With exhibits showcasing dinosaurs, outer space, rare minerals and energy, the Houston Museum of Natural Science welcomes groups to learn about the natural world.
“The museum has five floors of exhibits along with two theaters and a rainforest featuring over 400 species of butterflies,” said Latha Thomas, vice president of marketing and communications for the museum. “There’s a lot to see and do.”
What groups will see and experience at the Houston Museum of Natural Science can be different from visit to visit, as exhibits are always changing.
“Most people like to start out at the Morian Hall of Paleontology, our football-sized dinosaur hall,” Thomas said. “The Cullen Hall of Gems & Minerals features the world’s best collection of minerals. The Wiess Energy Hall is our newest exhibit and is also football-sized and features cutting-edge technology, two motion platform experiences and the most comprehensive exhibit on energy in the world. The Burke Baker Planetarium has the only 8K projector in the world.”
Other permanent exhibits include the “Hall of Ancient Egypt,” the “Alfred C. Glassell Jr. Hall,” “Herzstein Foucault Pendulum,” “Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife” and “Welch Hall of Chemistry.” There are 16 permanent exhibits in total.
The museum has several special exhibits. “Reality Check” allows visitors to enter a virtual world and walk through the Colosseum and travel into space.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science has a butterfly center that lets visitors get up close and personal with butterflies while walking through their habitat. Also on-site, the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre is a 394-seat theater that plays 3-D movies on a 60-by-80-foot 4K screen.
The museum offers group discounts. Motorcoach parking is available a short walk away from the museum.
For more information, call 713-639-4629 or visit hmns.org.