The 10 Best Science Museums in Texas, United States

November 8, 2021 Vivienne Hutton

Texas has great beaches for bird watching, boating, and fishing. Plus golf courses, cowboy and high art culture, and a rich history. Bask on the beach and bird watch between golf games before, during, or after spring break in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Crystal Beach, or South Padre Island. Explore East Texas from Dallas to Tyler, Texarkana, Jefferson, and Nacogdoches. Enjoy golf and big city life in Dallas or Houston. Visit Galveston's coastal Strand. Tour West Texas and Hill Country from San Antonio, New Braunfels, Austin, and Fredericksburg to Amarillo and El Paso.
Restaurants in Texas

1. Little Beakers at The Woodlands

26803 Hanna Rd Suites 507/508, Oak Ridge North, TX 77385-6611 +1 833-543-7522 [email protected] http://woodlands.littlebeakers.com
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
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Poor
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Terrible
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5.0 based on 6 reviews

Little Beakers at The Woodlands

Little Beakers is a real science lab built just for kids, offering science learning and fun for kids of all ages. From family fun with Open Lab to birthday parties to field trips to home school classes to dissections and even team building, we offer a wide range of fun and educational services.

Reviewed By missykw - Dallas, United States

We ended up visiting Little Beakers on a rainy day during our vacation and I’m so glad we did! It was one of the highlights of our trip - our girls (ages 4 and 7) loved it and learned so much! This is such an awesome concept! We purchased an hour open lab session (per kid) off of Groupon and went around 11:30am. In hindsight, I wish we had had lunch first and then gone to Little Beakers as you can purchase an additional hour and a half for only $6 per child. We were all too hungry to stay, but I think we could have easily spent 2.5 hours doing experiments. In the hour we had, we were about to do 5. Highly recommend Little Beakers!

2. Texas Through Time

110 N Waco St, Hillsboro, TX 76645-2144 +1 254-262-3466 [email protected] http://Texasthroughtime.org
Excellent
100%
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5.0 based on 5 reviews

Texas Through Time

Texas Through Time is a 501c3 museum dedicated to showcasing Texas unique fossil record. We have many authentic and rare fossils on display including sharks, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, trace fossils, dinosaurs and petrified wood. Our museum if free of charge and you will receive a personal guided tour by one of our staff. We have a gift shop for momentous and donations are accepted.

Reviewed By 888HappyCamper

If you love adventure and exploring then Texas Through Time is for all that love adventure. A Non-profit museum ran by passionate professionals (think Indiana Jones). For adults and children, I promise all will learn something new about the Dinosaurs of Texas! ????????????????

3. The Houston Museum of Natural Science

5555 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030-1718 +1 713-639-4629 [email protected] http://www.hmns.org
Excellent
71%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 5,002 reviews

The Houston Museum of Natural Science

This outstanding science museum has a spectacular collection of mineral specimens, a dinosaur skeleton, space-station models, a planetarium, IMAX theater and a six-story butterfly center in which these beautiful creatures land delicately on outstretched arms.

Reviewed By Agarrino

Another mandatory visit while in Houston, is the Natural History Museum. You will need a complete day (or even more) to really check everything on display, since there are 4 floors full of interesting items: Full body dinosaurs skeletons, phosils of all sort, trilobites, scientist working in labs opened to visitors, an impressive collection of cristal minerals and jewels, sculptures and a great collection of ancient Egypt items, including three real mummys. Also great the butterfly interior garden.

4. Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

1 Nature Pl, McKinney, TX 75069-8840 +1 972-562-5566 http://www.heardmuseum.org/
Excellent
52%
Good
35%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 227 reviews

Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

Nature Reserve, garden, hiking trails and nature center provides an escape to nature.

Reviewed By AliciaO0616 - San Angelo, United States

I cannot stress this enough. . . This is an absolute must! My husband and I took our three year old daughter here during the dinosaur exhibit and every single one of us had an absolute blast. This is such a wonderful place and experience for people of all ages. A variety of things to do along with gorgeous, easy and varying length of hiking trails. McKinney is beautiful and this is place is a complete charm.

5. Don Harrington Discovery Center

1200 Streit Dr Harrington Regional Medical Center, Amarillo, TX 79106-1759 +1 806-355-9548 [email protected] http://dhdc.org/index.php?page=home
Excellent
56%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
1%
Terrible
6%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 137 reviews

Don Harrington Discovery Center

The Don Harrington Discovery Center and Space Theater makes science exciting, relevant and interesting to all types of learners by providing interactive exhibits and programs that actively engage children, adolescents and their families. It fosters inquiring minds and nurtures the individual genius that is within each of us. The Discovery Center is dedicated to keeping the facility fresh and always interesting by changing out the home exhibits, and bringing in new traveling exhibits about every 3 months so that you and your family can make new discoveries every visit! In addition to our commitments, the mission of Don Harrington Discovery Center is to spark curiosity, inspire lifelong learning, and bring families and communities closer together.

Reviewed By ohshitjoann - Amarillo, United States

Great place for kids of all ages. Love that they change things around pretty regularly and keep it interesting for visitors.

6. Cockrell Butterfly Center

1 Hermann Circle Dr, Houston, TX 77030-1749 +1 713-639-4629 http://HMNS.org/butterflycenter
Excellent
72%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 704 reviews

Cockrell Butterfly Center

Next to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the glass-enclosed butterfly habitat includes a simulated rainforest and thousands of colorful butterflies. A dramatic 50-foot waterfall and exotic plants transport visitors.

Reviewed By fueledbymoxy - Houston, United States

Lucky for me I am not scared of flying bugs/insects so I loved this. There are so many beautiful butterflies you will be in awe and will be able to get up close and see the stunning patterns on their wings. I spent easily an hour in here and look forward to visiting again.

7. Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum

Harborside Drive & 20th St 20th Street at Harborside Drive, Galveston, Galveston Island, TX 77550 +1 409-766-7827 [email protected] http://www.OceanStarOEC.com
Excellent
57%
Good
34%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 985 reviews

Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum

The Ocean Star is a retired jackup drilling rig that offers a fun, hands on way to learn about the offshore oil and gas industry in a comfortable and accessible facility. The museum features three floors of models, exhibits, equipment and interactive displays illustrating the story of offshore exploration and production. This self guided museum offers visitors the unique opportunity to board an actual offshore rig. While ticket sales halt at 4:00 PM, visitors can remain until the site closes at 5:00. Welcome Aboard!

Reviewed By mphy - Tulsa, United States

We happened to visit on the rig’s 50th anniversary so we got in for free and do not know the actual cost. We donated money and ate a celebratory cookie in it honor! It is very educational for offshore drilling and for the oil & gas industry. It’s a self guided tour with lots of models and real equipment to see. There is a short movie you can watch in the beginning that I highly recommend.

8. Discovery Science Place

308 N Broadway Ave, Tyler, TX 75702-5711 +1 903-533-8011 [email protected] http://www.discoveryscienceplace.org/
Excellent
52%
Good
35%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 130 reviews

Discovery Science Place

There is so much to see and experience at the Discovery Science Place! It's a good idea to prepare so that you don't miss any of the action. We have a variety of programs, exhibits, and events that are sure to entertain and educate the whole family. Because of the hands-on nature of the exhibits, the DSP is a wonderful place for visitors of all abilities and ages to experience and learn more about our world. Our mission at the DSP is to ignite curiosity in young minds through fun, hands-on exploration.

Reviewed By T8827BSmichellew

It's worth every penny! So much for for kids 10 and under. Purchasing a membership is really cost effective.

9. Mayborn Museum Complex

1300 S University Parks Dr, Waco, TX 76706-1716 +1 254-710-1110 http://www.baylor.edu/mayborn/
Excellent
73%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
2%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 325 reviews

Mayborn Museum Complex

The Mayborn Museum Complex brings together, in one location, the resources of hands-on discovery rooms and interactive natural science and cultural history galleries, including outdoor exhibits. This rich combination provides a wide spectrum of engaging learning opportunities for learners and visitors of all ages.

Reviewed By pdsixty8 - Austin, United States

I read about the Mayborn Museum in a travel magazine article and marked it as a place to see while in Waco. This museum was easy to find with a small lot in front which provided free parking. The building itself looked impressive with a colonial style architecture. Since it is located on the campus of Baylor University students get in free but we generously paid our adult admissions. As a brief note this natural history museum may not big as big as the Smithsonian but contains a little of everything from local wildlife, heritage, fossils, University culture and children educational exhibits. We walked through a maze of rooms and surprised how well everything was presented and organized. It’s well thought out and professionally designed. You can learn everything about the history of the lower Brazos region at one location. Outside in the museum’s backyard contains the western Historic Village with buildings from the 1800s brought here. You can go inside some of the buildings like the church were I heard a small girl playing an upright piano and a schoolhouse where another child was trying to write cursive on a chalkboard. It’s all very interactive. Giant pecan trees provided shade and pecans if wanted to snack on. While back inside found a nice history and collection of Baylor University mementos, store and coffee shop. There are lots of corridors leading to different sections of the museum from the lobby where one leads to a huge area designated like a children’s museum. There was even a traveling exhibit for little ones. It was late in the day but able to explore it all a little over 2 hours before they closed. I thought the whole Mayborn Museum package was well done and recommended it for those visiting Waco in learning about a different part of Texas.

10. Center for Earth & Space Science Education

1400 E 5th St Tyler Junior College, Tyler, TX 75798-3401 +1 903-510-2312 http://www.tjc.edu/cesse
Excellent
62%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 42 reviews

Center for Earth & Space Science Education

Reviewed By TravelingAnn91 - Frisco, United States

We love observatories and planetariums. We try and go wherever we visit. This facility is on the Tyler Junior College campus. Great planetarium and very knowledgeable PnD staff that run the movies. On Tuesdays each movie is only a dollar per showing. Amazing value for what you learn in these movies. Movie ticket includes a small exhibit in the basement with very cool science experiments and rocks from around the universe. Even let us see what goes on behind the screen when we asked.

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