Museum of Southwestern Biology

The Museum of Southwestern Biology has an amazing collection of specimens and information. I attended the recent open house event where every volunteer present was knowledgeable and friendly despite it being very late in their day. It's too bad that the collection is only open to the public once a year, but definitely best for the preservation of all those precious specimens. If you ever have the chance to check it out, please do.

By appointment only? Get real. Also no one answering the phone or returning calls. And no parking. Don't go unless you're a student. Or have other business on campus.

Not exactly a museum, with an open house once a year. Don't expect dazzling displays and cool dioramas, just real biologists doing real biology. Ask the right questions and you could learn a ton about why tissue samples are the future of understanding living things on our planet. You'll also learn why funding shortfalls are putting this extremely valuable resource at huge risk. Little kids and short attention spans are likely to be bored, however.

one of abq's best kept secrets!

A research museum of natural history. No public exhibits, but fascinating if you can arrange a tour of the collections to learn how museums contribute to a scientific understanding of global biodiversity.