Houston Museum of Natural Science

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Founded in 1909 by the Houston Museum and Scientific Society, Inc., the Houston Museum of Natural Science has grown to become one of the highest-attended museums in the United States.

The Museum includes four floors of dynamic permanent exhibit halls.

As host to world-class touring exhibitions in addition to its diverse and extraordinary permanent offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science is always an adventure.

Paleontology Hall

Paleontologists study the fossilized remains of dinosaurs and other creatures, including their skeletons, shells, footprints and even coprolite, or fossilized excrement.

Providing a vivid glimpse into the incredible 3.5 billion-year story of life on Earth, the Hall of Paleontology contains more than 450 fossils and fossil casts that bring visitors face-to-face with the amazing creatures that once ruled the planet.

Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals

This spectacular hall houses the world’s finest display-quality collection of minerals, which includes more than 750 beautifully crystallized mineral specimens.

Discover some of the rarest and most stunning minerals ever uncovered. Walk-around display cases and fiber-optic lighting provide an optimum view of these dazzling treasures.

The Lester and Sue Smith Gem Vault

As the newest permanent exhibit hall at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Smith Gem Vault contains some of the most coveted and mesmerizing polished and cut gems and jewels ever displayed in a single exhibit.

Floating lightly in space and radiating intense color, the jeweled masterpieces on display in the Smith Gem Vault literally take your breath away.

As a complement to the museum’s existing, world-renowned collection of the rarest and most beautiful mineral crystals, the Smith Gem Vault collection includes the world’s finest aquamarine, the largest emerald crystal ever recovered in North America and the world’s finest boulder opal in addition to dazzling examples of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarines, topaz, amethyst, alexandrite and tourmaline.

John P. McGovern Hall of the Americas

This exhibit celebrates the extraordinary accomplishments and cultural traditions of indigenous peoples from over 50 diverse cultures from Alaska to Peru. Visitors are surrounded by innovative, reconstructed environments and hands-on activities, as the museum’s magnificent collection of artifacts comes to life.

Discover Amazonian feather art, rugs, pottery, beadwork, kachina dolls, pre-Columbian gold and other priceless relics.

Wiess Energy Hall

The most sophisticated and comprehensive energy exhibit in the world, the Wiess Energy Hall explores the application of scientific concepts and advanced technology in the oil and gas industry.

Discover the fascinating processes through which energy is developed, from how fossil fuels are formed to the alternative energy sources of the future, through interactive touch screens, holographic videos and hands-on displays.

Strake Hall of Malacology

Malacology is the study of mollusks—invertebrate creatures with soft, un-segmented bodies, many of which house themselves in shells. This group of animals includes more than 100,000 species, ranging in size from barely visible snails to giant squids more than 60 feet long.

The Strake Hall of Malacology highlights these creatures through models, fossils, living specimens and hundreds of rare shells, including the largest snail shell ever discovered.