So I have to admit, going to the science museum was not on the top of my list of things to do when we visited Dallas last summer. I know in my last Dallas recap, when I posted about The Sixth Floor Museum, I talked about being a nerd and loving museums, however, I have been to a TON of science museums and I feel like they are all the same. A few bones, a few rocks, some maps, and maybe one or two “unique” exhibits.
But the day we visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, was the same day we went to Medieval Times and we needed something to do for a few hours before we went there so the science museum it was! And… I am happy to say I am so glad we went.
Since we only had a few hours, we only did the general museum admission and didn’t pay for any of the films or special exhibits. And while we saw almost everything, I did feel a bit rushed, and would recommend planning on almost a full day or a solid half day (4-5 hours) to be able to see everything, and more if you want to do any of the “extras.” Another thing to keep in mind when planning your visit, is that you don’t just buy a ticket and walk right in. They stagger admittance to the museum, to help with the crowds, so we ended up having to wait for almost 30-40 minutes after we bought our ticket until our ticket group was allowed in. They do have a gift shop and cafe, so to kill time we just browsed the gift shop (the cafe was pretty expensive).
And yes, while they did have dinosaur bones, exotic jewels, and other “typical” science museum exhibits, I was pretty impressed with the variety and specific exhibits they had. First, the building alone is a piece of art. It was built by prize-winning architect Thom Mayne and has a beautiful courtyard and landscaping.
The fossils they did have were fossils found in Texas and Oklahoma, more specifically parts of Dallas that I knew. It is always crazy to me to think that the restaurant on the lake where we had dinner the night before, is also where these big massive dinosaurs and exotic creatures used to roam!
Another thing I was impressed with was the number on hands on activities, live experiments and interactive kiosks the Perot Museum had for kids of all ages! We enjoyed not only reading facts, but tinkering with different tools and gadgets.
The Perot Museum has 11 permit exhibits including: Lamar Hunt Family Sports Hall, Moody Family Children’s Museum, Discovering Life Hall, Being Human Hall, Texas Instruments Engineering and Innovation Hall, The Rees-Jones Foundation Dynamic Earth Hall, Tom Hunt Energy Hall, Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall, Expanding Universe Hall, T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall, and Rose Hall of Birds. In addition to these permit exhibits the museum hosts special traveling exhibits and has a theater that plays multiple films.
My favorite exhibit was probably the Being Human Hall where they had a bio lab and human bodies that had been donated to science and thinly sliced so you could see all the organs in the body. I know that sounds gross but it was pretty interesting. I do have a really good photo of it if you would like to see, but I do realize this is a cooking blog. LOL!
If you are looking for an activity the whole family can enjoy and live in or are visiting the Dallas area, be sure and check out the Perot Museum of Nature and Science!
For more information about visiting Perot Museum of Nature and Science, see below:
Additional Information:
Address: 2201 N Field St, Dallas, TX 75201
Phone number: (214) 428-5555
Hours: Monday-Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday: 12 p.m to 5 p.m.
Price: General Museum Admission: Adult- $17.00 Seniors- $12.00 Youth 2-17- $11.00 Under 2- Free; Films and special exhibits, additional cost (Note: If you are a Bank of America customer, you can visit this museum for free the first weekend of every month.)
You can also follow Perot Museum of Nature and Science online here:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Leave a Reply