If you are having a day in Flagstaff or visiting the Grand Canyon, it is hardly out of your way to head over to the famous Meteor Crater. It is very close to the 1-40 freeway and a truly unique tourist attraction. Be aware that the fees to visit are a little bit steep, but overall the experience is worthwhile.
Meteor Crater is much more than a hole in the ground. If you visited with no backstory, it may be less interesting, but the facilities at the Meteor Crater ensure that you will understand the full history of the site.
The visitor’s center is outfitted with a full movie theater that allows all visitors to experience a 3D meteor crash experience. It fully explains what happened when the meteor collided with the earth and created the gigantic hole you can see today. The film details how the meteor was formed, its path to earth, and the history of the crater after the devastating crash thousands of years ago.
After watching the 3D movie, you can take a peek through the Discovery Center within the visitor’s center. This details the history of the crater from its discovery to modern day, including mining that happened in side the crater, and images of other meteor craters around the world.
When you go out to visit the crater itself there are three different lookout points for you to enjoy a view of the crater. If you want a more detailed view with a little bit more history of the crater and the area, you can take a guided rim tour.
After you have visited the crater, seen the film, and walked through the discovery center, make sure you hit the rock shop. You can find beautiful mineral specimens from all over the world to add to or start a collection.
Visit the Meteor Crater website to get more information!
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