Share
Travel through time, space and nature this summer at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.
With five levels and endless attractions, this museum lives up to its vision to promote innovative and accessible learning that helps broaden our understanding of the world.
Photo Can Turkyilmaz
The Perot blurs the line between the typical museum and an arcade – a fusion that keeps everyone from toddlers to seniors immersed. The atmosphere is energetic, making learning enjoyable and engaging.
This vast collection of halls is chock-full of enjoyable information with exhibits and events tailored to many of the guests’ specific interests. Tots, tweens, teens, adults and families can all get blissfully lost in the educational fun.
Kid-Friendly Fun
On the lower level, down a flight of musical stairs that react to footsteps, is the children’s museum — even getting down to the exhibit is an experience! This floor is perfect for the museum’s youngest visitors because it is practically a playground with exciting ways to learn. With hands-on activities like fossil digs, a creative studio, water features and a play market, it is a fun-filled, kiddie-approved zone for tots.
Enjoyment for Everyone
From street level, hop on the elevator or take the “T. Rexcalator” – the glass-enclosed escalator to the top floor that is met at the top by a T. Rex skeleton. This floor is one of the top picks amongst Perot visitors and it is home to the Expanding the Universe Hall — perfect for aspiring astrologists — and the T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall – just the place for those fascinated with the prehistoric.
Stargazing
Astrology buffs can keep their gaze skyward with the museum’s interactive stargazing while prehistoric enthusiasts can watch paleontologists work steadily on fossils. This level even has a loft dedicated to birds – both prehistoric and modern. From land to sky and beyond, this floor is a haven for those who enjoy scientific history about the world before our time.
Being Human
Another popular exhibit – and my personal favorite – is the Being Human Hall. This gallery explains the complexities of humans from physical evolution to how and why the body works the way it does. Budding anthropologists and curious adventurers alike can get lost in the exciting science of this exhibit. The extensive showcase includes models of different stages of human evolution, a woodblock mirror, interactive tests of the body’s sensory functions. And, if you are not sold yet, a real human brain.
Guinness World Records
For those seeking the lure of the arcade, seek out The Science of Guinness World Records. From now until September 6, you can buy a ticket for this traveling exhibit and either contribute to current record-breaking attempts or try to break a record themselves. From littles to adults, this highly interactive gallery has been a hit.
Adults Only
If you are an adult who often avoids museums because of the crowd, think again. There is something for you at the Perot. Act like a kid again during the museum’s after-hours at Thursday’s on Tap.
This weekly 21+ event provides the chance for adults to avoid the usual bustling crowd and explore the museum after dark. Outside on the patio, enjoy adult beverages, food trucks, yard games and live music. This is the perfect adults-only club for science buffs.
Bottom Line
Age does not matter at the Perot. From young, old and in between, there is something to explore with the highly successful learning-made-fun approach of this Dallas gem. And, stay tuned for more exciting times as the museum looks to its 10th anniversary in 2022.
Cover photo courtesy Turk Studio
Jordan Maddox is an Editorial Intern at Texas Lifestyle Magazine and a senior at the University of North Texas in Denton, studying Journalism. She spends most of her time writing, but she fills her free time either out in nature or exploring North Texas for unique restaurants, coffee shops, museums and activities
