About Us

Since opening in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science has been to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning.

The museum offers exhibitions, programs, and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience, and Space Science. It is the Southwest's largest repository for fossils, and is home to a planetarium and a large-format 3D DynaTheater.

The museum is also part of the outreach team for NASA's PUNCH mission, sharing the science of the Sun with communities across New Mexico and the Southwest.

We are a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Trustees of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Learn more about the Department’s work at NMCulture.org.

Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the 501(c)(3) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation and its donors.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is an affiliate of the Smithsonian, participating in programs that create long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with other foundations of knowledge, such as cultural and educational organizations and associate museums. Learn more about the Smithsonian Affiliations program.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is one of the key institutions on NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) outreach team.