Did you know the U has its own moon rock? And that it is insured for seven million dollars?
Neither did I, until I took a visit to the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) and went on one of their Highlight Tours. These journeys through the museum tell visitors about the histories of the items within the collections and about the building itself.
When you first drive up or walk towards the building, you notice its shiny walls, almost as if it is camouflaged in the Wasatch Mountains. My tour guide told me this was done on purpose. When the copper on its outside tarnishes, it turns a brownish-red color, creating the effect of a slot canyon in the mountains. When you enter the museum, it truly does feel as if you have entered a cave. There are creases within the building leading to nowhere and sporadic cracks in the ceiling bring light to random areas.
The tour began on the second floor of the museum, where our volunteer guide took us on a journey back in time, starting in the area dedicated to the earth’s formation. As we continued walking, the pictures on the walls depict what the earth may have looked like in different periods of time. Finally, we arrived in the age of the dinosaurs.
Every fossil in the room, as I learned on the tour, comes from Utah. Inside the room there is a transparent door, allowing visitors to see into the fossil prep lab. Within the lab, volunteers examine the museum’s new fossils and make casts of them for display in the museum.
Next the tour moved to the room dedicated to the prehistoric peoples who lived in Utah and the belongings they left behind. Here we learned that prehistoric people lived in caves around the Great Salt Lake in 1225 CE, as well as saw beautiful handmade jewelry, moccasins and baskets.
A fun fact I learned on the tour was one of the first baskets archaeologists found in the United States, a coiled basket made around 7060-6670 BCE, was found in Utah.
When the tour ends, museum attendees are free to wander to other exhibits in the museum. One of my favorites is the “Native Voices” room on the 5th floor, a room dedicated to the American Indian people of Utah. When you first enter, you’re greeted with the words, “we’ve always been here.” This powerful exhibit allows visitors a glimpse into the varied lives of the state’s indigenous peoples.
The Natural History Museum of Utah hosts Highlight tours Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tours cost $3.