Natural History Museum of Utah debuts new Ice Age exhibit

Photo: Utah Museum of Natural History

"Mysteries of the Ice Ages" opened June 7 at the Natural History Museum of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A new exhibit opening June 7 at the Natural History Museum of Utah offers a deep dive into Earth’s icy past — and the creatures and people who braved it.

Mysteries of the Ice Ages, developed by the Canadian Museum of Nature, takes visitors back more than 80,000 years, when glaciers dominated the landscape and ancient animals roamed across continents. The exhibit features more than 120 specimens, rare artifacts, and interactive displays designed to illuminate how ice shaped the Earth, and how life adapted to survive.

Museum-goers will see Ice Age giants like woolly mammoths, muskoxen, cave bears, caribou, and wolves. They will also learn about early humans, including Neanderthals, and how they survived extreme cold, as well as Indigenous groups like the Tuniit (Dorset) and Thule-Inuit, whose tools and traditions evolved in harsh Arctic climates.

Other exhibit highlights include insights into Beringia — the now-submerged land bridge that once connected Asia to North America — and the glacial forces that carved the dramatic terrain of the modern world.

Admission to Mysteries of the Ice Ages is included with regular museum entry and is free for NHMU members. The museum recommends reserving tickets in advance, especially for opening weekend.

For a full schedule of opening day events, visit the exhibit’s webpage.