Days of wonder: Spend more than one afternoon at the newly opened Natural History Museum of Utah
The Allosaurus is the state fossil of Utah, and can be found on display at the Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center. The Past Worlds gallery takes visitors on a journey spanning 225 million years of Utah's history Stuart Ruckman/NHMU
Visitors look at a large Tyrannosaurus fossil at the Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center. The Past Worlds gallery takes visitors on a journey spanning 225 million years of Utah's history. Tom Smart/NHMU
An active ant colony is one of the fetching displays in the Life gallery of the Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center. The Life gallery takes visitors on a fantastic voyage from DNA and proteins to cells, organisms, populations and ecosystems. Stuart Ruckman/NHMU
The Collections Wall and the topographical map are some of the first exhibitions visitors see when they enter the Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center. The Canyon is the Museum's gathering place with a Museum store, cafe and free Wi-Fi. Tom Smart/NHMU
The Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center is located in Salt Lake City, on the campus of the University of Utah. An outdoor terrace on the second floor provides sweeping views of the Salt Lake Valley. Jeff Goldberg/Esto for Ennead Architects
The Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center is located above ancient Lake Bonneville, at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Jeff Goldberg/Esto for Ennead Architects
Brine shrimp, so prevalent in the Great Salt Lake, are on exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center. The Great Salt Lake gallery introduces the body of water as a unique body of water - a terminal lake that contains, in its sediments, the memory of previous lakes. Tom Smart/NHMU
The Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center is located in the heart of Salt Lake City, on the campus of the University of Utah. Outdoor exhibits on the south side of the museum connect the visitors to the natural world. Jeff Goldberg/Esto for Ennead Architects
Children play in the running stream that cascades through the Our Backyard gallery at the Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center. Our Backyard is geared toward the very young visitors, providing a safe place to discover the natural world. Tom Smart/NHMU
The First Peoples gallery features a recreation of Median Village, an archeological site in central Utah. First Peoples is dedicated to the scientific process of archeology and to the ancient peoples of Utah. Tom Smart/NHMU
After months of construction and moving artifacts, the Natural History Museum of Utah opened in November 2011 at the Rio Tinto Center on the campus of the University of Utah.
The museum houses more than 1 million objects on five levels, so it’s definitely a place you’ll need, and want, to come back to again and again.
While, yes, it is a museum, it is set up with multiple interactive exhibits that will interest both kids and adults, and enough eye candy to fill more than a few afternoons.
Some of our favorites were the earthquake simulator, where building materials — think Tinker Toys — are available to build your own building, and when you activate the “earthquake,” which shakes the table you build on, you can see how your building holds up. Ours didn’t fare so well.
Another favorite was the Life Terrace, where hands-on exhibits teach children about DNA and microorganisms. I loved the ant hill, populated by ants found right outside the building in the foothills. It was fascinating to watch the tiny bugs scurrying around their home from tunnel to tunnel. The colony even has a spot where they move expired ants and keep them separated.
Would you have guessed ants would do that? This is what Natural History is all about.
A memorable exhibit is on the Great Salt Lake. As you walk across the floor, a pocket of water is built right into the floor to showcase how the lake is now versus how it was over history.
Children can see the power of water through exhibits on erosion with a sand and water table in the land area, an experiment in wind erosion, and throughout the museum there are various sensory exhibits (besides sight, of course): smell native plants such as Jacob’s Ladder and Rocky Mountain Juniper, hear sounds such as mini lessons in Native American languages, lots of touch with hands-on activities including digging dinosaur bones out of a sand-Vaseline-wax mixture that requires diggers to use some muscle.
The building itself is worth the trip. The museum also offers architectural tours. When designing the building, there were a variety of considerations taken that cater to the exhibits that it would house. For example, the fifth floor of the museum holds the Native Voices area. This area showcases the various Native American tribes, their crafts, cultures, dress, etc. The museum curators worked extensively with members of the tribes to ensure proper respect for the items on display. One requirement by the tribe was that the exhibit be on solid ground.
As patrons walk over the threshold into the exhibit, they go from being on the fifth floor of a building to solid ground: the building is built up against the mountainside, and the eastern portion of the fifth floor is actually built into the side of the mountain, accommodating the request of the tribes that the exhibit be on land.
Other unique aspects of the building are window placements to go along with exhibits on weather, mountain formations, etc. The museum also has lab space available for school field trips and other groups, as well as the public (if it’s not in use).
It’s impossible to convey all of the cool exhibits and activities that go on at the Natural History Museum. I haven’t even gotten to the impressive dinosaur exhibit (there is a dinosaur skeleton set up using the actual bones, not casts like you normally see) or the weather center with lots of great information.
But for those who are worried about bringing very small children, “Our Backyard” on the first floor is geared specifically to this group. This area of exploration has learning activities on insects, small reptiles, and the water table in here will have your kids leaving with wet shirt sleeves, and probable wet pants, too, even if you’re careful.
Of course, this was a memorable part of our visit, not just because the children could send toy fish down the “river” and catch them at the bottom, but for all the sights and sounds that are a part of this area.
Whatever stage of life your family is in, the museum has not just something, but a lot for any age.
The museum recommends starting at the top and working your way down, but the exhibits are designed in such a way that however you decide to make your way through the museum, you’ll get a full experience.
Natural History Museum of Utah
Where: 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City(University of Utah campus)
Hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Wednesdays until 9 p.m.; closed on Thanksgiving Day and ChristmasDay.
Admission: $9 adults, $7 seniors 65-plus andyouth 13-24, $6 children 3-12
What: Housed in the Rio Tinto Center, a163,000-square-foot building with 51,000 square feet of publicgallery space, including a three-story tall glass case called theCollections Wall used to highlight more than 500 objects from themuseum’s various research collections. The museum offers manychildren’s programs, group programs and architectural tours. Visitthe museum website for more details.
Galleries: Utah Sky & View Terrace, NativeVoices, Life, Land, First Peoples, Lake (Great Salt Lake), PastWorlds, Utah Futures, Minerals; Our Backyard.
Free days: There are three remaining free daysin 2012: April 9, July 9 and Sept. 22
Info: (801) 581-4303, nhmu.utah.edu
Etc.: The Rio Tinto Center also has a museumgift shop and cafe