Museum of Idaho

Okay, so the Museum of Idaho isn't really a Utah Valley Family Adventure, but it is a Valley Family Adventure (just not this valley) and 3 out of 4 ain't bad!

This museum is pretty cool because the current exhibit has the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever discovered. "Her" name is Sue, though they are no longer sure that "she" is a she. The skeleton is huge and shows marks on the bones that even show how she was partially gnawed upon after her untimely demise.

Sue, the T rex

A real fossil that they let us touch.

There were a lot of dinosaurs to see.

There are some other cool things in this museum, too. Our kids favorite area was the forest section which is designed for kids to explore and play. There we found a tunnel into a beaver hutch, stairs up to an eagle aerie, a place to dress-up and a place to make rubbings. Our kids favorite part of the forest, though, was the track making part. It was really quite simple: They had a long thin box of sand and a bunch of "stamps" that made the tracks of about ten different animals. Rake the sand and press the track into it and you've made a moose or pelican or bobcat track. We made tracks for quite awhile.

How come he never wants to set the table at home?

Making tracks

There was a nice little street that you could walk down and look in different windows to see late 1800s shops. There was a dentist's office complete with torture tools, a blacksmith shop, and many others.

The 1800s street

The museum is small, and we understand that exhibits regularly change. (Sue will only be there through May). Our kids loved it. If you happen to be in Idaho Falls, check it out. Here's the website: www.museumofidaho.org/