The museum features exhibits on the geological history of the Pajarito Plateau, including the volcanic explosion that created the world's second largest caldera, known as the Valles Caldera. It also has displays on the early settlers of the area, the Ancestral Pueblo Indians and the early homesteaders. The museum displays the history of the Los Alamos Ranch School, an elite educational institution for wealthy boys. It was founded by Ashley Pond II using the methods of the Boy Scouts of America to build both the bodies and the minds of boys, who wore shorts as part of their school uniforms, even during the winter. The school closed in 1943 when the United States government seized the property for the Manhattan Project, the top secret project to create the atomic bomb. Photos and artifacts in the museum document this time and tell the stories of the people who lived it.