Meteor Crater

As our trip is starting to wind down, we left the whirlwind of National Parks behind us, and visited Meteor Crater in Arizona. I kept joking with everyone that I was going to see a hole in the ground, and I was not expecting to be as impressed with this stop as I was.

Meteor Crater is not very far off of the major freeway that you have to take to get back to Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon areas from Petrified Forest National Park, so it made sense to stop. It is the best preserved meteor crater in the world, and it is HUGE!

When you enter the crater area, there is a visitors center where you show the tickets you bought online (they are cheaper), or you can purchase tickets in person. We bought mine and the girls’ online, so we just had to show our phone to enter. Hubby had to buy his onsite because he has a military I.D. Once you get past the entrance, you have your choice of watching a short video that was show on the hour, going out to look at the crater, wandering around to look at exhibits, or watching a 4-D adventure space mission. It wasn’t time for the video, so we decided to check out the exhibits. I got to touch the biggest remaining meteorite fragment from the meteor impact.

We learned a lot about how incredibly fast meteors enter our atmosphere and what the force of a crash landing can have! We also got to see examples of other meteors that have fallen into earth in much more recent times.

We finished up in the exhibits and then it was time to see the video. We wanted to make sure we saw that before going out to the crater. Then it was off to see the crater in person. There was a very nice big glass wall that faced the meteor crater, as well, so if you weren’t sure you wanted to leave the building, you wouldn’t have to go outside. We chose to go in as many spots as we were allowed – there was a high observation area to get the most zoomed out view, another viewing platform with memorial plaques and some seats, and a final area that had binoculars to look at some of the features that scientists have created in the crater – drilling shafts, exploratory holes, a 6’ astronaut, etc.

After we had been thoroughly awed by the actual crater, we went back inside to do the 4-D experience. It was pretty fun. In the waiting area for the experience, there is a hand scan area. Poor Squid got the ‘Denied Entry’ alert when she put her hand up. That caused us all to laugh. Don’t worry; it’s all for fun – they let her in anyways.

All 4 of us really liked this stop – it was so crazy to think about how long ago the meteor hit the earth here, and how huge it was. The whole experience was interesting for all of us – from 7-year old Wormy to 11-year old Squid to my husband and I. I think we were here for 2 hours or so, and that includes seeing everything AND shopping at the gift shop onsite, as well.