Meteor Crater

Meteor Crater—also known as Barringer Crater—is one of the world’s best-preserved meteorite impact sites, created about 50,000 years ago when a nickel-iron meteorite hurtled into northern Arizona with the force of a 10‑megaton explosion, leaving a nearly mile-wide, 550‑foot‑deep crater. Its near-perfect preservation (the result of the dry climate and young geologic age,) has made it a natural laboratory for scientists, leading to breakthroughs like the discovery of shocked quartz and training ground use by Apollo astronauts. Today, the crater is a major educational and tourist destination, featuring interactive exhibits, guided rim tours, and an on-site museum that celebrates both cosmic history and human curiosity.