the tribes of the Americas. You will see beautiful leather and beaded dresses and tops and pants for the leaders of the tribe; baskets, dishes, woven mats, displays of homes and caves that the Indian tribes lived in. This is a half to all day visit and take lots of pictures. This really shows the culture of the Indians in very early Southwest.

This is a family friendly museum, and a nice visit for a two hours if you're sightseeing in downtown Mesa. The museum has excellent dinosaur displays, and yet also covers the many minerals of Arizona, and the peoples of Arizona from the Indians, the Spaniards, cowboys, explorers, and gold miners.

So many rooms! Around every corner was a new sight to see. We never read much but still managed a full 2 hours there. Definitely worth the small fee paid.

This museum is one of mesa's best kept secrets! It is reasonably priced and a fun time for all ages. There is lots to see. A "must" if you have school aged kiddos

What an adventure, it was a wonderful trip with 3 inquisitive grandkids in tow, so many questions that were generally answered by just reading. We had a great time and will be back.

This wasn't the greatest museum I had been to, but it did have some interesting things. Admission here was $10, so the price was right. It had basically 3 floors to look through. If you have children with you, they have dinosaurs, so that may interest them. All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend an hour or so.

Went here with my 11 and 14 yr old kids. They really enjoyed it. Lots of activities for younger kids as well. Good exhibits and lots of information.

This Museum is a do not miss when visiting Mesa, Arizona. My husband and I visited last year and enjoyed every moment. It was very busy but the displays are setup so that there is no crowding around the larger sets. Some of the animatronic sets are on a time schedule, so be sure to wait to see them. This is definitely a place to bring kids.

I thought I'd be only an hour but it took over 2 hours for my wife and I to stroll through the exhibits and read the incredible detail about the times from which the exhibits were portrayed. Many action displays, excellent docents to explain all aspects of their room, great lighting, and only 20 bucks for 2 seniors. Well worth it!

Nice Place for a 1st timer to Mesa to go and get a feel for the area and learn about the surroundings

This venue has many interesting exhibits relating to Natural History and the Southwest and is a huge favorite with schoolchildren and very affordable as well. A real addition to the Downtown Mesa scene and very near the new Light rail that passes only a half block to the south of the building. A must see when wandering round the East Valley.

We had our 8 and 9 year old granddaughters with us, and this proved an excellent choice. It's easy to find, and Mesa also has a series of fun artworks on street corners, which helps prevent turning the same corners repeatedly. Easy, on street parking. They have a nice combo of scientific displays and dinosaurs (some animated), as well as relics of pottery and figurines from Central and South America). The girls enjoyed the displays of minerals and geodes. There is an area downstairs for younger children to learn through play. The three story display with the waterfall (sorry - "flood") is fun - be sure to circle up and all around it to see everything.

Nice displays especially the animated dinosaurs, kids would love, OK for adults. Could use a little more recent Arizona history.

5 nice place - ticket $$ and the small museum
Near Mesa Arizona but in the street very hot 105 F

Phoenix zone desert - season august is hot

This museum has excellent displays, especially of dinosaurs and (to a lesser extent) geology, and plenty else. Other displays of how humans inhabited the area, movies made in the area, etc. we went through the entire museum in about three hours (with reading a lot of the information). Dinosaurs are not just for kids! This was a great museum, well worth the visit if you are interested in natural history.

Our daughter, who now lives in Mesa, suggested that we go to this place and check out the exhibits. She was sure her husband would not be at all interested.
My wife and daughter took a lot of pictures but I cannot access their phones.
Exhibits were tastefully presented and very interesting. We learned a lot. You should visit here.

We go to Phoenix every spring break, this was our first time visiting the Natural History Museum. It is a little drive (about 30 minutes) from where we stay in North Phoenix, as it is in Mesa, AZ. It is a dated building, I assume its an older museum but the information and exhibits were informational and kept our kids interest. The interactive activities were huge hits with my younger children. Overall worth the visit.

We had a great day at the museum. Lots of things to see and do. Enjoyed panning for gold. Old fossils and old west items. The prehistoric creatures were great to see.

This is a great local museum in Mesa.It features 3 stories which house all sorts of dinosaurs, you can even match your foot to a dinosaur! And after touring, there is a little gold mining to be done before you leave.

My daughter, great grandson and I visited this museum. It was an interesting place with several interactive exhibits. Lots of fun.

Highlights: ancient history and artifacts, dinosaur fossils, pretty minerals, panning for gold. Went on a Sunday and it was lightly attended.

Took the Grandkids (3 of them) to the Easter Egg Hunt and was not disappointed. There was so much more to do than look for eggs; the kids slid down slides, saw themselves dancing and making faces on a full sized screen, panned for gold, crawled thru tunnels and looked for the Golden Egg and the special sought after prize that was promised.
This museum also has sleepovers...……..Great, great fun!!!!!

The museum is located in a quaint area of old Mesa. It is very well done! So much to see and great for all ages. The docents in the museum are a great added touch for easy-to-understand explanations. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and will return. Good place to take visitors to AZ (especially on those rare rainy days). Thank you!

Have been here before when my oldest was young and my 4yo son saw the pictures on here and was really excited. So grandparents went with us and three kids youngest is 2yo. Spent 2 hours and it was fun and some really neat exhibits but for a Tuesday it got super busy and hard to keep track of little ones.

Visited when "Sue" was in the lobby. As soon as you walked in the door one was greeted by her happy smile.

We took our 4 and 1 1/2 yr old boys here recently. Although its a fairly small museum, my kiddos had a good time. Not a ton to do for the little ones but several hands on exhibits which is a must when you have young kids. They loved panning for gold and of course seeing all the Dinosaurs.
Would go back again.

Oriented more for children than adults, this museum nonetheless has something for everyone. A mixture of geology, Western film history, local history, Native American history, space, and of course, dinosaurs. About three floors of exhibits--a lot of stairs to negotiate, but I did see elevators that might be able to be used for those with mobility issues (MIGHT....please call the museum if you have needs, as I don't know for sure). Knowledgeable and sincerely interested docents. Downside was lots of children on school trips clearly off-the-leash, screaming and running around. I'm told if you go later in the afternoon, you can avoid some of that. Be sure to stick around for the simulated monsoon storm. it's cute.

I was super nervous when we pulled up to this museum to see how small it looked. But decided to go anyways! I'm glad we did! It looks small on the outside but it's big on the inside!! We spent a good fours hours here. My children loved it!! My kids are 11-5 so they are older and love reading and learning about everything!! It was a great museum and we will definitely be back!!!

We really enjoyed our visit to the Arizona Museum of Natural History.
My granddaughter and I visited here 10 years ago and my wife and I have intended to return since. Today we did.
When you enter you are greeted by a huge mammoth skeleton and a couple of others as soon you come through the door. The entry fee was $12 for my wife and $10 for me.
We thought it well laid out and very educational. Luckily we picked a summer weekday and it was not crowded. We discovered a lot about Arizona that we have never heard. Who knew about all of those dinosaurs? Maybe a handful of paleontologists and other science types but certainly not us.
We enjoyed an interactive display where there were three items in a glass display case and you had to push a button with your decision on what it really was. If you’re correct you get a green light if not you get the red light. The Lost Dutchman Mine section was nice to wander through as was the jail. The jail was quite a bit different than the current jails where prisoners have better medical care and comforts than some “good” citizens.
There was an area on the history of local native inhabitants dating back thousands of years. We found the waterfall and the way the topography and dinosaurs was done to be quite interesting. The pottery display dating from the Anasazi to the 1900s was really interesting too. There are certainly other pottery displays in Arizona that are larger but this one was very well done.
To do the Museum justice I’d say you’d need to spend two hours plus. We roamed through in about two hours but we skimmed through as the parking time was running down.
Before you go take a look at the Museum’s website: www.azmnh.org/, for current displays and hours.
I think you’ll enjoy a couple of hours here and your admission dollars will add some support to a very worthwhile venue.

We took our 3 year old grandson and he really enjoyed it. Great way to get out of the heat at a great price.

Great history museum! I went to the museum with my 2 year old and we had a lovely time. He loved the Dinosaur Mountain and we spent quite a bit of time watching the animatronic dinosaurs and Flash Flood. The Explore area for kids was really fun for his age and well stocked with toddler activities. I was impressed by panning for gold area. Also, we loved the Mesa Jail and mining exhibits. All the docents were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I look forward to exploring this museum again.

There are all kinds of stuff to see, staff is friendly and it is laid out well. Kids seem to love it, dinosaurs, (even though religions deny em...LOL) Ols west stuff.

This place is amazing! So many hands on activities and dinosaurs! I would recommend this museum to children 2-10 years old. The best part is, on Target sponsor days, it's FREE!

I take my daughter there every quarter. She and her friends always have fun there!

It was interesting. It was crowed with lots of people but I learned some things when I was there. I would recomend it if I had kids.

This place is fabulous for dinosaurs and the little ones loved it after they got over their fear of the animation and roaring. Gift shop has so many wonderful items and you're contributing to the museum upkeep. Also, don't miss the old Mesa jail, gold panning and the Superstition Mine displays. Too many things to see to itemize, did I mention the full size covered wagon? Great place to visit. I am disappointed to see others say this is just a museum...do people so easily tire of experiencing things we can only imagine from the past? incredible things brought to life!

Visited the museum for the first time this week and was quite pleased with the displays and the overall layout of the exhibits. For a small town, the museum is perfect. There are many things for children to get interactive with and the exhibits are easy for the kids to understand.

Well worth going back to in order to absorb everything you see.

I took my 78 year old mom as an afternoon out and to avoid the heat!! Loved the dinosaur action exhibit. The adults loved it as much as the kids. I also enjoyed the little aboriginal village.

Our tour visited this museum and were provided with a reception of beer, wine and snacks. We then explored the museum and there are some very good exhibits. Two dinosaurs moved and roared in a most realistic way! Prehistory was also exhibited in lifelike displays. The photographic displays of the beauty of Arizona landscapes and snakes and butterflies was impressive. There was also a cinema section with posters and a stagecoach. An enjoyable visit.

This is one of my favorite museums. Interactive exhibits make it fun for all ages. Don’t forget to go gold panning. Watch out for getting pulled in for too long looking at the glittery fools gold. Make sure you make it to dinosaur mountain in time to see a thunderstorm with flash flood.

The museum features many exhibits with little interaction or much to see. You could do the entire museum in less than an hour. If you have time to kill in Mesa, this is something I would recommend.

We very much enjoyed our visit to the museum. We wandered through the exhibits without interruption. The exhibits are so impressive. There was a docent that share information about the dinosaurs. He was very informative. Somehow we ended up outside and there is an exhibit where you can pan for gold. So we gave it a try. Seems we are lacking in gold mining skills. The men from the cable TV show Gold Rush would be appalled.
There is metered parking for 2 or 3 hours located across he street.

We enjoyed spending a morning here, lots of dinosaur info as well as minerals, local history, kids activities, Indian artifacts and astronomy. Very kids friendly and great for dinosaur lovers. Discount for seniors.

A great place for kids and families--even our young adult children had a great time. A great variety of displays with lots of opportunities for interactive fun. Highly recommended!

Nice visit on Sunday before Labor Day. The entrance was free but people was only allowed to stay for 90 minutes. I enjoyed all the exhibits, especially "Origins". I highly recommend this museum for any age, there's a lot activities for kids.
Worth visit this place.

Just go to the Arizona Museum of Natural History for a fun time and also an educated time! You will learn a lot from the Natural history of Arizona with fun activities like panning gold!

Went to this museum for a private event. It is a lovely museum, especially if you have a dinosaur lover in the family. Great exhibits, animatronics, great flow from exhibit to exhibit. Very well done. I was there for an event so can not attest to how crowds would flow.

There is plenty to see for a Museum if it’s size. It will defo make a good days trip for all ages. They have a staged flash flood every hour or so which is quite fun.

Great dinosaur displays with "active" dinosaurs in a large display. Great facts to go along with the many types found in this area.

I came to tripadvisor to read a few reviews before deciding to go here and I was put on the edge if we should go or not, but I just had this feeling I needed to go. I'm SO glad we did!! For the others that went and said they were in done in 30-45 min? HOW?! We were there for 3 hours. It was 5 adults and a 5 year old and we all loved it. There is a lot of interaction if you just take your time and enjoy it with each other instead of rushing through. We did pan for gold and found flakes, but we also bought a small gold looking rock at the gift shop and put it in the sand for her to find, hilarious!! We really enjoyed this time together as a family.

It is like most other natural history museums. If you are interested in going to natural history museums than you will enjoy this one as well. Similar price to most museums and similar experience.

I visited during the holiday break, so while there were quite a few people there, I never felt crowded since there are so many areas within the museum to explore and learn. I noticed all ages were enjoying the exhibits & the hands-on activities available...not just kids! I was not expecting to see so much diversity within the museum. You will definitely go away learning something!

Our whole family loved this museum, with its special emphasis on paleontology and geology. Way more dinosaurs than we have seen at any other museum of this size, and my 12 year old LOVES dinosaurs! Great layout - we spent an hour here, and enjoyed it very much.

I visited this place with my sister, parents, niece and nephew. It is PACKED with great displays, fossils, fossil replicas and highly informative. It's a very fun museum and extremely affordable. Great activity to do with kids.

We got to the museum right at 10am and waited in line. This establishment does not offer maps, instead you have to find signs up on the wall. The layout of the museum is confusing. It does not flow by era.
To get to the outside attractions you have to go thru low lit and difficult to navigate hall. There was a sign warning people about navigating wheelchairs and strollers, but nothing for those with visual difficulties. At the end of the museum I was exhausted from trying to make this museum accessible to my child. A major redesign is needed that would have each era clearly marked and showcased. The museum should offer headsets for those with print impairments, and take some time to clearly mark low lit areas.

A reltively nice collection in a small museum. Make sure you try to avoid it when there are grade school tours. Teachers just let the kids pretty much run. Lots of noise. Building is small and noise really carrys. Seemed like it was more of an outing than any type of educational experience. Good collection of mineral samples.

Learn about the natural history of Arizona and the Southwest in general. The photos and dinosaur exhibits were most fascinating to us. Lots of others were viewing rock examples and panning for gold. Fun for all ages.

Lots of Dinos, panning for gold, pottery, and other Native American artifacts. Our grandson loved the museum. There were interesting things for both children and adults.

This was our "go to....get out of the heat and do something" on a summer day place when my kids were younger. Recently, I got to check it out during an event, and I have to say, WOW! It sure has gone up a few notches since I brought the kids when we first moved here in 2005. As I said, I attended an "event" here, so there was food, adult beverages, and we had the opportunity to walk around. They have a LOVELY patio up top, that is PERFECT for business functions, or even a wedding. Check it out for your next event, or, take the kids there for a day out!

Two hours, three floors and tons of exhibits. Dinosaurs, old West, stagecoach, pottery, animals, and a gift shop for kids. Had a great time and made us proud.

Highly recommend!!!

Great for the whole family and educational for everyone. Be sure to add this to your list of things to do while in the Valley of the Sun! There are a lot of great museums and other educational places to go and this is one of them. Don't miss out!

Whenever I ask my great grandson to pick two activities for a day, one of those is always the “Dino Museum” he loves it. We usually start out in the basement where he likes to go to the playroom and then we move up gradually. Sometimes he likes to play with the interactive puzzles putting dinos together other times he just likes to say hello to all the critters and he always loves the gift shop.

Excellent little museum of Arizona history and Native American lore and natural history of the area.. I spent about 2 hours here which is sufficient time to see most of the exhibits. The staff was very pleasant and the entrance fee modest by today's standards. Mesa in general is a nice suburb with its own unique history which is well covered in this museum.

A Natural History Museum... with exhibits on Native American culture, and frontier mining. This place doesn't know what it wants to be. Young children enjoy the animatronic dinosaurs, but they look about 20-30 years old. It's an odd place, I say skip it and go to the botanical garden.

This museum is small enough so that it won't take up your whole day, the exhibits are some of the best I have ever seen, they have interactive toys for children to play with and learn. I rate this museum the best in Arizona!

I'm basing this review partly as a comparison to previous visits. We just went on a Saturday about a couple hours before closing. Paying full price and then being rushed out of areas early is certainly coloring my opinion. The exhibits are neat, but there isn't a clear layout. We weren't offered a map and there aren't any clear signs to direct you. The flash flood and other exhibits weren't working and I wish there were signs or staff pointing that out so we didn't waste time waiting.
We went a long time ago and there were great volunteers answering questions and explaining exhibits, but this time the volunteers didn't seem to know the answers to any questions-even basics on where things were. I'm not sure we'll come back as it's nearly an hour drive. If you're in the Mesa area and have a coupon or discount I'd recommend it otherwise skip it and go to the sci center, children's museum or any of the other more organized museums.

There is so much to see; the prehistoric, planetary, sea and Southwest & Peruvian Cultures. so great.

We came with small children and they really enjoyed themselves.
Los of hands on puzzles and stuff.
A good visit for all ages

this is a hidden Gem in downtown Mesa AZ many pre Historic exibits. One of my favorite Museums I like this as well as the Heard Museum ,The science Center . It is about as good as it gets. .For people of all ages. if only they had lunch. and drinks.If you live in the area ,buy a membership. because if you have children you will be going back.

I really had a good time it's going there myself. One great adventure into the past..
I spent 4 hours there and I was able to see almost everything.

This marvelous museum is entertaining and engaging for both kids and adults, but is aimed a little more at the younger generation. The staff are passionate about their work and dedicated to informing and educating kids in a friendly and lighthearted manner. The exhibits are well presented and impressive, with the dinosaur and fossil displays being particularly grand, and the museum regularly holds all sorts of enjoyable special events. I have worked with the museum, professionally, on numerous occasions and have always been highly impressed by how well their events are organized and by the helpful staff who are very generous with their time. This museum is a real gem and should be much better known that it is. I consider it the top attraction in Mesa and please note that it’s not just a showcase — the museum has working archaeology and paleontology departments with noted academics on staff. I always look forward to my visits here and if you are a parent in the Phoenix area (or visiting) with kids who are interested in visually stimulating science displays (especially paleontology), the Arizona Museum of Natural History is an absolute must. Very highly recommended.

What a great place to spend an afternoon! My son and I spent a day here and had an amazing time. SO many different things to see. Rivals the much bigger, well known museums. Couldn't have been happier.

Both times we've been there we've enjoyed ourselves immensely. It's like National Geographic come to life! People of all ages, young and old, enjoy touring here and watching and learning from the interactive displays. A great example of how learning something new can be fun and entertaining. Great fun for everyone.

This museum has something for everyone. There are lots of hands on activities for kids, and interesting things for adults to see. There is a room with a stage coach, and posters of all of the movies that were made in Arizona,, cells from the old Mesa jail, you can pan for "gold", and of course there are the dinasaurs and natural history too.

This museum is on the small side, but packed with lots of interesting displays. My kids always love the mining in the back. They also have a great gem/rock collection. They have really made some great changes to this museum and I recommend seeing it.

I have taken my Grandchildren here many times. Small but very well designed. The gold panning is unique & kids love it.