El Paso Gallery
The El Paso Gallery is home to the museum’s permanent exhibits which feature the local area’s natural history, paleontology, archeology, mineralogy, and geology.
Displays of the two primary local ecological habitats (Creosote Scrub and Joshua Tree communities ) are presented in diorama form. A changing bird exhibit, including an aerial presentation of large local species, showcases birds that reside here year-round as well as those that migrate through. Two mountain lions, a species found in the local Foothill ecological habitat, are prominently displayed.
A paleontology exhibit features mammoth and bison bones from the China Lake playa, along with a digital display of a sabre tooth cat head alternates between the skull and a fully intact head.
The recent geologic and volcanic history of the Coso Volcanic Field is explained in an exhibit sponsored by the Coso Operating Company.
A display sponsored by the Searles Valley Mineral Company relates the history of mining and mineral exploration/extraction in the local area.
One of our Native Californians exhibits contains artifacts from the local area, including weapons, tools, baskets, grinding implements (metates and manos), and trade goods.
A second display entitled “Coso Obsidian – Production and Exchange” focuses on the quarrying, use, and exchange of obsidian in the Coso Volcanic Field. Examples show obsidian from various sources, and are arranged to demonstrate the manufacturing sequence for flaked stone tools.
The discovery area is filled with a collection of items that children can touch – puzzles, bones, books, discovery boxes, and a monitor displaying images of local plants.
Petroglyph Exhibit
Since the Coso petroglyphs are a major focus of museum field trips, and also in Ridgecrest, a new exhibit documenting the subject was constructed in 2021. The exhibit features a large mural of a striking petroglyph panel and multiple interactive video displays accessing an extensive data base about the petroglyphs.
Before Man Came Exhibit
Step back in time to when massive creatures roamed the prehistoric landscape that is now the Indian Wells Valley. This exhibit features remarkable Ice Age fossils uncovered from the ancient China Lake playa — including bones of the Columbian mammoth and ancient bison.
View the skull of Bison antiquus, excavated in 1972 by paleontologist David Fortsch with the help of Maturango Museum volunteers, and a Columbian mammoth tusk section revealing the delicate growth layers of this enormous species. Also on display is a juvenile mammoth mandible, discovered in 1974 by Sylvia Winslow and her team, showing the distinctive teeth that once ground the valley’s grasses.
Discovery Area
A hands-on space designed for curious minds! The Discovery Area invites children to explore through touch and play. Young visitors can handle real and replica bones, piece together puzzles, open discovery boxes, and flip through books filled with fascinating facts. A digital monitor showcases images of local plants, helping kids connect the natural world around them to the stories told inside the museum.
