Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, TX
The Houston Museum of Natural Science, also known as HMNS, is a natural science museum that can be found at the north border of Hermann Park, Houston, Texas, United States. Houston Museum and Scientific Society established the museum in 1909. Their goal was to create a free educational institution that would serve the Houston community. The museum attracts more than two million visitors annually. The museum complex consists primarily of a central building with four floors of natural science exhibits and halls. It also includes the Burke Baker Planetarium and Cockrell Butterfly Center. This museum is among the most visited in America and ranks second to New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum of San Francisco for most visitors. The museum’s large number of special or guest exhibitions is one of its major strengths. Houston Restoration Group
Things to Do in and Around in Houston Museum of Natural Science
There are many exhibits to view. Farish Hall, Cullen Hall and Welch Chemistry Hall are just a few of the highlights. The museum also has some of the best animal exhibits.
One of them is the Welch Chemistry Hall. Itl is an interactive and fun way to learn more about the chemical world. Interactive touch screens, holograms and videos allow visitors to interact with computers. You can learn all about the history and innovations in chemistry.
Morain Hall of Paleontology is another exhibit at the museum, which houses over 200 fossil replicas. A 30,000-square-foot exhibit in the Wiess Energy Hall 3.0 aims to educate visitors about energy sources. Interactive displays are available in the Welch Chemistry Hall and the Earth Forum.
The History of Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, TX
Houston Museum and Scientific Society, Inc. was the original museum organization. It was founded in 1909. Between 1914 and 1930, the museum’s primary collection was purchased. The museum’s core collection of gems and minerals was formed by the acquisition of a natural history collection that Henry Philemon Attwater assembled and a donation from John Milsaps. The collection was initially housed at Houston’s auditorium. It was then moved to the Central Library, where it remained for seven years. In 1929, it was relocated to the Houston Zoo. In 1947, the museum began its education programs that now include a wide range of subjects. It hosted 12,000 children in its second year.
Facilities of Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, TX
Originally opened with a Spitz Space Transit Planetarium in 1969, it was upgraded to an Evans & Sutherland Digistar in 1988. In 1998, the Planetarium adopted multiple-projector digital images capability using the Sky-Skan SkyVision technology. It was able to show fulldome movies that many of them were made by HMNS staff. Its outreach program, “Discovery Dome”, has been taking the planetarium experience to the streets since 2004. This outreach program has reached over 40,000 students annually in classrooms and special events using portable digital domes.
How long does it take to see the Houston Museum of Natural Science
We recommend at least two hours to make the most of your time at the museum, but even if you’re an international traveler, stopping by between layovers in Houston, you’re sure to see something to spark your curiosity. Next article