Discover the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa, AZ

May 27, 2022 · 3 min read

If you're looking for something fun and educational that the whole family can enjoy, check out the Arizona Museum of Natural History. There are a lot of things to see and do at this museum located in Mesa, AZ. Continue reading below to learn a little about this museum and why it'd be a great place to visit.

The History

When this museum first opened in 1977, it was small and had only a few collections from Arizona. Over the decades, it has grown considerably. Wings were added as the building's size increased, and in the mid 90's, it became home to a research facility. Today, the museum is nearly 75,000 sq. feet and holds over 60,000 artifacts.

Although the museum has changed a lot in nearly 50 years, one thing has not. The founders of this museum wanted it to not only be a place where natural history was recorded but also promoted. They wanted the natural history of Arizona and the Southwest, in general, to be known and respected around the world. That remains the mission of the museum until this day.

Exhibits

As mentioned, there are many exhibits at this museum. In addition to natural history exhibits, you can find paleontology, ethnology, and art exhibits. They also have many rotating exhibits, so there is always something new to check out. However, one of the most popular and must-see exhibits is dinosaur mountain.

Dinosaur Mountain is an indoor waterfall that stretches three stories tall. It's definitely an amazing sight, and things just get better once you spot the animatronic dinosaurs. Every 23 minutes, something magical happens on the mountain, but we won't talk about it here and spoil all of the surprises.

Inclusivity

This museum works very hard to be inclusive. They offer self-guided American Sign Language tours for individuals who have a hearing impairment. Individuals in need of this service are given tablets, free of charge, on which they can watch pre-recorded messages in ASL. Sensory guides are also used here. Sensory guides tell individuals and parents of individuals on the spectrum how much impact on a particular sense an exhibit has. These guides allow individuals to avoid exhibits that might be overstimulating and uncomfortable for some guests.

Protecting Our Natural World

If visiting the AZMNH sounds interesting to you, you probably have respect and appreciation for the wonderful natural world we inhabit and want to see it flourish. Donating to organizations like museums that educate people is one way to help the earth. Another way you can help is by being mindful of your impact on the world and decreasing your carbon footprint.

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The new 2022 GMC Terrain is finally here and has everything you'll need in a ride. The robust look of the exterior ties in excellently with the luxury and convenience of the interior. It boasts 28 MPG on the highway, a 1.5L turbo engine, and the most cargo/passenger space of its class. This, in addition to the remarkable trailering capacity of 1,500 pounds, gives you the best of the vehicle market all in one. more Basics About the 2022 GMC Terrain Exterior Features This year's Terrain is built with an onboard noise control system with noise cancellation capabilities. Thanks to innovative manufacturing, your cabin will provide peace of mind for your drive as it muffles road noise. It has daytime running lamps which, along with the tail lamps, are made from the GMC signature LED we know and love. The windshield is acoustic to help further reduce noise. All windows are laminated and the rear windows are deep-tinted. Interior Features This four-door SUV seats five adults and has more than ample room for cargo. For your infotainment system, you'll find a 4.2-inch driver information display screen. The available package it comes with includes enhanced audio, navigation, and phone connectivity capabilities. Behind your steering wheel, you'll find your driver information center which monitors a total of 26 different systems on your SUV. Just a few of these include the Vehicle Information Menu and the Trip Information Menu. The former will monitor things like tire pressure and oil life. The latter keeps track of the two resettable trips, your average fuel economy, your current fuel economy, your average speed, and your fuel range among other things. New/Unique Features to Make Your Drive Easier GMC Pro Safety System Front Pedestrian Braking This program watches the front of your SUV through sensors. If it sees a person on foot in front of your car it will alert you and apply the brakes for you. Forward Collision Alert The Forward Collision Alert also has Automatic Emergency Braking. It sees when the vehicle ahead of you has stopped. It will apply the brakes if you won't be able to manually brake in time to avoid a collision. Lane Keep Assist This system comes with Lane Departure Warning. These sensors are located at the front of your car and closely watch the yellow line. If they see you are drifting towards it, they will alert you. The steering wheel will also help guide you back to the center of your lane. Following Distance Indicator This program keeps a close eye on how far away you are from the driver in front. It will alert you if you start to get closer than three seconds and will apply the brakes automatically. We are proud to offer multiple 2022 Terrain models at our dealership. Check out our website to see the full listing. We also provide services and parts so your new GMC is covered for its lifetime. Contact our experts at Earnhardt Buick GMC today to schedule a time to come in and test drive one of our Terrain models! Image via Edmunds

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Pack the GMC or Buick and Discover These Five State Parks Near Mesa, AZ

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