Arizona Museum of Natural History
About
Three-Story Natural History Museum
The Arizona Museum of Natural History is downtown Mesa's natural history museum, owned by the city. Permanent exhibits cover dinosaurs, prehistoric Arizona, Hohokam culture, and a working dig pit kids can excavate. The outdoor Dinosaur Mountain features a flash-flood effect every 20 minutes.
Programs for Kids
Education programming combines drop-in galleries with structured camps and homeschool days. Programs include:
- Exploration Station for ages 6 and under
- School field trips with archaeologist-led tours
- Combined field trip with Mesa Grande Cultural Park
- Homeschool days
- Summer programs
- Birthday parties
What's Included
- Working dig pit (excavate replica fossils)
- Interactive Hohokam village display
- Outdoor Dinosaur Mountain with flash flood
- Educator-led activities for field trips
Experience
One of the better natural history museums for elementary-age kids in Arizona - dinosaurs, fossils, indigenous archaeology, and territorial history all in walking-distance galleries. Strong fit for school groups and homeschoolers covering Arizona natural sciences.