Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas

Since moving to the DFW area last July we’ve been slowly working our way through all the sites and attractions in the area.  I’ve written about quite a few of them on the blog so far, and one of the things we really wanted to do in downtown Dallas was visit the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.  We had a chance to do that last week when they had a Family Media Day, we took advantage of the complimentary entrance fee and I’m so glad we did!  I have A LOT of pictures so you can see the reason why you need to visit if you’re ever in Dallas.

Upon arriving at the Perot Museum one will see the Leap Frog Forest.  This is free to the general public so even if you aren’t visiting the museum, you can take advantage of this great area for kids.

The current traveling exhibit, The World’s Largest Dinosaurs is on display through the summer and showcases spectacular sauropods.

This exhibit is great.  With fossils and interactive displays, there is plenty to see and do. Including a place for kids to dig for dinosaur bones.

Next we headed to The Build it Garage exhibit and there is something hands on to do the whole time you’re there!  It was Amber’s favorite part of the museum and she loved it!  The “Big Picture” kept her busy for a long time and my husband was completely enthralled with the 3D Printer in the “Big Idea Project Zone.”

The Big Picture is a wall of LED cubes that has been transformed into a gigantic canvas.  Amber took the time to create a large scale 8-bit art picture of Link from the Legends of Zelda!

The Big Idea Project Zone featured a 3-D Printer and 3 Doodlers for hands on activities, the day we were there.

In Big Air you can put your knowledge of flight to the test as you design and build your own paper airplanes and rockets. Then test your design in the indoor flight-zone to see how far each can glide or how high they can soar. When you understand the forces of flight, the sky is the limit!

They also have an activity called Big Race.  Where you can rev up your imagination to transform a basic kit of miniature car parts into a racer to be reckoned with! Test your design skills by racing against other cars down the 30-foot track.

After viewing and engaging in the two summer traveling exhibits, we made our way to the other sections of the museum.  I’ll just highlight a few of the things we did and saw.

The Rose Hall of Birds allows you to let your mind take flight.  Here you can create, name and release your own virtual species of bird, you can interact with a full-body flight simulator that lets you take to the air as a bird avatar and use a Hawk Vision Viewer, which simulates the way hawks identify prey.

The T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall focuses on dinosaurs and the fossil record.

The Expanding Universe section lets you embark on a journey through our solar system and beyond.

 The Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall was my favorite portion of the museum, because well… gems ya’ll!  Here you’ll explore both the practical and beautiful aspects of these complex structures.

The Tom Hunt Energy Hall shows you all kinds of energy and how sources of energy are fueled by science.

Where else can you experience an earthquake, touch a tornado and broadcast a weather forecast all in the same day? Discover how earth, air and water interact to produce dynamic results in the Rees-Jones Foundation Dynamic Earth Hall.

In the Being Human Hall you can study a sliver of real human tissue — or use your brain waves to launch a ping-pong ball.

The Discovering Life Hall exhibit explores and celebrates the diversity of life on earth.

The Texas Instruments Engineering and Innovation Hall answers your questions about what bridges, prosthetics and robots have in common and allows you to discover how engineers use math and science to solve everyday problems.

The Lamar-Hunt Sports Hall is where every field, court, track and gym is a hands-on science lab!

Phew!  See what I mean – and there’s even more!!!

There is still the Moody Family Children’s Museum created especially for children age 5 and younger.  It gives babies, toddlers and preschoolers a space of their own to explore alongside a parent or caregiver.

And there’s The Hoglund Foundation Theater, a National Geographic Experience is the Museum’s cutting-edge 297-seat theater featuring brilliant 4K digital projection, immersive surround sound and incredible RealD 3D capabilities that come together to create an unmatched theater experience in both 2D and 3D formats.  Currently the theater is showing:
Pandas: The Journey Home 3D
Flight of the Butterflies 3D
Dinosaurs: giants of the Patagonia 3D

We stopped for lunch at the Café.  It’s operated by Wolfgang Puck.  The Sweet Potato Fries were outstanding and my husband loved the chocolate chip cookies .

The Perot Museum is located at 2201 N. Field Street, Dallas, Texas 75201.  And the operating hours are
Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m. (although it is open every day until 6 p.m. through Sept. 1, 2014)

General admission costs are $10 for age 2-11, $12 for age 12-17 and 65+, $15 for age 18-64

The temporary exhibits and the theater require additional tickets over and above the general admission cost.  Parking is available around the museum different prices associated depending on where you choose to park.

General admission is free for veterans, active/retired military, and first responders through Labor Day of 2014. Their immediate family members will also receive a $3 discount.

I really encourage you to check the Perot Museum out if you are within driving distance of DFW or if you are visiting the area.  Even if you only walk through the exhibit halls without doing all the activities you can spend hours in the facility, so plan your day accordingly .  You can learn more about the museum on their website.