Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Everything from dinosaurs to DNA to diamonds are packed into five levels of hands-on discovery and adventure. Prepare to amaze your brain.
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Neighborhood: Oak Lawn
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
3,594 reviews
Excellent
2,264
Very good
969
Average
276
Poor
65
Terrible
20
OrlandoMouse
St. Augustine, FL2,199 contributions
Apr 2022
When in Dallas and if you love museums on dinosaurs and science, you need to put the Perot Museum on your list, especially if you have kids. There are a lot of interactive areas, perfect for enlightening children. As a heads up, you need to order your tickets in advance and online. Pick the day and time you desire to visit. The museum will turn families away if they don’t have a pre-purchased ticket and the museum is already crowded. As another note, there is parking across the street from the museum under a bridge. It fills quickly during the busy times of the years.
Inside the museum covers several floors. If possible avoid the long lines at the elevators and take the stairs. Your visit will go faster. Each level has it’s own unique theme. You may learn about petroleum drilling, how robots work, space, and the top floor has dinosaurs. The Perot Museum was at least a 6 hour visit and we did not have kids with us. It is a great place and we recommend spending a rainy day there with the kids.
Inside the museum covers several floors. If possible avoid the long lines at the elevators and take the stairs. Your visit will go faster. Each level has it’s own unique theme. You may learn about petroleum drilling, how robots work, space, and the top floor has dinosaurs. The Perot Museum was at least a 6 hour visit and we did not have kids with us. It is a great place and we recommend spending a rainy day there with the kids.
Written June 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Northlibertytraveler
North Liberty, IA161 contributions
Jul 2022
interesting for all ages - our teens age 17-21 enjoyed as the adults did too. We spent about 2 hours enjoying the variety of exhibits. Tickets purchased online give you an entry time and that worked well to stagger crowd size.
Written July 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CR C
Sao Paulo, SP54 contributions
May 2021
The museum is modern and has a pretty nice design to make a self-guided tour with family and kids. A mix of interactive exhibits (mount your own dino, earthquake floor-shaker, tornado spinner, etc) make for more interesting and engaging experiences.
The dino exhibit has limited original fossils, but has an abundance of reproductions and also a lab with a technician showing the process of fossil recovery.
Our kids loved the dino part and then started getting tired from the level below. It is a large museum and I think any visitor needs to gauge the level of patience and interest based on the people coming along.
I enjoyed the visit - wish I had more time, but my kids made me speed thru the exhibit.
I also noticed that Perot's endowment was very friendly to the big oil interests in their exposition of fossil fuel science.
*At the time of visit, we had to schedule due to social distancing protocols and we ended up arriving to the entrance about an hour before our time slot... as a result we were oriented to wait or buy the Guinness Record Tour exhibit. We couldn't wait so we plunked additional cash to add that exhibit after which we could go up to the main museum spaces
The dino exhibit has limited original fossils, but has an abundance of reproductions and also a lab with a technician showing the process of fossil recovery.
Our kids loved the dino part and then started getting tired from the level below. It is a large museum and I think any visitor needs to gauge the level of patience and interest based on the people coming along.
I enjoyed the visit - wish I had more time, but my kids made me speed thru the exhibit.
I also noticed that Perot's endowment was very friendly to the big oil interests in their exposition of fossil fuel science.
*At the time of visit, we had to schedule due to social distancing protocols and we ended up arriving to the entrance about an hour before our time slot... as a result we were oriented to wait or buy the Guinness Record Tour exhibit. We couldn't wait so we plunked additional cash to add that exhibit after which we could go up to the main museum spaces
Written June 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynn H
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Family
We went with a four year old and a six year old. They direct you to start the visit on the fourth floor, which is where there are dinosaur skeletons. They have a good T. rex and a huge Alamosaurus. Several others, many from fossils found in Texas. Informative signs. Behind glass, a paleontologist is cleaning a specimen with tony dental tools and brushes, which is interesting. This was the most interesting and enjoyable part of the visit.
Third floor had minerals and some other stuff about the earth and water.
Second floor was about humans. Seemed like a lot of interactive exhibits but they mostly didn’t work. Some had signs saying they were out of order and others either weren’t working or we couldn’t figure out how to use them.
We ate lunch in their cafe. Salads were good—you tell an employee what ingredients to use, like at a Subway. Indoor Seating was minimal. Plenty outdoors but it was 100 degrees so many people were standing around with trays of food looking for a spot. Kids’ cheeseburger and fries were cold when we got a place to sit.
We watched the 3D movie about dinosaurs. It was pretty good but only lasted about 20 minutes, not worth the extra $8 per person
Last we went to the Childrens museum on the lower level. We told the kids that would be where they could touch things. However it was basically a play area designed for kids five and younger. Extra large Lego’s, climbing structure, kitchen play. They did have several live animals like a tarantula, snake, frog,anole.
The operation seemed efficient. Good employees. Clean place.
Third floor had minerals and some other stuff about the earth and water.
Second floor was about humans. Seemed like a lot of interactive exhibits but they mostly didn’t work. Some had signs saying they were out of order and others either weren’t working or we couldn’t figure out how to use them.
We ate lunch in their cafe. Salads were good—you tell an employee what ingredients to use, like at a Subway. Indoor Seating was minimal. Plenty outdoors but it was 100 degrees so many people were standing around with trays of food looking for a spot. Kids’ cheeseburger and fries were cold when we got a place to sit.
We watched the 3D movie about dinosaurs. It was pretty good but only lasted about 20 minutes, not worth the extra $8 per person
Last we went to the Childrens museum on the lower level. We told the kids that would be where they could touch things. However it was basically a play area designed for kids five and younger. Extra large Lego’s, climbing structure, kitchen play. They did have several live animals like a tarantula, snake, frog,anole.
The operation seemed efficient. Good employees. Clean place.
Written June 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travellustinggirl
Keller, TX102 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
We visited this museum today between 10 am and 11:30, and so did at least 30 school bus loads of students. The only thing that saved this trip was a peaceful visit to the Jane Goodall exhibit, which required a separate ticket and took us only 30 minutes. The school kids swarmed the exhibits, stepped on my heels, blocked us from going up and down stairs and ran around the museum seemingly with no adult supervision. There is nothing on their website to warn about the hundreds of school students who come to the museum. An employee did tell us it is quieter after 2 pm. If we had wanted to get a bite to eat at the over priced cafe, we would have had to eat it on the sidewalk as all the tables were occupied by said students. This is not a free museum even for seniors. It costs $62 for the two exhibits, which includes $10 for parking. The bottom line is go late in the day.
Written May 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BeachBatik
Durant, OK261 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
Terrible experience from the beginning. Parking is awful and very confusing. You need an app to pay for parking but the app wouldn’t work, so then you have to get in a very long line to try and pay. The museum gives you a time frame to arrive but it’s pointless because everyone who arrived before you is still there. It was so crowded I couldn’t navigate with my wheelchair to see any of the exhibits. People walk right in front of me like I can side step in a wheelchair. It took 20 minutes to get on an elevator that had enough room for my chair because of the crowds and people cutting in front of me. So many people could have used the stairs but didn’t. The bathrooms were so crowded I couldn’t get in with my chair. Granted it was spring break week and I expected crowds but didn’t expect it would be so crowded that even able bodied people couldn’t get close enough to see the exhibits. We gave up after two hours and left. If there had been a need for evacuation I’m sure there would have been many people hurt or trapped.
Written March 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamal H
Waco, TX53 contributions
Jun 2021
The museum is located in a sleek building in the downtown area of Dallas. Due to Coronavirus, all tickets must be purchased for a specified entry time, although you can enter 30 minutes before the time scheduled on the ticket.
The building itself is fairly large and is split among five levels. The exhibits that I visited were all very informative but at the same time logical to walk through and simple to understand. The museum may feel like it is geared towards younger children but that was not the case, most exhibits appealed to just about every age group. In particular, the Earth Hall and the Gems and Minerals Hall seemed to be more geared towards a mature audience.
I would recommend planning for at minimum a couple hours here unless you are in a rush and just looking through. The museum itself is very thorough and encompassing and I burnt around two and a half hours looking primarily through four exhibits, so if you want to see more or you go more depth at each exhibit, I would recommend upwards of three hours here.
The building itself is fairly large and is split among five levels. The exhibits that I visited were all very informative but at the same time logical to walk through and simple to understand. The museum may feel like it is geared towards younger children but that was not the case, most exhibits appealed to just about every age group. In particular, the Earth Hall and the Gems and Minerals Hall seemed to be more geared towards a mature audience.
I would recommend planning for at minimum a couple hours here unless you are in a rush and just looking through. The museum itself is very thorough and encompassing and I burnt around two and a half hours looking primarily through four exhibits, so if you want to see more or you go more depth at each exhibit, I would recommend upwards of three hours here.
Written June 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
beachm0m81
Cape Cod, MA143 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
We had fun at the Perot Museum - there were plenty of interesting exhibits and hands on activities for the kids. There is a large play space with water table for the littles (under age 5) on the lower level.
Some of my thoughts:
1) The floors are all open to the one below, sort of like an atrium in the middle, and there were about 6 bus loads of kids on a field trip the day we went so it was EXTREMELY loud. Like, so loud in some parts you couldn’t talk to the person next to you. Like, so loud that if your child is sensitive to noise or has a sensory issue, I would recommend calling ahead to find out if there are school trips planned for the day. Neither of my kids have sensory issues, but they both complained the entire time about the noise.
2) I would recommend taking the stairs if possible because the elevators take a really long time. We spent a lot of time waiting on the elevator until we smartened up and found the stairs!
3) They do not have a coat check or lockers (maybe this is a northeast thing?) so leave your heavy coat in the car.
4) They offer a really great military and law enforcement discount so bring your ID, I think my husband was free and we were all half price.
5) Bring an extra shirt for your little for the water table. There are smocks provided by my daughters shirt was still soaked.
6) I might suggest going right after lunch and maybe it wouldn’t be so crowded.
Some of my thoughts:
1) The floors are all open to the one below, sort of like an atrium in the middle, and there were about 6 bus loads of kids on a field trip the day we went so it was EXTREMELY loud. Like, so loud in some parts you couldn’t talk to the person next to you. Like, so loud that if your child is sensitive to noise or has a sensory issue, I would recommend calling ahead to find out if there are school trips planned for the day. Neither of my kids have sensory issues, but they both complained the entire time about the noise.
2) I would recommend taking the stairs if possible because the elevators take a really long time. We spent a lot of time waiting on the elevator until we smartened up and found the stairs!
3) They do not have a coat check or lockers (maybe this is a northeast thing?) so leave your heavy coat in the car.
4) They offer a really great military and law enforcement discount so bring your ID, I think my husband was free and we were all half price.
5) Bring an extra shirt for your little for the water table. There are smocks provided by my daughters shirt was still soaked.
6) I might suggest going right after lunch and maybe it wouldn’t be so crowded.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
melwashere81
Cleveland, TX1,102 contributions
Jan 2022 • Couples
This is a very nice museum. Lots of different exhibits including amazing dinosaur skeletons. It's not the largest museum of this kind I've been to but I love the layout. It's very organized and has a great flow. If you don't like crowds then you want to avoid the hands on science section. This part was packed with kids and parents so we decided not to even try. They also have some outdoor exhibits for kids. The leaping frogs were especially cool. For $20 admission It's definitely not bad for the price. Parking is an additional $10 and the parking is located underneath an overpass across the street from the museum. We had a great time. We would visit again.
Written January 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James B
Middleburg, FL69 contributions
Sep 2021 • Friends
They have great things for all ages so while children have lots of displays that will interest them, there’s just as much for adults. We went very early on a weekday which I highly recommend. There was plenty of space to take your time at each exhibit and not feel rushed or crowded and it was quiet so you could focus on what you were reading and looking at. As the afternoon approached I did notice the amount of people increasing as well as the noise level. You will appreciate the amount of hand sanitizer station especially since many displays are meant to be touched.
Written September 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Has anyone been here since it’s reopened with covid regulations? Also wondering how many hours you would plan? We have limited availability on our trip and them only being open weekends makes it difficult.
Goxy X
10 contributions
Hola, el estacionamiento, parking del Perot Museum es pago? Cuanto? Gracias!!!
DudesAdrift
Dallas, TX328 contributions
Perot does have paid parking, but for a lower rate, park on the other side of the freeway under the bridge. You have to walk a short distance but the parking rate is much better.
AlabamaAngel
1,746 contributions
Is it possible to walk from the Perot Science Center to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza or would we need to take a bus? I have never been to Dallas so I am unfamiliar with the downtown area.
Sandra K
Dallas, TX426 contributions
Yes you can walk easily to your destination. I think walking allows you to notice the flavor of Dallas.
Anh-voi-Em
oklahoma439 contributions
Hi, there. I am planning a visit with my husband and 2 children (5 & 9). What are your thoughts on the traveling dinosaur exhibit? Is it worth the additional $10?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Jennifer B
Rockwall, TX119 contributions
If they love dinosaurs then I would definitely do it. If they are not that into dinosaurs then don't. There is a lot to do and see there whether you see the dinosaurs or not.
Anh-voi-Em
oklahoma439 contributions
Hi, there. I am planning a visit with my husband and 2 children (5 & 9). What are your thoughts on the traveling dinosaur exhibit? Is it worth the additional $10?
Thank you in advance for your help.
JGPowers
Dallas, TX106 contributions
I have not seen the exhibit. Am always up for more dinos with kids that age. Hopefully someone can answer that has seen the exhibit!
Liliana_araiza
Aguascalientes, Mexico13 contributions
Cual museo de Ciencia y/ o Naturaleza es mejor, el de Dallas o el de Houston? Puedo ir solo a uno, que sea el mejor...
JMorales31
San Salvador, El Salvador20 contributions
Hola Liliana, lastimosamente miestras entuve en TX no me quedo tiempo de ir al de Houston, pero te aseguro que no te arrependiras de ir al de Dallas. Ve muy comoda por que se camina mucho en sus 5 niveles.
Saluditos!!
cindyrobison
Arcadia, IN63 contributions
How much time should we reserve to go through the museum? No kids and we don’t have to read everything. 😉
MaryMcI
Carlow, Ireland160 contributions
Depends on what you are interested in. We spent 4hrs there but went to a movie too..I found the exhibition on birds very interesting and could have spent more time there. If you don't want to do interactive activities it will take considerably less time. if you are not much interested in particular ares you ca skip them. Ask yousrelf why you are going. Is it worthwhile just to run through?
Perot Museum of Nature and Science (Dallas) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Perot Museum of Nature and Science
- Perot Museum of Nature and Science is open:
- Sun - Sun 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Mon - Mon 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Wed - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- We recommend booking Perot Museum of Nature and Science tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 7 Perot Museum of Nature and Science tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Perot Museum of Nature and Science:
- Dallas CityPASS (From $54.00)
- Dallas Scavenger Hunt: The Big Hunt (From $13.08)
- Dallas Highlights Tour (From $150.00)
- Hop On Hop Off Dallas Tour (From $32.00)
- Half-Day Dallas Highlights Tour by Foot, Train and Trolley (From $70.77)
- Hotels near Perot Museum of Nature and Science:
- (0.04 mi) Luxury condo in Victory Park, walk to American Airlines, restaurants, shops
- (0.11 mi) North End Apartments
- (0.20 mi) W Dallas - Victory
- (0.28 mi) Fairmont Dallas
- (0.42 mi) The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
- Restaurants near Perot Museum of Nature and Science:
- (0.01 mi) Perot Café
- (0.11 mi) El Fenix
- (0.13 mi) Meso Maya Comida y Copas
- (0.13 mi) Taqueria La Ventana
- (0.17 mi) Billy Can Can
- Attractions near Perot Museum of Nature and Science:
- (0.29 mi) Dallas Segway Tours
- (0.16 mi) The House of Blues Dallas
- (0.27 mi) Northstar Carriage
- (0.25 mi) The Dallas World Aquarium
- (0.32 mi) Dallas Museum of Art