Idaho Museum of Natural History — Attraction in Pocatello

The place to be in eastern Idaho for paleo-geekery! What this museum lacks in size, it more than makes up for in heart, and they've got some really awesome research going on. If you live in the area, they're constantly doing outreach events such as public lectures and kids' activities. Their annual Fossil Fest is a wonderful opportunity to speak at length to their researchers and learn more about what they've been working on, as well as providing plenty of fun things for kids to participate in (not to be missed is the Helicoprion tooth whorl Red Vine guillotine... if you know, you know). IMNH is the state repository for fossils, so they have an amazing collection of specimens, only a few of which are on display at the moment. Some outreach activities include going to visit collections, and in my opinion that never gets old, especially since they're adding new specimens all the time. I love having the opportunity to get up close with the cutting edge of research.

One silver lining to their small size is that the museum is almost never crowded (I think the only time I actually saw it crowded was at Fossil Fest), so if you or your family need a relaxed environment, IMNH is a perfect place to chill and quietly look at specimens without much else going on or it feeling too people-y. I enjoy going there to do paleoart sketches, and it's a wonderful place to just zen out with the fossils for a few hours.

I'm also extremely impressed with how friendly the staff and researchers are. The staff are super personable, and if you visit regularly they actually start to recognize you and are happy to see you. The paleontologists graciously take time out of their busy schedules to do public lectures, and even allow ample time after the lecture to take the audience around the gallery and collections, answer questions, and generally talk paleo shop. I always have fruitful discussions with them, and I appreciate that I can get as in-depth and technical as I want and they're happy to field my inquiries.

If you're a Pocatello area resident, or just moved here, and you love paleontology, I strongly recommend buying an annual membership because there's plenty to do at IMNH throughout the year (members also get free access to events). If you're visiting town and looking for fun things to do, IMNH is the go-to place to get your science fix in Pocatello. If your trip happens to coincide with a museum event, I would definitely recommend scheduling it into...

Very disappointed. After paying $5 per ticket our family expected to see everything about "Idaho" Natural History and Geology but instead a third of the museum was devoted to wild fire safety and the rest was primarily about Dinosaurs (not something Idaho is know for). The dinosaur simulator was very cool but I kept getting a loser Triceratops dinosaur to run through the Cretaceous period with and when I tried to join the other triceratops I kept getting gored . My son got to strut through the Cretaceous with a T-Rex and got to kill, eat and poop out a lot of things. Where are all the Indian artifacts, the archaeological dig exhibits, gemstones, research projects, Oregon trail artifacts etc. etc... When we circled back to the gift shop I was looking for more floors but was told there are none.. I tried to salvage the visit and purchase flint napping video by Crabtree from the gift shop but $50 was way out of my price range. Expect more from a university that is the undisputed leader in "IDAHO"...

It was so much fun! We especially loved when we can touch and feel objects! There was a lot there and it was great to learn! It’s a smaller museum so it doesn’t take long to walk through but it was a happy surprise to see the book nook so you can sit down and read some books. Also cool to see Idaho’s state flower/bird, etc. and the kids loved coloring in that same area. We went during the library time on the last Monday of the month so it was free! There was also a snake exhibit which is scary but interesting! Definitely a cool time! Apparently there is parking specific for the museum which we didn’t know but we still didn’t get a ticket. For parking, when you enter the first entrance of the lot from the south, go all the way down until you see the museum sign and then go to the left and park in that little lot, there. If you happen to park anywhere and get a ticket, take it into the museum and they will take care...