A fairly new addition to downtown Dallas, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science boasts a very unique and eco-friendly design. With its roots as far back as 1936, this museum is a combination of several Children’s, Health, Natural History, and Science Museums previously situated across town in Fair Park.

In four stories, the museum packs in dinosaurs, wildlife, minerals, a section on birds, robotics, the science of sports, weather, energy, the universe, and being human. Most areas have hands-on exhibits, there are a few simulators (tornados, earthquakes), a ‘ride’ into a natural gas well to demonstrate fracking, a 1.5 ton geode, robots that can be programmed by the public, a race track that will allow you to size your speed up to a T-Rex or several world class athletes, cross sections of human bodies, and a 298 seat theatre. There is also a Children’s section for the young ones, which most likely won’t be of much use to those travelling on business unless you were lucky enough to bring the family along.

The building itself features LED and natural lighting, off-grid energy generations, solar powered water heating, and a 1 acre green roof consisting of drought resistant grasses and water collection that provides 100% of its irrigation requirements.

Because it is several museums in one, it’s almost too much to pack into one museum and feels like it just lightly touches on each area, However, you shouldn’t be disappointed if you have a couple hours to spend in Dallas and are looking for something interesting to do.

SAS Score: 3 (with your family – SAS Score 4)