Meteor Crater

It is also known in the scientific community as the Berringer Meteorite Crater, named after Daniel Moreau Barringer, who determined the crater was the result of an impact by a large meteorite. Meteor Crater is located on private property, owned by the Bar T Bar Ranch, a cattle company established in the 1880\'s, and leased to the Barringer family in 1941. In 1955, Meteor Crater Enterprises, Inc. was created to build and operate a tourist facility at the crater and to educate the public about meteors and astrogeological events.

The Visitor Center is clean and well-maintained, and includes the Meteor Crater Interactive Learning Center which has an 80-seat wide-screen movie theater where you can view their informative movie, \"Collisions and Impacts\", a 10-minute feature which shows twice each hour. The Interactive Learning Center also has imprssive artifact exhibits, with an actual Apollo space test capsule, the \"American Astronaut Wall of Fame\", and many large meteorite specimens, including a 1,406 pound meteorite fragment that is the largest ever found in the area and which is displayed so you can view and touch it. The Meteor Crater Gift Shop offers unique rock jewelry and gift items and Meteor Crater souvenirs. They claim their restrooms are \"the cleanest you will encounter on a trip across I-40.\"

Four observation areas behind the learning center allow you to view the crater from inside the rim. Observation telescopes allow you to get an up-close look at the points of interest. Anyone with proper hiking shoes can get a guided rim tour that goes about 1/3 mile around the crater rim. The tours leave hourly from 9:15 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. and last about 1 hour, weather permitting. You can enjoy a picnic in the Astronaut Memorial Park, with nutritious sandwiches available at their on-site Subway® restaurant. Elevators provide everyone access to the Learning Center, Gift Shop, and observation area.

To get to Meteor Crater, take Interstate-40 east from Flagstaff about 40 miles to Exit 233, then turn right and go south another 5 miles or so. Their Meteor Crater RV Park has 72 landscaped, pull-through spaces, individual restroom and shower facilities for guests, a recreation room, a playground for kids, a laundry, country store, and a Mobil gas station.

For more information, contact:

METEOR CRATER ENTERPRISES, INC.
Box 30940
Flagstaff, AZ 86003-0940 USA
928-289-5898
800-289-5898

METEOR CRATER RV PARK
928-289-4002
800-478-4002

METEOR CRATER VISITOR CENTER
928-289-2362

THE BARRINGER METEORITE CRATER
Scientific information about Meteor Crater

Meteor Crater, east of Flagstaff, Arizona is privately owned and is viewable by the public all year.
Photo by Arleen Williams