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New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, NM

Photo: Lee Ruk from North Tonawanda, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsFamily FavoriteRainy-Day Pick

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

1801 Mountain Road NW · Albuquerque, NM

Why you should go…

The museum's permanent halls trace a timeline from the birth of the universe through the Ice Age. The Jurassic hall holds full skeletons of Seismosaurus, Saurophaganax and Stegosaurus, and an animatronic Bistahieversor was added in 2019. You will also find a planetarium, the 3-D Dynatheater, the Fossilworks exhibit, mineral displays and a Naturalist Center with live animals. The museum opened in 1986 and is run by the state.

  • #natural history museum
  • #dinosaurs
  • #planetarium
  • #science museum
  • #kids activities

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Shopping
    Local Gem

    Old Town Albuquerque

    Free

    Adobe storefronts, turquoise jewelry stalls, and a 300-year-old church around a shaded plaza.

    0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Shopping
    Local Gem

    Warpath Traders

    Free

    A family-owned Old Town Albuquerque trading post selling Native American jewelry, pottery and crafts since 1974.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Tours
    Quirky Fun

    Breaking Bad RV Tours

    $50+

    RV tour of Albuquerque filming locations from Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and El Camino.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

    Under $25

    Museum created by New Mexico's 19 Pueblos showcasing Pueblo art, history, and living traditions.

    0.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum

    Under $25

    A hands-on museum tracing the science and history of ballooning, from the first flight to modern race records.

    6.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    National Museum of Nuclear Science and History

    Under $25

    Congressionally chartered Albuquerque museum tracing the Atomic Age from the Manhattan Project to nuclear medicine.

    7.7 mi awayMore like this