On our first drive to the Southwest in the mid-1970s an intriguing archaeological site appeared on the road to Meteor Crater. A square tower shaded a pueblo-like structure of crumbled stone walls. An old brochure later identified our mystery ruins as the American Meteorite Museum. Witnessing a fiery meteor fall in 1923, H. H. Nininger gave up an academic career to become America’s leading meteorite expert and collector. The museum opened in 1946 in the building locally called “The Observatory” for its tower. It showcased Dr. and Mrs. Nininger’s 8,000 specimens and held a library and household. The first season or two were promising, with enough tourists willing to pay a quarter (15 cents for kids) to see and touch fallen stars and listen to the proprietor’s pitch. Then in 1949 a new road to divert traffic from Route 66 sent travelers farther from the museum. A year later, the Niningers trucked their heavenly collection off to Sedona. When business slowed there the collection was sold.