Museum of Northern Arizona: Dinosaurs, Indian Artifacts and More

Do you think that everything that can be discovered about fossils was found by the 1940s? Well, think again. In 2000 and 2001, Dr. David D. Gillette, led an expedition into southern Utah and found the fossil remains of the therizinosaur, the sickle-claw dinosaur. This impressive find is showcased at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Before this important find, the therizinosaur was thought to only live in Asia.

The therizinosaur was a large sturdy built creature. It had a tall dorsal vertebra that suggested that it sat upright. He had a beak like a bird and had no teeth so it was not a meat eater. This makes the therizinosaur the only herbaceous theropods. Their long arms ended in hand with claws. These claws measured up to three feet. So this creature looked like a Canadian goose and sat around and ate like a giant sloth. The large muscular back legs ended in a four toed foot.

The Museum is also proud of its life size skeleton of a Dilophosaur in the Geology Gallery. This Gallery also invites you to explore the mineral specimens, other fossils, and geologic models of the Colorado Plateau Region.

The Museum of Northern Arizona has always been a research center, especially pertaining to the Colorado Plateau. It divides this research into six areas: Anthropology, Biology, Fine Art, Geology and Paleontology, the Hopi Iconography Project, and the Ceramic Field Identification Manuel. Each of these areas has a guest curator.

This Museum is located three miles north of Flagstaff. It is open from 9 to 5 each day except a few holidays. For groups the museum offers tours, but call and book in advance. These are lead by specially trained docents that make the tour very pleasurable and educational. The Museum provides great tours for teachers and students and at group prices. There are five permanent galleries and three changing galleries so you can return again and again.