Arizona Museum of Natural History

[suspsy]

The wife and I just got back from a week in Phoenix, Arizona (she had a conference to attend). Among the highlights was the Arizona Museum of Natural History, located in Mesa and easily accessible via the light rail system.

IMG_0887 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Standing guard outside the doors is an impressive Dilophosaurus.

IMG_0888 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0889 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0890 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0891 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

American lion.

IMG_0893 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0894 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Equus idahoensis.

IMG_0896 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

American mastodon.

IMG_1063 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Columbian mammoth.

IMG_0900 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0919 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1064 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

C. megalodon.

IMG_0902 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Pliomastodon.

IMG_0912 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Gastornis.

IMG_0911 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Stay tuned!

[alexeratops]

Dang. I lived in Pheonix, Arizona for the first 3 years of my life and we never went there. Nice pictures, I like the Gastornis and Dilophosaurus statue, very detailed.

[triceratops83]

That is one beautiful Dilophosaurus. Do I spy an Arrhinoceratops skull behind the Gastornis?

[Halichoeres]

I lived in Phoenix years ago, before the light rail, and when I visited this museum I ended up having to walk over a mile to reach it (there were buses, but not on Sundays). So I was very gratified to learn after I'd moved away that they'd extended the train to serve it. If memory serves, the other end of the train serves the art and history museums in downtown Phoenix, and the airport in between, so who needs a car anymore if you're visiting? Looking forward to more pics, Suspsy.

[suspsy]

Close, triceratops83. It's a Pentaceratops.

IMG_0915 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Triceratops.

IMG_0918 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0972 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0973 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0979 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Prenocephale.

IMG_0974 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Psittacosaurus.

IMG_0975 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0976 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Protoceratops.

IMG_0977 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0978 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Zuniceratops! First time I've seen a mounted restoration.

IMG_0980 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0981 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1004 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Halichoeres is correct. The museum stop is the second last one on the light rail route and it took roughly an hour to get from downtown Phoenix where we were staying. As you can see, it was well worth the journey. Much more to come!

[DinoLord]

Nice photos! I was there this past June. Do they still have the pterosaurs exhibit up?

[RobinGoodfellow]

I like so much museum's pictures (in general). Even better nice pictures as they are.. 

[Viking Spawn]

How cool!  Keep them coming!  I love History Museums!   

[triceratops83]

Close, triceratops83. It's a Pentaceratops.

Ah, the angle in that photo made its snout look shorter. This is quite a nice museum, the mounts are really impressive. Great photos by the way!

[suspsy]

And now I present the star of the main dinosaur gallery, a teenaged Tarbosaurus! You won't find many mounts of this magnificent animal in North America! Plus a Tyrannosaurus rex skull for good measure.

IMG_0982 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0916 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1013 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1060 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Camarasaurus, the museum's biggest denizen. Sorry about the lighting.

IMG_1010 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1012 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1059 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

The Zuni Basin Coelurosaur. Wish they'd give this critter a proper name already.

IMG_0997 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0999 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Probactrosaurus adult and juvenile. Another first for me.

IMG_0985 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0986 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0994 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0995 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

And here's an adorable petalodont!

IMG_0996 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

That's all for now, but the tour isn't finished by a long shot!

[LophoLeeVT]

what is the cute looking ceratopsid painted lioke the safari nasutoceratops behind The Zuni Basin Coelurosaur

[suspsy]

All in good time!

[stargatedalek]

Surprised to see just how similar a petalodont looks to a lumpsucker! No relation at all so that's convergence at work people!

[Halichoeres]

Except for those teeth! Yowch!

[suspsy]

And now here's the most elaborate part of the prehistoric galleries, Dinosaur Mountain! We start in the Triassic at the very bottom with Coelophysis and a baby Tanystropheus.

IMG_1018 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1019 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Moving up into the Jurassic, we encounter a Mymoorapelta and a Fruitachampsa. The former is animatronic.

IMG_1005 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Now comes the Cretaceous. An animatronic Nasutoceratops proudly surveys the scene.

IMG_0988 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Menacing it from across a waterfall is a snarling Albertosaurus. Can you see a hiding Alphadon?

IMG_0906 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0908 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Representing the Pleistocene is the armoured Glyptotherium. And on top of the mountain stands an extant bighorn sheep. Thus concludes the journey through ancient Arizona.

IMG_0907 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Oh, and did I mention that the waterfall periodically floods, complete with thunder and lightning effects? This is a seriously awesome exhibit!

IMG_1061 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1062 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1015 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Next to the mountain, facing the entrance of the dinosaur hall is an impressive but sadly naked Utahraptor sculpture.

IMG_0905 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_0904 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Still more to come!

[Halichoeres]

Wow, they've really added a lot since the last time I was there (when I think it was still called the "Mesa Southwest Museum").

[suspsy]

Praearcturus.

IMG_1016 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1017 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Estemmenosuchus.

IMG_1055 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1056 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Scutosaurus and Inostrancevia.

IMG_1046 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1047 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1048 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1049 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Symmorium and another adorable petalodont.

IMG_1052 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1053 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Postosuchus and Placerias.

IMG_1043 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1044 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1045 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Leptosuchus.

IMG_1038 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1039 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Koskinonodon/Buettneria.

IMG_1040 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1042 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

[LophoLeeVT]

nice! it was a nasutoceratops after all!

[suspsy]

More dinosaurs! An excellent Dilophosaurus sculpture.

IMG_1037 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1036 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1033 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Scutellosaurus.

IMG_1034 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1035 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Mymoorapelta.

IMG_1031 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1032 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Nothronychus.

IMG_1025 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

And here's something I know our administrator in particular will love: a marine diorama! Here's a Desmatochelys.

IMG_1027 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

The plesiosaur Trinocromerum snags a fish. But an unnamed mosasaur appears to be wanting either the fish or the Trinocromerum itself!

IMG_1028 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1030 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1023 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1029 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Still one more gallery to go, and you're all going to love it!

[Halichoeres]

Suspsy, you're achieving what I thought was impossible--making me nostalgic for Phoenix.