New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science will be open every day during International Balloon Fiesta

September 23rd, 2021

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science announces that it will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day from September 29 through October 10, coinciding with the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.   

Visitors to the Old Town-area museum can check out “The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons,” which opens on September 29. For more than 80 years, Warner Bros. animation has been bringing joy to all ages with some of the most iconic cartoon characters ever created — including Bugs Bunny, Tweety Pie, the Tasmanian Devil, and Daffy Duck. In this exhibition, catch a rare glimpse of the sketches, model sheets, paintings, and animation cells used to create these famous films from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. 

Also available for viewing is “Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World,” a timely traveling exhibit that looks at how epidemiologists, veterinarians, and other healthcare workers on the front lines have come together in the fight against infectious diseases around the world throughout history.     

Other new exhibitions include “What’s the Buzz? Why Honey Bees Matter,” which takes a closer look at bees in culture and religion, their migration history, the physiology and anatomy of bees, and the future of honey bees and their connection to agriculture.  Also on display are “Back to Bones” and “Many Inspired Steps: Apollo 11 50th Anniversary.” 

Visitors can also watch a film inside the Verus Research DynaTheater. Operated and supported by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation, the DynaTheater will show two films – “Hidden Pacific” at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., and “Into America’s Wild” at noon and 2 p.m. 

The newly renovated planetarium will also offer shows at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.  Please visit the planetarium’s page on the museum’s website to see which programs will be presented at each show time and to view trailers of the movies: https://nmnaturalhistory.org/visitors/planetarium 

The cost of general museum admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors 60 and older, $7 for Youth children ages 13-17, and $5 for children ages 3-12, while admission is free for children 2 and younger. New Mexico foster families are always admitted free.  

DynaTheater and planetarium ticket prices are $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $5 for children, and free for ages 2 and younger. Combination tickets are also available for purchase at the museum. Foundation members receive a 30% discount on DynaTheater and planetarium tickets, which must be purchased at the admissions desk. 

For visitors who are only seeing the museum’s exhibits, purchasing tickets online is strongly encouraged to facilitate an efficient entrance into the museum and minimize face-to-face contact. All visitors ages 2 and older are required to wear face coverings while inside the museum.   

About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Trustees of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation, through the generous support of donors. Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibitions, programs, and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience, and Space Science. It is the Southwest’s largest repository for fossils and includes a Planetarium and a large format 3D DynaTheater. 

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