Natural History Museum of Utah

About

The Natural History Museum of Utah occupies the stunning Rio Tinto Center, a LEED Platinum building nestled into the foothills above the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City. Opened in 2011, the 163,000-square-foot facility offers sweeping views of the Wasatch Mountains and Salt Lake Valley alongside one of North America's most significant natural history collections. The Past Worlds galleries showcase Utah's extraordinary fossil record, including an unparalleled collection of Jurassic and Cretaceous dinosaurs excavated from sites across the state. Allosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, and dozens of other species are displayed in dynamic poses that reflect current scientific understanding. Utah's position in the fossil record makes this one of the finest dinosaur collections anywhere in the world. Native Voices presents cultural objects and oral histories from the nine Native American tribes with traditional ties to Utah, developed in partnership with tribal representatives to ensure authentic and respectful representation. The First Peoples galleries trace human habitation of the Great Basin from the earliest arrivals through contemporary times. The Great Salt Lake gallery investigates one of the world's most distinctive ecosystems — the hypersaline lake that dominates the landscape west of Salt Lake City — covering its ecology, geology, and the pressing conservation challenges it currently faces. Life, Land, and Gems & Minerals galleries round out the permanent collection. The museum runs Utah's only accredited archaeological field school alongside extensive youth education programs, summer camps, school field trips, and homeschool programming. Wednesday evening hours extend access for working families.

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