Site and Address
Idaho Museum of Natural History
ISU Campus, 5th and Dillon, Pocatello, ID 83209
imnh.isu.edu
(208) 282-3317
Date of Visit: 24 February 2007
Hours
June 1st to Sunday before Labor Day
Admission
No charge for the Nature of Idaho Exhibit
Senior; $4.00
Adult: $5.00
Student: $4.00
Children 4-11: $3.00
3 and younger: free
Travel Notes
A four to 4-1/2 hour drive from Boise
Located on the south side of the ISU campus; look for the steel bison
Along the way we passed Massacre Rocks State Park, Malad Gorge, and exits for the Bruneau sand dunes and observatory, the Herrett Center planetarium and observatory, and the City of Rocks.
Site Notes
The Idaho Museum of Natural History displays arifacts about the human and non-human history of Idaho. We found essentially four rooms at the museum. The first we visited was the dinosaurs in Idaho room. On display were fossils of dinosaurs found in Utah, Montana and a few from Idaho. It's believed that dinosaurs found in these states are similar to dinosaurs living in Idaho. During the Mesozoic, Idaho was not a good place for fossilization (as explained in the museum), so there are very few dinosuar fossils to be found in Idaho
The second room was divided into sections, with one of the largest displays on native americans in Idaho. The museum has two mastadon skeletons that are too large to display inside. On the wall is a life-size painting of the fossil to illustrate this
The museum had a special traveling display on Big Foot in the third room and a Children's Discovery Room. This is a play area for children with posters and hands-on activities. It's not really a baby-sitting room, since parents are expected to be there watching and interacting with their children.
There’s no cafeteria or vending machines at the Idaho Museum of Natural History. However, there are many fast food restaurants within a block, since the museum is located on the ISU campus.
The museum has a gift store with nature guide books, geology and archeology tools, dinosaurs, astronomy and science experiment toys, stuffed animals, carved animal rock figurines, posters, samples of rocks and gems, and clothing. There are items for sale for as little as $2.00.
Paul’s Favorite
I liked the dinosaurs - what can I say. Dinosaur skeletons are among the coolest things around. The dinosaur room explained how Idaho was once under the ocean during the Paleolzoic and lifted up during the Mesozoic. From what I understand from reading the displays, the continual uplift and volcanic activity in Idaho prevented a lot of sediments from collecting in the the state. The lack of sediments dating from the Mesozoic means there's not a lot of locations with dinosaur fossils. Some of the fossil bones are displayed for you to touch. Too cool.
Rachel’s Favorite
The dinosaur skeletons were indeed the coolest exhibit there. I also liked the full-sized bison skeleton, as it really put the native American section of the museum into perspective for me. For anyone coming to the museum that is not from the western United States or unfamiliar with the history of this area, the native american section of the Idaho Museum of Natural History should be a treat.
