Our first visit to Dallas, Texas would have been incomplete without a stop at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. This world-class science center offers visitors a wide range of experiences. When I found out that they have tons of hands-on exhibits, it was put at the top of our list. To add to our excitement, they have an impressive number of fossils and skeletons from dinosaur days. Let’s take a walk on the science side.
We want to thank Visit Dallas and the Perot Museum for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own.
Unusual Architecture
Landing in downtown Dallas, several skyscrapers make it challenging to see some of the shorter structures. When we got closer to the Trinity River, the Perot Museum popped into view. The unusual architecture lets it stand out from the crowd. After parking, we made our way toward the entrance. Before making it to the front door, we found ourselves passing through an outdoor play area. Outdoor musical instruments enticed visitors to pause. There are also some sculptures designed to be crawled and climbed upon.
Land of Giants
Okay, I’m going to skip a few of the exhibits to get right to the dinosaurs. Don’t think that the areas are not worth exploring, it’s just that I have always been interested in understanding more about these ancient creatures. We passed through Expanding Universe, but being near the entrance, the displays were all pretty busy with visitors. We hoped that moving beyond would land us in a less crowded exhibit. With 11 different galleries, all with different themes, we knew our time wouldn’t allow deep dives into each one.
Dinosaurs Galore
It makes perfect sense that the Perot Museum would have a significant dinosaur exhibit. After all, 21 different dinosaurs have been uncovered across the state. Like our home state of Kansas, Texas was at one time almost completely covered with water. Once the waters receded, the lands of Texas would see dinosaurs traversing the landscape, especially south of the Fort Worth area. The exhibit is filled with a ton of interesting and interactive displays. We walked through the family history of today’s birds and even attempted to soar like an eagle. Watching others in the area, we saw that everyone seemed to be enjoying the exhibits.
Texas Tea
The T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall was impressive. I would hope so since it’s named after a Texas powerhouse who made his fortune in the oil fields and boardrooms. With his name included, it was fitting that this gallery was named the Energy Hall. We were greeted by a gigantic drill head that moves. Here visitors can compare combustion and electric engines. Interactive tables let us attempt to connect pipes to move oil. It moves you through the history and future of energy.
Hands-On Fun
The Sports Hall takes hands-on to the next level. Here we had opportunities to use our entire bodies to meet the challenges. We were getting into the groove, as we trained like athletes. I tested my strength by hanging on a bar for as long as my arms would hold me. Crystal had to move a marble through a maze by balancing on a table. Nearby, others were attempting to make their bodies match the changing patterns.
Wild Texas
We had time for one more gallery and found ourselves in the Discovering Life Hall. The interactive displays in this section included testing your senses against other mammals. Here we were learning some science behind many of the other species on the planet. We tested our senses, as we sniffed some potent animal scents. A portion of the gallery is dedicated to environmental impacts on wildlife. Wild Texas taught us details about the region we were exploring. It also introduced us to some of the native wildlife we may get to spot during our travels.
Loving the Perot Museum
Looking back at some of our favorites from the Perot Museum, it started with a dinosaur skeleton at the top of the escalator. It’s a great start for an impressive science center. There were far too many kids for me to get photos of the Engineering Hall, but we enjoyed watching the robot battles and making our own music. We also skipped pictures in the Children’s Museum, but it’s worth noting this space is designed for the youngest crowd. This is a museum that we would visit again when in Dallas. There are so many interactive displays that it would be a new experience each time.
There is a big science museum not too far from us but I haven’t been. I have been hoping to go when my 7-year-old nephew visits. We may just need to go now!
We say go for it. It’s just as much fun for adults as kids.
We love visiting the Perot. It seems like we find something new with each visit.
It really is a huge place to explore. We will need more than one visit to really see it all.