Immerse yourself in the wonders of this island's natural history, where ancient marine environments have given rise to breathtaking terrestrial ecosystems.
First gallery opens Summer 2025
Our Museum
Our mission is to educate visitors about the natural history of Puerto Rico and its transformation from the perspective of minerals, rocks, fossils, and oceanics aspects that evolved into our current civilization.
Our purpose is to contribute to the well-being of Puerto Ricans, strengthen the economy, create a positive meeting place, and foster collaboration between universities and institutions, promoting the understanding of the island's origins long before it was inhabited.
Museums are powerful drivers of economic development, generating employment opportunities, stimulating local businesses, and bolstering the overall prosperity of a city. By attracting tourists and visitors, museums contribute to the growth of the tourism industry, resulting in increased spending on accommodations, dining, transportation, and other related services.
Through their dynamic contributions to economic development, museums become invaluable assets for cities, fostering growth, and creating a thriving cultural ecosystem.
The museum is built upon collaborative agreements and strategic alliances with the City of Aguadilla, universities, private entities, and the community. Together, they aim to educate and conduct research on geology and paleontology, using these fields as educational tools to explore paleontological specimens, sedimentary rocks, and marine deposits that reflect ancient sea levels. Recognizing the value of studying natural history and exhibiting these remarkable findings, universities, professionals, organizations, and governments have invested resources in these endeavors, benefitting society and individuals through exhibitions and museums that preserve these historical pieces.
The Museum of Natural History & Conservation of Puerto Rico is committed to educating visitors about our island's natural history and its transformative journey through time
Views of our Master Plan
Master Plan View: Lobby & Atrium
Visitors entering the museum are greeted by staff at the reception counter. They are immediately in awe of the hanging full-scale “Sirenio” skeleton overhead, which is accompanied by a modern manatee. Both are contextualized with large video-projection backdrops showing the unique species in the oceans around Puerto Rico, which have changed as the island has emerged from the sea.
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Visitors are excited to explore the rest of the museum and buy a ticket which allows them to access the main galleries as well as the History gallery in the Famacia. Orientation to the museum is provided in the Lobby, along with notices for upcoming programs hosted by the museum. Within the Lobby space, there is also an attractive and well-stocked gift shop and tourism information about local Aguadilla sights. Seating and charging for devices are also provided. From the Lobby, visitors may choose to visit the galleries on the lower or upper level, via stairs or an elevator immediately adjacent to the Lobby.
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» Welcome to the MHNC
» Come on in and explore
» There is lots to see and do
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» Staffed desk
» Gift shop with merchandise
» El “Sirenio” suspended skeleton
» Manatee suspended skeleton
» Video projections
» Seating and charging stations
» Tourism display
Master Plan Preview: Isla Viva Gallery
This gallery presents geologic phenomena that created Puerto Rico and its unique land features, supporting early Puerto Rican life and its unique biomes today, displaying the life that visitors can protect.
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Visitors are immediately drawn to the gallery’s introductory video that quickly gives them an overview of how Puerto Rico became an island. The video animates key concepts of land formation, giving visitors context for the island as it existed in prehistoric times, and how it emerged from the sea to become the island we know today. Large format graphics complement this introductory messaging and help immerse visitors in the story.
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» Puerto Rico emerged from the sea » The island landscape we see today was once very different Key features of this area include: » Video display » Graphics
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Visitors enter into an immersive passageway that allows them to move through several main eras of Puerto Rico’s evolution as an island in the Atlantic, and understand how the Puerto Rican land mass went from a deep-sea home for marine life to an island that emerged from the sea only to experience shifting land shapes and support different life. As they progress through a series of eras, they are surrounded by stories and immersive settings which present what each era might have looked like, starting with the shallow undersea world. Eras include the Mesozoic and Cenozoic.
Master Plan View:
Tierra Dinámica Gallery
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Visitors entering from the staircase are immediately “wowed” by a large cutaway model of our planet. They see animated areas under the earth’s crust and explanations of how volcanoes are formed and how they affect us here at the surface. An inset video with volcanic explosions and lava flows is visible. In parallel to the lower gallery, visitors here are introduced to the phenomenon which has shaped our planet in the past and continues to affect it today as an ongoing process of tectonic force and movement.
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» Earth is dynamic » Earth has powerful geological forces
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Large cutaway planet earth model » Inset video » Graphic
Master Plan Preview:
Historia de Aguadilla Gallery
Visitors cross over to the historic Farmacia building and step immediately into a beautiful and relevant local story space. Exploring exhibits around the room, they discover Aguadilla’s social history, ranging from Taínos and Cristóbol Colón’s arrival to haciendas, railroads, and Aguadilla’s respected scientists, historians, athletes, and more. Graphics and display cases are situated around the space, and feature artifacts and archival materials.
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Graphics and display cases are situated around the space, and feature artifacts and archival materials. A central space is devoted to Haydée Reichard, an important local historian. Here, visitors can see examples from her artifact collection and delve into her research via computer touchscreens. A lounge area allows visitors to sit and chat — with historic books and photo albums available to browse. This gallery offers opportunities for hosting events. With minimal adjustments, exhibits can be shifted to create more space for gatherings, including formal presentations, dinners, and celebrations. Changing displays may also be situated here, depending on available space and what is being presented.
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» Aguadilla has a deep, rich social history
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» Movable exhibits
