Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology

Did you know that there is new museum in the inland empire dedicated to creatures from a long time ago? Yep, if your kiddos love anything related to big creatures that roamed the Hemet area some 230,000 years ago , this is the spot for you. The Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology came about 10 years ago when the Metropolitan Water District started drilling 270-feet below the earth's surface to build Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet. While Digging for the lake they found more than a million fossils and artifacts. The new state of the art museum is home to 33,000 square feet of permanent and special exhibits that are sure to delight your kiddos. Current exhibits are

The Big Dam Hole

Use the interactives to learn about the people and animals that inhabited the Diamond Valley Lake site over time. Discover how scientists uncovered evidence of their existence.

Postcards from the Past

Learn about a typical 1880s house in the Diamond Valley region.

Travel farther back in time with the artifacts created and used by the earlier Native American residents.

Movies in the Theater Two short films are shown regularly in our circular, immersion theater with its 270-degree screen.

Enjoy the animated Echoes of the Past, which transports viewers to a time when giant creatures roamed the area. The informative, ten-minute documentary, Discovery and Recovery provides an eyewitness view of the excavation at Diamond Valley Lake.

Snapshots in Time Be amazed by the size of mammoths and mastodons that used to live in the Diamond Valley Lake area. See the real fossils of some very large animals: • A 10ft tall mastodon, nicknamed Max • A 12ft. tall mammoth, nicknamed Xena, • And a giant ground sloth nearly 7ft. tall. Use the magnifying glass to see fossils from some very small critters including birds and lizards. Walk over a re-created quarry site that holds the remains of "Little Stevie", a mastodon that lived nearly 50,000 years ago. Discovery Lab Follow the trail of these animals from their discovery in the field to curation and research in the museum. Explore discovery sites and the "Tools of the Trade" that archaeologists use in the field. Understand techniques used to date fossils and artifacts by using an interactive "Dating Game." Learn why "Not Everyone Gets to Be a Fossil" and make your own fossil cast using air-dry clay and one of our molds. The museum special exhibit- The Music behind the magic-explores Disney’s legacy and draws inspiration from Disney animation, television programming, theme parks, live-action films and Broadway musicals. .The museum is amazing and a must for that little explorer in your family. .Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology-2345 Searl Parkway, Hemet Open Tuesday-Sunday 10AM to 5PM- Admission $8.00 Adults, $6.00 Youths (5-13), under 4 -Free For additional information click here