Moab Area Museums
Museums, galleries, and a variety of interesting shops are available in the Moab area. Because of this, many visitors prefer to alternate their vacation days, reserving several for hiking and sightseeing, and several set aside for museum touring and shopping. Moab's Main Street has dozens of shops featuring authentic Indian jewelry, statuary, clothing, and rock shops, as well as the products of local artisans. The Film Museum provides a great turnaround point for a beautiful drive down Scenic Byway 128.
Dan O'Laurie Museum of Moab
This
regional museum tells the story of Moab and Grand County's past, from prehistoric
and Ute Indian artifacts to the explorations of Spanish missionaries.
Photos and artifacts show pioneer Moab life, much of which centered around
ranching or mining. The museum also features an extensive rock and mineral
display and massive bones from dinosaurs. Adults and children alike will
love the museum's "hands on" policy
with many of the displays.
The Mission of the Dan O'Laurie Museum of Moab is:
- To preserve and display regional artifacts and information
- To promote research and education which accurately reflect the natural
and cultural history of the Moab area.
During the 1950s, Moab was the center of a uranium boom. The mining and mineralogy exhibits explain where uranium is found and how deposits are formed, show the minerals found in the Moab area, and display historic mining tools.
The 1957 idea of this museum by a group of early residents
was brought to reality when the uranium boom of the 50s swelled the population
of Moab from 1,250 to 8,000.
For many centuries, the Archaic peoples, followed by the Anasazi (Ancient Puebloan) and Fremont, lived here, leaving behind their earthen pit houses and intriguing rock art. Prehistoric tools, textiles, pottery and jewelry are on display, as well as a model pit house and a large burden basket discovered in Moab Valley by three teenagers in 1990. There is also a display of Ute artifacts, including rare ceramic pieces.
The Paleontology and Mineralogy exhibits have been expanded to include a hands-on testing area for identification of minerals including a "backlight box" with both short and long wavelength illumination.
Let your kids expend some of their pent-up energy with the restored player
piano. It will play some lovely tunes, but it's hard work!
Upper Level
Includes an historic hospital room and
a turn-of-the-century kitchen and home interior.
The Pierson History Hall
This room is named
for the first curator of the museum who organized the materials and displays.
Many of these artifacts and descriptions were incorporated into the new "timeline" arrangement
of this part of the museum under the direction of Curator, Jean McDowell.
The Virginia Fossey Room
Dedicated to Virginia
for her service to the museum for over forty years of welcoming people.
Film Museum at Red Cliffs Ranch
When you enter the Film Museum at Red Cliffs Ranch be prepared
to look back over years of black and white filmmaking featuring our most
cherished actors and actresses, along with highlights from recent film
projects that have taken advantage of the spectacular scenery surrounding
Moab.
In the late 40s the legendary John Ford discovered the rugged beauty of Moab's Canyonlands and filmed the 1st of many movies here. The first major motion pictures filmed in the Moab area were set on the Red Cliffs Ranch. Wagon Master, Rio Grande, Son of Chochise, Warlock, Commancheros, Cheyenne Autumn, and many more used the ranch and it's magnificent scenery for filming. John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Ben Johnson, Rock Hudson, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Lee Marvin, Richard Widmark, James Stewart, and Richard Boone have all worked on location here at the Red Cliff's Ranch.
More recently Geronimo, City Slickers, Thelma & Louise, along with other movies and over 100 commercials have all used the Moab area as a location.
The museum houses memorabilia from the early films to the present and is ever changing. Movie and western ranching themes are present throughout the resort. The museum is self-guided and open to the public daily at no charge.