Mesalands Dinosaur Museum and Natural Science Laboratory was established by Mesalands Community College in the small town of Tucumcari, NM. While the smallish museum was closed on the Sunday (August 2, 2026) that I was able to visit, I knew in advance the exhibits they had on display: + Mesozoic Era dinosaur fossils + A 40-foot-long Torvosaurus (T-rex-like) skeleton from the Jurassic period + Casts of dinosaur footprints + Fossils from local dig sites + "Dig for Bones Sandbox" + Rocks and mineral from around the world They also have a gift shop. Admission prices - which will give you a chuckle - are currently as follows: + Children (3 and under) Free + Juniors (4-11) $6 + Adult (12-59) $10 + Seniors (60-98) $8 + Dinosaurs (99 and older) Free + Educators/College Students (ID Required) $8 + Active Military (ID Required) $8 + Call for group rates! I would have gladly paid that price if it had been open & my dog was allowed in (which she probably isn't because... BONES! Lol). TIP Closed Sundays and Mondays. Works Cited https://www.mesalands.edu/page/mesalands-community-colleges-dinosaur-museum-and-natural-science-laboratory read more

See all

These guys did a great job explaining the history of the dinosaurs. The hands on demonstrations are great for children and adults. Great value for the money read more

Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - Museums Near Me - Tucumcari, New Mexico

See all

Yes, this is a small museum. It is also a cheap entry fee and with a lot of amazing exhibits! Plan to spend between one and two hours here. There are many bronze statues that you are allowed to touch to feel what the dinosaur bones would feel and look like at that size. There's also life size dinosaur sculptures and dioramas and the museum strives to relate dinosaurs to our modern birds. There is a sizable kids area as well. read more

Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - Dinosaur Diorama - Museums Near Me - Tucumcari, New Mexico

Great stop on our road trip! A tiny bit off the beaten path but my kids had a blast looking at the exhibits and loved picking a souvenir from their gift shop. It's not huge but they have packed in a lot of interesting information and things to see! read more

This place is amazing!!! So many of the exhibits were found in Quay County which Tucumcari is in. The fossils and waxed casts are from 250 million years ago. read more

Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - Museums Near Me - Tucumcari, New Mexico

Wonderful little museum in a town that produces a lot of dino bones from their soil. Wonderful and put together 80% by the locals it's one of the best dino museums I've been to. Always will love stopping here. read more

See all

We were driving through and had a dinosaur-lover in the car, so we HAD to stop. So glad we did! This is definitely a smaller museum, but there was quite a bit on display, and there was an interactive section with an area to stamp footprints in sand, an "excavation site," a table to do some rubbings, and a topographical projector with sand where you can see how lakes and mountains form. (Probably a better name for that setup! Haha!) The staff were all super kind and welcoming. Not too busy, easy to pop into a navigation system to locate. read more

See all

This place is the best! So many hands-on things for kids to see and do! We loved it! Educational and clean. The price was right too. We were traveling through and saw the sign, it was a much needed quick break with fun for everyone! It takes 30-45 minutes to see everything. My kids loved the fossil digging especially. We will stop here again! read more

Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - Dinosaur - Museums Near Me - Tucumcari, New Mexico

See all

This is a lovely museum, well put-together with super nice employees. It isn't large but my dinosaur-loving son loved it. We spent about an hour there. It's worth the stop. read more

Any dinosaur museum is worth the stop! This is a small museum and certainly no reason not to visit! Easy and worth the visit!

I visited as a young girl and recently had the chance to take my little girl on our way back home to Arizona. Is it huge? No. But it makes for a nice little stop to stretch your legs and the kids love it. Definitely some cool artifacts and is a nice little treat in Tucumcari. There aren't giant model dinos inside but still worth a look. read more

Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - Museums Near Me - Tucumcari, New Mexico

This place is so cool. You can peek into an actual paleontology lab! There's simple explanations for the artifacts written for normal people. THANK YOU. So many museums I've been to will have convoluted explanations. But this place is so informative for all ages, all science levels. Well I can't speak for actual smart people. We also very much enjoyed the creepy music and sounds and trying to figure out where they were all coming from. read more

Relatively cheap to get in, it's a nice little dinosaur museum that I definitely recommend. Lots of cool fossils, casts, models, and statues, many of which depict stuff that lived in the area of Tucumcari! Fun and cute gift shop and definitely worth a stop. read more

This museum is indeed a hidden gem, which I found back in '09. So many great exhibits, each with a wealth of information. Staff are incredibly friendly and eager to share their knowledge. A must stop on any road trip travelled on I-40. read more

See all

Looks can be a little deceiving. When pulling up, the building doesn't look very big. But inside you will find a quality museum that showcases various dinosaur artifacts and the paleontology department of the college in town. There are several fossils, bones and bronze molds that will take the average adult about 45 minutes to an hour to see. (Longer for dinosaur lovers.) There is a good kid area where they can make footprints or dig for their own fossils. Even with the play area, kids probably need to be at least five to really enjoy it. Granted there are bigger museums featuring the same type things throughout the country. But for a town the size of Tucumcari this is an impressive museum to check out. read more

The staff here were so friendly! The place was clean, quiet, and they let you take pictures and touch some of the exhibits. There is an interactive area for kids, and a great learning experience for adults as well. Also very good pricing! read more

Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - Museums Near Me - Tucumcari, New Mexico

See all

This was a fun little museum! Great info on the history of dinosaurs in this area! I hope they think about my sticker idea, i want a bumpersticker that says 'i brake for dinosaurs'. read more

There are so many "museums" on Rt. 66 and most of them are tatty and cheesy, so my expectations were really low. I was surprised at the $6.50 entry fee and thought it a bit high...until I went through the exhibit. This is a wonderfully curated museum. Educational AND entertaining. It's a real bargain and a must do if you're in town. Great collection of minerals, fossils, dinosaur bones and a working research lab. Very nicely done. read more

If you are anywhere near Tucumcari you need to see this place. The displays are well laid out and full information. I am truly amazed by how great this place is. read more

Took my 10 yr grandson and 6 yr granddaughter 10-6-21. Didn't really expect a great deal for such a small community. As a retired teacher/administrator, I was amazed at the entire experience. It was awesome! Facility is very clean and updated. Staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful. Exhibits are phenomenal. There were things for youth and adults as well as smaller children. It was awesome that there was so much for the children to touch and interact, not to mention the facts my children were exposed to during the tour. My grandson, who has had many realworld opportunities throughout his life, exclaimed how great it was during the whole tour. He then called his parents as soon as we left and said, "That was the best thing I have ever done!" My grandaughter enjoyed the exhibits and the parts she could touch but really had fun in the kids corner with the dig and color sheets. I have to say that this was an awesome experience for me experiencing the exhibits and seeing my grandchildren genuinely having a great time learning and interacting with history. I highly recommend the Dinosaur Museum in Tucumcari, NM! My grandchildren have requested to go back again! read more

Very neat and clean...friendly staff...fun little gift shop...a great place to stop and stretch your legs if you are traveling...a great price as well, only $6.50 per adult. read more

Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - Kids can dig for fossils - Museums Near Me - Tucumcari, New Mexico

10 bucks for 2 people. Hours 12 noon to 5pm. Small room to occupy an hour of your time. Some decent info and a few brass statues. Felt like a dino museum for a dino museum and it was more info than actual bones or artifact pieces. They did have a cool little weather sand bin that attracted our short attention span for 10 minutes though. I recommend this place for people who are completely bored of driving a long drive ahead and behind them as its usefull to use your eyes and legs after sitting down a long time. read more

Lots of cool artifacts. I really liked that parts of the exhibit were hands on. They have a section for kids with lots of activities. Its not a big museum, which is why I liked it so much. Enough information so that you could learn but not too overwhelming. We spent about 1.5 hours there. Its noted for its large collection of bronze skeletons and bones. read more

Small place, but our family of 4 really enjoyed this pit stop during our drive across Rt. 40. My 2.5 year old loved everything about this museum. There are some really neat displays, a viewing area where the students/staff work, and interactive kid activities (bone dig, puzzle, paw print identifier). read more

Small museum but a perfect stop if you are looking for something to do for about an hour. The kids loved the dinosaur bone dig site and that so many of the exhibits were "touchable." read more

We were traveling from Vegas to Michigan and decided to stop in. It allowed for entertainment. The best part was the augmented reality sandbox. read more