Residents of Northern Arizona can check out one of the world's best-preserved craters this weekend — at a less-than-astronomical price.
On Saturday (October 21), from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Meteor Crater, located east of Flagstaff and south of Interstate 40, will give free admission to Northern Arizona residents. All you need to do is show proof of Northern Arizona residency or a student ID card from a school in the northern part of the state.
As we detailed in a blog post a few years back, Meteor Crater is certainly worth a visit. It's the site of an impact, 50,000 years ago, of a 300,000-ton meteorite made mostly of iron. About 80 percent of the metorite likely was vaporized on impact, leaving a nearly mile-wide crater. Pieces of the meteorite have been found several miles away; the largest is on display at the visitors center.
Because of the area's lack of precipitation, Meteor Crater is perhaps the best-preserved impact crater in the world. Today, the site also features a visitors center, a gift shop and a 3-D film showing how the crater was formed.
If you can't make it Saturday (or aren't a Northern Arizona resident), the regular cost of admission is $18 for adults, with discounts for veterans, seniors and children ages 6 to 17. Active-duty military and children 5 and under are free. To learn more, visit www.meteorcrater.com.