Perot Museum of Nature & Science ~ Dallas, Texas

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Have you driven through downtown Dallas lately and wondered what the cool new building with a box hanging off the side of it was?  It's the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science and it is one of the best new museums for kids in the entire state of Texas!

 In December 2012,  the Perot Museum of Nature and Science opened it's doors and saw an overwhelming response from the community.  You see, kids love to learn in unique ways.  They like to touch things, experiment, see themselves in different ways, use all 5 senses and laugh.  They call it fun, we call it learning.  No matter what you call it, this museum does it well.

Thanks to the generosity of the five children of Ross & Margot Perot (a $50 million dollar), this amazing museum was brought to life.  Right smack dab in the heart of downtown Dallas, it has been selling-out daily since it's opening 2 months ago.  Word has gotten out how great it is.

 Tickets are sold in timed increments, so as the museum-goer can have a pleasant experience and get to try all the hands-on experiments without having to wait too long.  Luckily, we had the first group of tickets for the day, so we headed right upstairs to the 4th floor, taking the fun escalator up.

 As I have mentioned, the museum is full of hands-on experiments, many of which are easy to follow and understand what you are doing for most ages.  What I liked the most was that there were several wandering "educators" on each floor, that would just right in and explain to the kids what they were doing (i.e. lifting a bowling ball on each planet) and why it was important.

There are loads of interactive exhibits for all ages, from traveling through the Solar System, to donning a pair of 3D glasses and flying like a bird (my little guy's favorite).

 There are 5 levels to the museum, each full of fun.  We especially enjoyed the third level, where we were able to feel an earthquake, touch a funnel cloud, and forecast the weather.

 As it's a new museum, everything is so bright and colorful.  You find each exhibit incredibly engaging.  On Level 2, your senses are taken to a new level as you walk through the Discovering Life Hall.  Fully sense the Texas Blackland Prairie by hearing the prairie dog call, feeling the prickly pear cactus and smelling the desert marigold (or coyote urine, if you dare!).

 If you have enough time, check out the BioLab on Level 2.  Children get to experiment with staining their cheek cells, DNA extraction, testing germ killers, or looking a chromosomes from fruit flies.  The museum provides educators in this area to help the children.  You may have bit of a wait, but for those interested in the human body, this is a pretty cool exhibit.

 My little engineer spent a good 30 minutes on programming a robot to go through a maze.  He worked diligently on one of two stations and was successful on his first try.  The other kids roamed around the Texas Instruments Engineering and Innovation Hall making music, learning how to dace, playing in front of a geo-thermal wall, and more while he plugged away.  I was able to sit on a set of steps and relax a bit, able to see them taking their time to master whatever they were trying.

 For little ones (5 and under) the museum offers the Moody Family Children's Museum on the Lower Level.  This area has a giant Dallas skyline to climb, slide, and play on that really caught my 3-year old's fancy.  He also donned a Dallas Farmer's Market apron and organized fruit for a while.  There is also a water play station, craft area, and camping site to capture all interests.  It is a great place to allow your little guys to run and play.

But the one place my kids enjoyed and played the longest was in the Sports Hall.  Here, you can race against a professional athlete, a cheetah or a T-Rex. The line for this was the longest we encountered all day and it took less than 10 minutes to go through.  It's fascinating to watch person after person sprint it out to beat a football player.  Another really cool exhibit here involves you comparing a kick, twirl, or throw to a professional athlete.  My little soccer gal enjoyed seeing how she measured up to a FC Dallas player.

Throughout the museum, look for interactive parts to the building itself. Musical stairs, light-sensored walls, and more make the building an exhibit itself.  I also love how the museum highlighted different careers in nature & science, some of which really interested my 10 year old.  Never too young to start encouraging them in a career path!

Simply put, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is amazing.  We were able to take our time on what we found interesting and never feel rushed.  My kids learned so much that they talked about later...even weeks later!  We can't recommend a visit enough.  And we can't wait to go back ourselves!

While you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area, here are more fun things to try:

Cowboys Stadium Tour

Klyde Warren Park

Dallas World Aquarium
Cowtown CattlePen Maze

Log Cabin Village

Medieval Times

LEGOLAND Discovery Center

Grapevine Vintage Train

SEA LIFE Aquarium

Fort Worth Zoo

North Texas Factory Tours

Paradise Springs at The Gaylord Texan

The Gaylord Texan

Texas Travel Facts for Perot Museum of Nature and Science:

Location: 2201 N. Field Street, Dallas, Texas

Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

             Sunday: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm             

Admission: Adults: $15.00

                    Children (2-11/Student): $12.00                    

Recommended Time: 4-6 hours 

Good to know: Purchase tickets online in advance to ensure entry; Tickets are timed; Admission is good for all day; Catch a 2D or 3D movie in the Hoglund Foundation Theatre; really great cafe and gift shop; stroller friendly; parking fee

Website:http://www.perotmuseum.org/

My family and I were invited to visit the museum and were provided admission. I was not financially compensated for this post.  All opinions of Perot Museum of Nature and Science are strictly my own based on my experience.