Utah Valley life: Museums to visit before summer's through

Summer's nearly gone and the kids have seen way too many movies and watched more than enough television, right?

Maybe it's time to elevate the learning curve and visit a local museum.

• See science at the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum on the Brigham Young University campus. The museum is free and offers a variety of animal exhibits. Call 378-5051.

• Hunt history, artifacts and pioneer relics at the John Hutchings Museum of Natural History in Lehi, 55 N. Center. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 768-7180. Admission is $2.50 for adults, $2 for students and $1.50 for children under 12.

• Peek at the Peteetneet Cultural Arts Center and Museum, 50 S. Peteetneet Blvd., Payson. This museum features a bronze sculpture of Ute Chief Peteetneet. Admission is free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Dig it. Dig dinosaurs at the North American Museum of Ancient Life, 2929 North Thanksgiving Point Way. This museum features the longest and largest dinosaur skeletons in the world and a children's erosion sand table. Call 766-5000. Cost is $9.50 for adults, $7.50 for children 3 to 12 years old. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

• Dig deeper. The BYU Earth Science Museum, 1683 N. Canyon Road, Provo, features Jurassic period dinosaur bones. Visitors can watch fossil preparation. A 150-million-year-old dinosaur egg is on display. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free. Call 378-3680.

• Just imagine. The Museum of Peoples and Cultures, 700 N. 100 East, Provo, can broaden perspective on the cultures and history of the world. It houses more than 40,000 artifacts and 50,000 photographs. Galleries are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 422-0020. Admission is free.

• Visit the past. The Daughter of Utah Pioneers Museum in Provo's North Park, 560 N. 500 West, is open during the summer months Tuesday through Saturday between noon and 4 p.m. The library is open from noon until 3 p.m. on Wednesdays. Call 377-0995.