Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater is a huge bowl-shaped hole in the desert made when a space rock crashed into Earth long ago. The crater is nearly a mile wide and hundreds of feet deep.
It is one of the best-preserved meteorite craters on the whole planet and a favorite for space lovers. Astronauts once trained here to get ready for their trips to the Moon.
History
The crater was made about 50,000 years ago by a meteorite the size of a house traveling super fast. A real piece of the space rock is on display for visitors to see.
Activities
Families can walk along the rim viewpoints and use telescopes to peek deep into the crater. The visitor center has fun space exhibits, movies, and hands-on displays about meteors.
Science and Space
Scientists study the crater to learn what happens when space rocks hit planets. NASA astronauts trained here because the landscape looks a lot like the surface of the Moon.