Museum of Natural Science- Oh, That's What That Was

Years ago, I attended Weber State University. Back in those days it was known as Weber State College. I lived in a dorm on campus, hung out at the Union with my friends, slept in the library daily from 10:30 a.m to 11:15 a.m., went down to the pond late at night (and got chased away by security), and, oh, yeah, went to classes.

One of my favorite classes was chemistry. In fact I took two chemistry classes while I was there. Both of the classes were taught in the Lind Lecture Hall. Now most lecture halls on campus (and many other campuses I've been to) are pretty sterile places. They are rooms, tiered like a theater or sporting arena, filled with tables and chairs, and other than the lectures that take place inside, there is usually nothing exciting or memorable about them. The Lind Lecture Hall was different. At the time, I didn't realize it was a museum, I just thought it was a cool place to hang out until class started.

The Lind Lecture Hall is the home of the Museum of Natural Science at Weber State. It features exhibits on exploration, native cultures, geoscience (all about the earth), the animal world, the plant world and, finally, the physical world (or the things human have created).

The Lecture Hall is round and so the pathway through the museum takes you in a circle. Start anywhere, learn something neat, and move on until you are back where you started. The dinosaur skeleton is always a hit with kids. The rainfall of Utah map gives you a better idea were our water comes from and how it is stored for our use. There are skeletons from all parts of the animal world. The exhibit on exploration tells us about the early explorers of the Americas, including Fathers Dominguez and Escalante and Lewis and Clark.

You wouldn't think that all this information along with some really outstanding exhibits could be packed into the center of a university lecture hall. But it is. And when I was going to school, all I thought it was, was a cool place to hang out before class started. Who knew? Apparently not me.

Place: Museum of Natural Science
Location: Lind Lecture Hall, Weber State University, Ogden, UT (on campus, follow Edvalson Street up the hill to the northeast corner of campus)
Phone: 801.626.6653
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
Cost: FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 33.8 miles
Ogden (downtown): 3.4 miles
Provo: 75.4 miles
Logan: 50.8 miles