Experiencing Dallas Perot Museum of Nature and Science with Family

December 1, 2016 Margalit Sturm Francus

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science opened in 2012 and quickly became known as a “living science lesson.” The museum, located in Downtown Dallas, Texas, was created to give children an opportunity to explore science, math, and technology through hands-on exhibits, multimedia, and excellent displays.

How to Get There

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street  Dallas, Texas. Travelers can find the museum just off Highway 366 at N. Field Street. The standard hours are Monday-Saturday 10 am–5 pm, with the last exhibit entry at 4 pm. The museum is also open Sunday noon – 5 pm

What You Will See

As soon as guests arrive, they should download a digital visitor’s guide on their mobile devices or get a Samsung tablet pre-loaded with fun, interactive features. The Samsung tablets are available to borrow for free while visitors walk around the venue.

The museum boasts eleven permanent exhibits, featuring everything from energy, fossils, the human body, the universe, animal life, weather phenomena, and engineering. The venue displays are hands-on and interactive, so visitors will get to experience their body in motion, earthquake magnitudes, open a geode to see the crystals inside and more!

The Moody Family Children’s Museum is designed to be an interactive wonderland for families with children under five years old. There are opportunities for exploration, arts & crafts, sensory experiences, digging for dinos, and learning about Dallas.

The films at the theater vary, but include both 2D and 3D videos. Viewers can explore the world of dinosaurs, the deep sea, or learn more about meerkats or airplanes in 3D! Visitors should check out the website for daily show times.

Our Favorites

The building features a 54-foot continuous flow escalator housed within a 150-foot glass casing that extends diagonally outside the building cube. It was fun traveling up and down the escalator while looking out at the surroundings.

In the ‘Being Human’ section, our son got a kick out of viewing cross sections of real human bodies, trying out a prosthetic hand, recording his heartbeat, and dissecting a fruit fly larva to see its giant Polytene chromosome.

Tickets and Hours of Operation

Visitors can purchase tickets online before visiting the museum. Parents can either purchase tickets for General Admission or for one of the two special exhibits.

General Admission is $17 for an adult, $12 for seniors, and $11 for kids. There is parking available on-site for $8 per vehicle.

Autism Travel Tips:

The Dallas City pass is well worth the money for those wishing to see this museum and other tourist hot spots.
All public entrances to the museum are wheelchair or elevator accessible. Visitors cannot rent strollers or wheelchairs, but they are permitted in any exhibit hall.
On busy days, strollers may not be allowed in the Moody Family Children’s Museum, and strollers/wagons are never allowed in the theater.
The museum only allows Certified Service animals.
Wi-Fi is available in the lobby, and on the plazas and roof deck area, so parents with a child who may need to take a break can bring a personal tablet!
There is a café for those who might want to eat lunch or have a snack at the museum.

Parents will likely see school groups between 9:30 am – 2:30 pm during the school months and the summer. These groups can overwhelm some children with autism so parents should plan their visit accordingly.
Parking across from the museum can fill up quickly, so parents should get here early.
Parents should buy their tickets online. Tickets have entrance times to regulate traffic.
We highly recommend bringing wipes. After all, the museum is hands-on for kids.
Families should wear comfortable walking shoes.
The museum has a cafe for those who get hungry.
There are plenty of outdoor play areas for kids to have fun and adults to relax.[mappress mapid=”133″]