ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque reopened to the public in April after an eight-month closure for extensive renovations.
Visitors and event planners will enjoy new features such as a redesigned box office and expanded gift shop while still finding familiar favorites, including the Evolator, an “evolution elevator,” and Bella, the roaring animatronic Bisti Beast that depicts Bistahieversor sealeyi, one of the most primitive large tyrannosaurs.
The museum marked its reopening with a block party, ribbon-cutting ceremony and opportunities to explore its new amenities and familiar attractions. Shows at the Planetarium Powered by Meta, and the Verus Research DynaTheater were included with museum admission throughout the weekend festivities.
The museum closed to the public in August 2025 for its first major facility renovation in decades. The project included a redesigned entrance, box office and gift shop, refreshed exhibition spaces and infrastructure improvements.
Visitors and groups can now enjoy a new entrance featuring an enlarged, rebuilt lobby. The box office was consolidated to streamline ticket purchases, and crews expanded the NatureWorks Discovery Store. Permanent exhibition halls were modernized and refreshed. New skylights were added to the museum’s atrium to increase natural light, and the sewer line was updated to accommodate future growth.
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science offers a variety of event spaces for groups of all sizes. Pricing varies based on the space rented, event length and number of attendees.
For more information, visit nmnaturalhistory.org.
