Meteor Crater, Arizona -- Puts a Big Hole in your Pocket
Sep 14 '01
The Bottom Line This particular attraction is privately owned and managed. An expensive vacation stop. Most kids won't appreciate the history of the crater, and some will find the museum very boring.
This particular review will discuss family car travel, as it relates to a particular tourist attraction on Interstate 40 (I-40) between Flagstaff, Arizona, and Gallup, New Mexico.
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What is Meteor Crater?
Plainly speaking, Meteor Crater is a tourist trap, oops, a U.S. Government (Department of the Interior) certified Natural Landmark that is located 35 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona along U.S. Interstate 40. This natural landmark is simply a great big hole created some 50,000 years ago when a large meteorite (approx. 150 feet in diameter) smashed into the high desert plain of Arizona with a force estimated to be close to 20 million tons of TNT. (Compare to the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima -- estimated to have been equivalent to 12,500 tons of TNT.)
The crater formed from the impact is about 4000 feet wide and 700 feet deep. This particular "attraction" is privately owned and managed, and the Meteor Crater center features a Visitor Center that includes: a gift shop, snack bar, a Museum of Astrogeology, a rock shop, and a number of viewing platforms along the northern rim of the crater.
My Experiences at the Crater
1974
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In August of 1974, my dad retired from the Army after a 20-year career and are family left Heidelberg, Germany, to return to America. My parents made to decision to take the family to California (where we were going to start our post-military life), and this was quite a drive away: our plane landed in New Jersey (as we had to pick up the family car, a Volvo station wagon).
We proceeded on a race across America to California. My dad was a 2-pack a day cigarette smoker, and he would chain smoke during the drive. In a car with no air conditioning, this was really was torturous experience, especially during when we hit the high deserts of New Mexico and Arizona.
We three kids were always happy when we could get out of our suitcase-packed station wagon. When we happened to reach Meteor Crater -- and my parents felt like making a stop and showing us an historical site -- we kids were plain gleeful just to get out of the car, stretch our legs, and run around. We all looked at the big hole. It was about as exciting for us to see as the Painted Desert we had just driven through, and the Petrified Forest, which we also drove through. But, in an event, we had seen the big hole and were ready to drive on to the Grand Canyon. (Which, incidentally, we drove up to later that day. Stopping at Mather Point, we got out of the car, looked at this even bigger hole, and then all piled back in and drove on to Las Vegas, Nevada.)
My more contemporary experiences concerning the Grand Canyon are located here:
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-32C3-238010DD-39F4EF5D-prod3
1989
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In April of 1989, a cousin from Germany visited me. Together, we undertook a 7-week, 9,000 mile tour of America. After a week of hiking at various National Parks (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon), we were on our way to Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, and then San Antonio, Texas. During our drive east from Flagstaff, Arizona, we saw the sign for the Meteor Crater and decided to make a stop. At the time, being single and having no financial cares, the stop at the Meteor Crater was an interesting side show and made for a nice, relaxing one-hour break. We saw inspected the artifacts in the small astrogeology museum and viewed the crater from a couple of different viewing platforms along the northern rim of the crater.
2000
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In April of 2000, my wife and I, along with our two kids, aged 13 and 15 (my step daughters), traveled from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, New Mexico. My kids don't like long drives (I do), so my wife and I tried to break up our travel and do some sightseeing along the way. In Arizona, we had planned to visit Meteor Crater, the Painted Desert, and the Petrified Forest. First stop: Meteor Crater.
The first thing I noticed was how much "bigger" the attraction seemed to be. There were several new features, such a an "Astronaut Park" (basically, a rock garden within a new visitor center complex), an RV Park (the Meteor Crater is literally in the middle of nowhere), and a new Visitor Center featuring an 80-seat wide-screen movie theater (opened August 1999).
The next thing I notice: a gate-controlled entry flanked by some theater-style ticket windows. And then I notice: the admission prices. Holy cow! They need to build a bank next door so that people can take out loans to see the big hole.
During our visit, we toured the expanded Astrogeology Museum, viewed the short film "Collisions and Impacts" (shows twice every hour), and walked along the northern rim of the crater and viewed the big hole. No one in my small family seemed overly impressed. As for myself, what impressed me the most was that I was now $30 poorer for the experience, and no one seemed to be enjoying the stop.
Price and Availability
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Prices -- Adults: $10
Children (ages 5-17): $5.
Seniors: (60 and over): $9
Our total admission price: $30.
The Meteor Crater Visitors' Center is open 365 days a year.
Hours of operation depend upon the season, as follows:
May 15th to September 15 -- 6:00 am to 6:00 p.m.
Rest of the Year -- 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m.
Recommendations
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For families, I would recommend that you avoid this "attraction." It really is not a "must see" road stop. Consider, instead, a visit to the Petrified Forest (and park at some of the features, and be sure to hike some of the trails). Cost: about $10 (this is a National Park).
With respect to the Meteor Crater, if you are really interested, I suggest a visit to its free website. There, you can see a decent picture of the hole and learn all you really need to know about this natural landmark. (Everything, that is, except for the admission price. That "surprise" is kept secret until you commit yourself to drive six-miles off of Interstate 40 and get everybody in your car/caravan excited about the prospect of seeing "something.")
http://www.meteorcrater.com/Mcrater.htm
Pros: Natural landmark, a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, Museum of Astrogeology.
Cons: In the middle of nowhere, a tourist trap of the highest order.
Verdict: I saw it three times. Will probably never visit this attraction again. I've done my job as a host to foreign travellers and a parent.
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Epinions.com ID:
4-1-1
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Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 1091
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Go U.S.C.!!!
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