I thought it was freaking awesome. Yes it is "just a hole in the ground." But it's a really old hole in the ground created by a great meteor that smacked into the earth!
The facility is really clean, well maintained, there's a small gift shop, and even a short movie about the crater. My kids actually loved it.
Here are the downsides and why I couldn't rate it higher:
Admission price is crazy. $18/adults and $9/for children. That's $73 for my family. They did however allow us free admission when they found out we are an active duty military family.
No pets allowed. I'm not sure I get this part. Most of the facility is outside. Maybe it's a pet safety issue? No one wants to lose Sparky to a giant meteor crater. But it's also a thousand degrees in the dessert and you certainly can't leave the dogs in the car. So that's a bummer when you drive several miles out of the way for a visit.
Otherwise, my kids and I really dug it. My husband missed out because he graciously volunteered to stay with our dogs so we could see "METEOR CRATER!" You'll understand that when you travel through the area and listen to their informational A.M. Radio station.
Happy travels!