Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Perot Museum of Nature and Science is at 2201 N. Field St. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne and his firm Morphosis, the 170-foot-tall, 180,000-square-foot building—a curiously textured precast concrete cube poised atop a base that's landscaped with native plants and rock shards—is an attraction in its own right. Protruding from the cube's exterior south wall is a glassed-in structure housing a 54-foot-long escalator; a “crack” in the cube's lower southeast corner reveals escalators and stairs behind a glass-and-steel atrium.

Chock-full of simulators, computer and video animations, interactive games and the like, the state-of-the-art museum encourages a hands-on approach to learning. Eleven permanent exhibit halls explore such subjects as astronomy, human anatomy, energy, gems and minerals, ornithology, sports and engineering. The Moody Family Children's Museum, featuring entertaining and educational activities for the 5-and-under crowd, occupies one of the halls.

Learning labs, a gallery devoted to changing exhibits and a 297-seat theater with cutting-edge projection and sound technology enhance the experience.

Note: Tickets are timed at 30-minute intervals starting at 10 (11 on Sunday) and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors are strongly advised to buy tickets in advance online to avoid sellouts and long lines.