Museum Fun with Gemstones, Dinosaur Fossils, Murals and More at The NAT

With four levels of exhibitions to explore, the Natural History Museum is a family favorite. My kids love looking at all the gemstones, fossils and interesting species on view at the museum. There is so much to learn about nature, paleontology and science at this museum.

The new 33-foot mural in the atrium is a showstopper and caught my kids attention immediately. When we were there Eva Struble was up on the scaffolding just getting started, but now the piece is complete and it is beautiful!  Also on Level 1 just off the Atrium is the Living Lab, an exhibit we never miss. My kids enjoy observing a variety of creatures from a Gila monster and rattlesnakes to arachnids and frogs.

In the Unshelved: Cool Stuff from the Collection exhibition you get to experience some of the millions of specimens in its collection. My daughter loves seeing the butterflies, gemstones, shells and birds and she finds the preserved animals in jars fascinating.

We also enjoy the Coast to Cactus exhibit that features an airstream you can climb inside and pretend to be a natural scientist. There are lots of interactive exhibits in this section that makes it especially fun for kids.

You can’t visit the NAT without spending time learning about dinosaurs. They have a good collection in the Fossil Mysteries section where you can touch real fossils millions of years old. My kids loved the mammoth and mastodon fossils.  The museum also offers great resources for educators about geology and paleontology here. 

Lastly don’t miss the exhibits on the top floor of the museum including Caught on Camera and Expedition Baja. We were surprised to see the interesting animals such as coyotes photographed at night using camera traps, it made us wonder what animals are lurking in our backyard.