Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum
Exhibitions
Home to the largest collection of bronze skeletons and fossils the Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum was the first in the world to display a Torvosaurus skeleton. All of the bronze skeletons were constructed by staff, students and volunteers in the museums very own foundry. Visitors to the Dinosaur Museum will see an array of original artwork throughout the Exhibit Hall. The artwork illustrates scenes of prehistoric life, along with life-sized dinosaur sculptures, paintings and large wall murals. The latest exhibit features botanical specimens graciously donated by the family of the late Howard Shanks. The samples give us an idea as to what the trees may have looked like 300 million years ago. The Exhibit Hall is over 11,000 square feet. It contains replicas and original fossils from small casts of footprints all the way to the one and only 40 foot long skeleton of a Torvosaurus. The museum's focus is primarily on the Mesozoic period, also known as the "Age of Dinosaurs", however it is not limited to this time span. The Mesozoic period is made up of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Museum Shop
The museum's gift shop boasts a 1,300 square foot retail space brimming with wonderful unique souvenirs such as rocks, minerals, fossils, scientific and educational books. Also teaching aids, games, clothing, postcards and much more.
Travel Tips
Don't forget to bring your camera as there are many great photo opportunities. The Museum is fully handicapped accessible. There is no place to eat within the Dinosaur Museum, so you may want to pack a light lunch.
Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum, Tucumcari, New Mexico
Take a journey back in time to the dawn of the dinosaur during your visit to the Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum as part of your group bus tour. The Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum produces superior community service events and programs that reflect the want of the people of the area which is a crucial element to the success of the college's mission. A tremendous collaborative achievement between the museum and its community members has helped to identify and advance the abundant heritage of the surrounding geographic territory of Eastern New Mexico which is home to one of the world's most primary deposits of plant and animal fossils.
History of Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum
The Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum officially opened its doors to the public in May of 2000 and draws nearly 14,000 visitors every year. The visitors to the museum reflect all 50 U.S. states as well as over 40 international countries. Many of which are repeat guests who come year after year to see the development and growth of the museums exhibitions and collections. The building houses relatively 10,000 square feet of display space, an expansive fully-furnished paleontology/geology laboratory, a classroom, offices and a gift shop. Plus a considerable area dedicated to the storage of the Museums art and artifacts that are not being displayed but are reserved for study and research purposes. There are classes held in natural science degree programs with an intensity focused in paleontology and geology that allow students to excavate fossils on course field trips so they can sort and prep them back in the lab.
