Meteor Crater
add photos6 Reviews for Meteor Crater
32
28
'10, '11
1 family found this helpful
"Can make a crater in your wallet"
Well, after driving for hours through the desert south west of America I saw the sign for Meteor Crater and remembered visiting there as a child and thought to myself, "The kids will love this!". So, I took the family on the 10 mile (20 round-trip) or so detour off highway 40 to see this big hole in the ground. If you are traveling east on 40 and you hit Winslow you missed it.
Realize that this is on private property and is run by a private enterprise. This is not a State or Federal park which explains the $15 adult and $8 for kid ticket prices. Now, I felt that was a tad high for my tastes but once you are 20 miles out of your way in the middle of the desert what choice do you have? So, $46 later we find ourselves in the gift shop which has all the typical tourist junk found along highway 40 through these parts but also a Subway sandwich franchise! Nice! My boys love subway so bonus points for that.
On the way out the door for the walking tour which I think anyone who is not in a wheelchair or oxygen could probably do (but that's just me), you can touch a very large meteorite. Pretty cool. This thing is like 3 ft long. The kids were not nearly as impressed as I was. Oh well. The tour guide was very pleasant, entertaining, and well spoken. Sad to think about all those people who lost their fortunes mining and hoping for something of value to come out of ground instead of water.
The views are spectacular. The terrain is awesome and the air was fresh. I still have good memories but will probably skip it next time we go through.
Send a Message 
Send a Compliment
It's helpful
1 family found this helpful
"Awe inspiring!"
On a recent road trip down Route 66 we decided to make a stop at this famous crater. I told my oldest about it before we left Texas and he wouldn't stop asking about it until we got into Arizona the next day. He was so excited when he saw the signs leading the way and when we finally got out he wasn't disappointed. The view is absolutely beautiful. It's crazy to think how this was created but it's such a sight to see that I think every family should make a visit if nearby.
Inside at the gift shop area and museum are alright but nothing special. When we went there was no movie in the theater so I can't comment on that. There is a Subway restaurant in the gift shop area so you can grab lunch there if you need to. My oldest loved the meteor but my youngest didn't really notice anything special. So I suggest bringing the kids when they're 5+ so they can fully grasp it.
Like many other reviews said, it's not necessarily the best place to take younger kids as they may not have much to do. But if you're in the area it's really a nice place to visit due to the awe and history.
0 families found this helpful
"Wouldn't Recommend It"
Winslow, Arizona is in the middle of nowhere. The drive is out of the way, and once you get there, you're required to pay a fee in order to pass through the security checkpoint to get inside. Don't get me wrong, I'm very appreciative of the significance of Meteor Crater in the scientific community. But kids will get bored with it quickly.
0 families found this helpful
"It's a hole in the ground!"
Now, don't get me wrong- it holds significant scientific value... Most of which is LOST on children. We watched many of the children doing the same things ours were, running like mad around the museum area. If your children have ever dug a hole in the backyard- you've seen Meteor crater & it didn't cost your family of 4 nearly $50 to do so. I would NEVER do this again- in hindsight I don't know what I was expecting, but- I certainly thought it would have something more interesting than picking up a meteor inside a box. You can do this at many science exhibits around the country... Don't bother unless your family is super into science. It cost our family of 4, over $50 all included & we were there less than 20 minutes...
1 family found this helpful
"WINDY!!"
We went on a very blustery day. My kids were laughing as daddy nearly lost his hat in the parking lot. The little ones could hardly stand up it was blowing so hard.
But needless to say, it was a wonderful place to visit. Great exhibits. Grand hole to look into. Good video presentation.
I clearly remember visiting this place as a young child and I'm sure that my kids will too. With good memories.
3 families found this helpful
"Ever seen a Meteor?"
Not many of us can say they've actually walked around or been to a huge meteor site. I found one on our trip to Arizona last year. This is "the best preserved Meteor site on EARTH!" Not sure how you "preserve" a meteor, since it's a gigantic hole, but nevertheless it's very neat and bigger than you can imagine. I'd like to see the price a little cheaper for looking at a big hole, it's $15 for adults and $8 for kids. But there is a nice little visitor center about meteors you get to look at and if you come hungry they have a subway, but I recommend you take the trip after a meal so you don't have to rely on eating there. Interesting and probably just for kids ages 8+, especially fun for kids into Astronomy! Be SURE to take the walking tour, well worth getting up close and the tour is included.
What's Nearby? Hotels » Activities »
Find Hotels near Meteor Crater »
Find Activities near Meteor Crater »
Find Restaurants near Meteor Crater »
Get the inside scoop from parents who have been there!
