Mesalands Dinosaur Museum

The Natural Science Laboratories at Tucumcari's Community College display skeletons and bronze representations of dinosaurs, fossils, and replicas of prehistoric creatures.

The facility opened in the spring of 2000 and houses approximately 10,000 square feet of exhibit space, a spacious, well-equipped paleontology/geology laboratory (with a large area devoted to storage of the Museum collections not on exhibit but available for study), a classroom, offices, and a retail store. Classes for our natural science degree programs, with an emphasis in paleontology and geology, are held here, and all fossils found on course field trips are sorted and prepped in the lab.

The 11,000 square foot Exhibit Hall houses replicated and original fossils, from tiny footprint casts to the 40’ long skeleton of a Torvosaurus. Although not limited to this time span, the Museum’s focus is on the Mesozoic, the “Age of Dinosaurs,” which is comprised of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. The newest major exhibit to open is a “mini-museum” that explains and exhibits items from the earliest known fossils to modern man.

Our Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of bronze skeletons, fossils, and replicas of prehistoric creatures. The bronzes, created in the College’s foundry, were poured by members of Mesalands staff, assisted by a number of community volunteers. The Museum was the first in the world to display a Torvosaurus skeleton, a rare carnivore from the Jurassic that is related to Tyrannosaurus rex.

We also offer, throughout the Exhibit Hall, original artwork including sculptures, paintings, and wall murals, depicting artists’ renderings of prehistoric life.

And, our Museum is not just for grownups – within the Exhibit Hall is a children’s activity area with seating for parents and grandparents, and most of the exhibits are child-friendly and touchable.

Field research conducted by Mesalands Community College’s natural sciences classes, which operate in the heart of one of the earth’s great fossil beds, has already unearthed three previously unknown life species in Quay County, home of the College. Every summer, one-week field courses are offered (and may be customized for special interest groups) to the public. Information on these courses may be found elsewhere in this Web page or by contacting Museum personnel directly.

Mesalands Dinosaur Museum
222 East Laughlin Street
Tucumcari, NM 88401
Phone: (575) 461-3466
www.mesalands.edu/museum/museum.htm