Houston Museum of Natural Science Admission Ticket

The museum and its permanent exhibit halls

Founded in 1909, the Houston Museum of Natural Science has grown into one of the largest and most popular science museums in the country. Its permanent halls cover the story of the Earth and life on it. The palaeontology hall is the star attraction: complete skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus rex, a Triceratops, giant marine reptiles and early mammals are posed in dramatic scenes of hunting and survival, creating one of the most impressive fossil displays in North America.

Next door, the gems and minerals hall glows with hundreds of specimens, including a blue topaz crystal weighing more than 2,000 carats, giant amethyst geodes and rare gold nuggets. Other halls take you through the indigenous cultures of the Americas, ancient Egypt, the wildlife of Africa in life-size dioramas, the science of shells and molluscs, energy and space exploration. Flash photography is not allowed inside the halls.

The planetarium dome

Your combo ticket includes one show in the museum's planetarium, a domed theatre where the night sky and the wonders of the universe are projected all around you. Shows change regularly and cover topics such as the planets, black holes, the life of stars and the search for life beyond Earth, presented in high-resolution full-dome films that make you feel as if you are flying through space.

Most shows last 25 to 45 minutes. Check the day's schedule as soon as you arrive and choose a show time that fits your visit, as seats are allocated per session. The planetarium is a welcome rest in the middle of a museum day and is especially popular with children, who love the feeling of looking up into a sky full of stars in the middle of the city.

The butterfly conservatory

The butterfly conservatory is a three-storey glass cone filled with a living tropical rainforest. Hundreds of colourful butterflies from Central and South America, Africa and Asia fly freely around you, landing on flowers, leaves and sometimes on visitors. A path winds gently upward past exotic plants and a waterfall about 15 metres high, with plenty of benches for watching the butterflies feed and rest.

Before entering the rainforest, an insect zoo presents living insects and spiders, from giant beetles to stick insects, and a window lets you watch new butterflies emerging from their chrysalises. Inside the conservatory the air is warm and humid, so wear light clothing. Is the butterfly centre in Houston worth visiting? For families and nature lovers, it is one of the highlights of the museum.

Planning your visit to the Museum District

The museum stands in Houston's Museum District, at the edge of the city's largest central park, about 10 minutes by car from downtown. If you are wondering how to get to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the light-rail line stops nearby, and there is a paid parking garage next to the museum. Opening hours usually run from 09:00 to 17:00, but special events can change the schedule, so check before you go.

The best time to visit is on a weekday morning, when the halls are quieter and school groups have not yet arrived. Allow about four hours for the museum, a planetarium show and the butterflies. A café on site offers snacks and drinks, which are not included in the ticket. After your visit, the park next door, its lake and gardens are perfect for a relaxed afternoon outdoors.