ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is embarking on its first major facility renovation in decades, including a redesigned museum entrance and box office, refreshed exhibition spaces, and infrastructure improvements.
“We’re looking forward to significant enhancements at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Our goal is to create a more engaging and easily navigable experience for all our visitors that ensures a strong future for the Museum,” said Executive Director Dr. Anthony Fiorillo. “To facilitate improvements to the visitor experience and the Museum’s long-term impact, we will need to close temporarily.”
During the renovation, the Museum’s lobby will be enlarged to improve traffic flow and allow for more efficient ticketing. The box office will be unified to streamline ticket-buying, the NatureWorks Discovery Store will be expanded, new skylights will add more natural light in the Museum’s atrium, and permanent exhibition halls will be modernized and refreshed. Finally, updates to the sewer line will accommodate future growth. The total cost of the Museum renovation is estimated at $3.67 million. It will be funded through a mix of state sources including from Statewide Capital Outlay and the Cultural Affairs Infrastructure Fund. Additional funding for the renovation of NatureWorks will be provided by New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation.
The museum will close to the public to accommodate the renovation beginning August 4 for approximately seven months. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide input during a “What’s Old Will Be New” community engagement event on Friday, June 27, at 3:00 p.m. at the museum. The public is also invited to a free farewell celebration the weekend of August 2 to celebrate the museum’s enduring legacy before the institution embarks on creating an even more engaging and inspiring space for future generations.
“We’re confident that these facility improvements will make the Museum an even more dynamic institution than it is today,” said Gary Friedman, president of the NMMNHS Board of Trustees. “Our Board is excited to work with Museum staff and Museum’s Foundation during the course of this project ahead of the Museum’s 40th Anniversary celebration in 2026.”
At the same time, the Museum is collaborating with the City of Albuquerque on its planned improvements to the intersection of Mountain Road and 19th Street as well as the development of the Albuquerque Rail Trail on the east side of the Museum. When completed, both will provide easier access to the museum for vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles.
Throughout the closure, museum educators will focus on outreach to schools and public events, bringing natural history education into the local community. This will include the development of a mobile exhibition and pop-up exhibits available to libraries, community centers, and other public partners. Education programs will continue at the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center, an environmental education center operated in collaboration with Albuquerque Public Schools. Limited onsite programming, including First Friday Fractals, will be accessible to visitors partway through the closure. The dedicated staff of the museum will remain valued employees of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, ensuring their ongoing contributions to the agency’s mission. To best support operational needs across the department, some employees may have the opportunity for temporary assignments within other divisions, further leveraging their skills and expertise.
Throughout the closure, updates on the project can be found at nmnaturalhistory.org and on the museum’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
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.
