Discovery Days - Dallas

In honor of the construction of our Perot Museum of Nature & Science Expansion Project, the Museum of Nature & Science is celebrating with a weekend all about building! Test your construction skills with the American Society of Civil Engineers, learn about the latest green building technologies and visit our expansion gallery to see what we’ve been working on.  You’ll even get the chance to meet some of nature’s best builders!  So grab your hardhat for your chance to see what it takes to build the world we live in!

Activities

Build a Gumdrop Dome

Domes have been around for almost 2,000 years, but there are still new ways to build them. How strong can you make your dome? Presented by American Society of Civil Engineers.

Amazing Arches

The arch is an incredible architectural discovery, dating back to ancient times but still in wide use today. Learn all about arches and build your own at this interactive station.

Build-o-Rama

Take your creativity to new heights and see what you can build! Take your creation home with you when you are done.

Create-A-Shape

Can you visualize the flat shape of a cereal box before it was folded into a box and filled? This activity invites you to investigate dimension and structure.

Jenga Towers

How tall can you build your Jenga tower? Compete against your friends to see whose building will be the last one standing.

Sky Scraper Science

What keeps skyscrapers from blowing over on a windy day? Explore tuned mass dampers and see how they make extreme engineering possible!

Shaky Structures

When engineers in certain parts of the world design buildings, they have to make sure the buildings can stand up to the forces generated by earthquakes. Can you build a structure that holds up to our shake table?

Bridge Bonanza

Bridges come in all shapes and sizes. Build and explore the differences between the 7 key bridge types.

Construction Challenge

Build a bridge using only 1/2 sheet of paper, construct a road out of LEGO®s, and learn more about what civil engineers do. Presented by FLUOR.

Scavenger Hunt

Visit today's activity stations to answer a series of fun science questions. Check your answers and win a prize at the table in the lobby!

Connect a Million Minds

Stop by and visit with Time Warner to learn how to inspire students to pursue education in science, technology, engineering and math! While parents learn about CAMM, kids can build with LEGOs! Presented by Time Warner Cable.

Shows

Creature Feature

1pm, 2pm daily

Some animals find shelter in hollow logs or under rocks. Other animals build their homes. Get up close and personal with some of Dallas Zoo's coolest critters and learn about the places they call home! Presented Dallas Zoo

Electric Theater

Saturday: 11am, 3:30pm, Sunday: 3:30pm

Join the MNS educators for a hair-raising stage show.  Learn how electricity gets to our homes and how we use it to power the cities we build.  You won't want to miss this shockingly cool experience!

MNS Members Only

Member Lounge

Gear up for a day of construction by decorating your very own hard hat. When it's time for a building break, be sure to stop by for your free snack and drink!

*All activities may be subject to change without notice