Perot Museum of Nature & Science

Halls and Exhibits

The Museum features 11 exhibit halls plus the building itself.

MOODY FAMILY CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

The Moody Family Children's Museum is a 4,700 square foot hall for children infant through 5 years. Children can discover the world through dynamic interactions with real objects, scientific phenomena and living things. They’ll develop early literacy, science and math skills and make connections with the urban ecology, urban life and cultural resources in Dallas. They’ll also develop a passion for life-long learning and a love of museums.

Exhibit elements include the Dallas Skyline Climber, Trinity River Water Play, the Farmers Market and Plaza, the Great Trinity Forest, an infant and toddler area, an outdoor courtyard and the Dino Dig.

Designed by: Science Museum of Minnesota

SPORTS HALL

Visitors to Sports will explore the physics, anatomy and physiology of sports. This 4,000 square foot hall creates an engaging, interactive setting that makes sports approachable and interesting, inspiring visitors to a greater understanding of their bodies and the world around them.

In this hall, visitors can try different activities, learn about the science of their bodies in motion, discover careers related to sports and athletics, and explore current issues and advances in sports science and technology.

Exhibit elements include the Motion Lab, The Coaches' Corner, and Recent Advances and Current Issues in Sports Science and Sports/Society.

DISCOVERING LIFE HALL *Discovering Life* is a 3,100 square foot hall that introduces amazing diversity of life on Earth. Visitors can learn how living things feed, grow, reproduce and respond to their environments. They’ll explore living systems as dynamic and constantly seeking to maintain balance. They’ll learn how the living world is affected by natural and human-induced events. Exhibit elements include displays of taxidermy specimens, family tree and food web interactives, The Life Bar, and the Building Blocks of Life, showing DNA and RNA. Designed by: Amaze Design

BEING HUMAN HALL

Being Human is a 5,500 square foot hall where visitors can explore the characteristics we share and the qualities that set us apart from all other life on Earth. Visitors can learn: How our bodies perform vital everyday functions, such as eating, breathing, moving, growing and thinking. How we look at the human body, from biological, anthropological and artistic perspectives. How humans are unique, yet share common characteristics with each other and other organisms. How scientific tools and techniques can be used to investigate cells, microbes and DNA. Visitors can also learn about cutting-edge biomedical and academic research conducted in the Dallas area and worldwide; how the DFW region is a leading medical research area; and that exciting potential careers in the medical sciences are open to young people.

Exhibit elements include The Human Body; Brain and Thinking: Brain Power and Mind Games; Walking on Two Feet: Motion Capture and Bipedalism; Growing and Changing: Aging and Embryo Development; Body Processes: Body Process Imagery and Personal Exploration; Bio Lab: DNA, Cheek Cells, Enzymes, Antimicrobials and Giant Chromosomes; Being Human: What do you think?; Medical Science Frontiers: Medical Illustration, Brain Imaging, Prosthetics, Limb Lengthening and Scientist Spotlight.

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS ENGINEERING AND INNOVATION HALL

Texas Instruments Engineering and Innovation is a 4,700 square foot hall featuring interactive exhibits about engineering, technology, innovation and the art and science of problem solving.

Visitors of all ages can learn that engineering involves an understanding of physical sciences and mathematics. Engineers are creative innovators who design technology that we use every day.

Exhibit elements include Structures: Seismic Lab, Bridge Builder and Flow Channel; Mechanisms: Fluid Power Lab, Chain Reaction Table and Wind Tubes; Controls: MIDI Sound Lab, Mechanical Feedback and Animation Lab; Robotics; Local Technology Showcases; the Engineering Activity Station.

THE REES-JONES FOUNDATION DYNAMIC EARTH HALL

Rees-Jones Foundation Dynamic Earth is a 4,000 square foot Hall that highlights the materials and systems of our planet's dynamic environment.

Visitors can discover that the earth is shaped by interactions between atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. In the solar system, our planet may be uniquely habitable, and there’s a dynamic relationship between the physical environment and the biosphere.

Exhibit elements include an Earth materials ID Lab; Cycles Journeys: the Rock, Water, and Carbon Cycle; the Building Blocks of Earth: Elements and Minerals; Decision-Making: Sustainability; and Timeline of Earth History.

TOM HUNT ENERGY HALL

Tom Hunt Energy is a 7,300 square foot hall that features rich interactive components that create a dynamic setting in which visitors will explore energy sources found in nature, discover the science and technology people have developed to access energy and learn about careers in the energy industries.

The Tom Hunt Energy Hall will become the focal point in Dallas for forums on all energy-related events: conferences, professional society meetings, seminars, and other industry functions.

Exhibit elements include: What is Energy?; Geology - Energy Sources and Geophysics; Drilling - Science and Technology; Barnett Shale and the Shale Voyager Immersive Element; Electricity and Distribution; 3D Visualization; Alternative Energy Sources; and Future Energy Challenges.

GEMS AND MINERALS HALL

Gems and Minerals is a 2,600 square foot showcase of rare minerals and gems. Visitors can learn about the science behind these beautiful crystals that form in our dynamic Earth.

Visitors can discover that minerals are essential in our daily lives, in business and in industry. We value gems for their rarity and beauty, and minerals are the building blocks of our planet.

Exhibit elements include Growing a Mineral, When and Where in the World?, the Mineral Matrix, "Make a Mineral" interactive and a mineral cave.

EXPANDING UNIVERSE HALL

People have always been curious about the sky and the origin of our universe. Understanding the space-time matrix gives us a context for understanding nature and the other principal systems: Earth and life. Expanding Universe is a 2,200 square foot image and artifact-based hall located on the top floor of the Museum.

Visitors can discover that the universe is the greatest physical system in nature. The universe system is populated by phenomena reaching across all scales of size, from the macro scale of clusters of galaxies all the way down to the micro scale of subatomic physics. Our planet is part of systems, a larger solar system, a larger galaxy, and the greater universe.

Exhibit elements include Curiosity Over Time; Astro-Training; the Ellipse Theater; the Building Blocks of the Universe: Elements and Physics Phenomena; the Fundamentals of Astronomy, and the Pan-STARRS Training Center.

T. BOONE PICKENS LIFE: THEN AND NOW HALL

T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now is a 14,000 square foot hall showcasing the Museum's paleontological research collections, mounted animals, and the highly-regarded ornithological book collection, The Mudge Library.

Visitors can learn how life has changed through time. There is a dynamic relationship between the physical environment and the biosphere, a relationship that sometimes is in balance and sometimes not. They can learn that understanding past and present ecologies informs the future.

Exhibit elements include a hands-on fossil lab, dinosaurs, taxidermy specimens from the Museum's collections, bird evolution and collection, and The Mudge Library.

ROSE HALL OF BIRDS

The Museum’s fourth floor Rose Hall of Birds will feature 2,434 square feet of exhibits that showcase the incredible world of birds. Simulations, surprising videos, hands-on challenges, and digital books are a few of the fun ways visitors will deepen their understanding and appreciation for avian life. Selections from the Mudge Library will complete the gallery experience.

The Building as an Exhibit

The entire building and outdoor areas will serve as a dynamic science lesson and living lab, providing provocative examples of engineering, technology and conservation. The exhibit halls will feature state-of-the-art video and 3-D computer animation with thrilling, life-like simulations. Hands-on activities, interactive kiosks, educational games and dioramas will engage and excite visitors of all ages with timely, relevant and engaging lessons, activities and programs.