A Trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science

By Alex Daily, Contributing writer, Madison Tebbe, Contributing writer and Jacob Padden, Contributing writer | July 10, 2014

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Buzz interns made their mark in the Magna Carta Exhibit.

Editor’s note: “An Intern’s Insight” is a recurring blog by our summer interns. This unedited content is strictly the opinion of the writers, and not necessarily of The Buzz. In this blog post, Buzz interns Alex Daily, Maddie Tebbe and Jacob Padden describe a day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, plus some pro tips when visiting the museum.

When thinking about what there was to do in Houston during the summer, all of the interns agreed that the Houston Museum of Natural Science was a great place to visit. Though the museum has undergone many physical changes since we were younger, the exhibits are still world-class. We walked into the museum, curious to see what attracts so many visitors year-round. Intern Madison Tebbe photographed our visit to the museum.

We started off our visit in the new Magna Carta exhibit. As hard as we tried, we were unable to read anything from the original document. However, with the aid of an interactive digital interpreter, we were able to understand some of what the Magna Carta said. According to information throughout the exhibit, there are only four copies of the Magna Carta, two of which reside in England. The three of us, as well as the other museum visitors, were excited to see such an important piece of history. As much as we would have liked to stay in the Magna Carta exhibit, we still had the rest of the museum to explore, as well as museum staff and visitors to interview. We walked up the stairs to see what adventures awaited us on the second floor.

Memorial resident Christine said her favorite part of her job is working the paleontology test cart because most people are interested in that subject.

River Oaks resident Chance said his favorite exhibit was the dinosaur exhibit.His favorite dinosaur is the water dinosaur. His sister, Emma, however, preferred the crystal exhibit.

Monselyn has only worked at the Museum of Natural Science for a month, but so far, she loves it. She works venues at the museum, such as the entrance to the museum, the butterfly exhibit, and the visitors service desk. She said she likes that her job allows her to interact with people in the museum.

Monselyn wanted to remind museum goers to visit the often-forgotten third floor of the museum, home of the Hall of Ancient Egypt and the John P. McGovern Hall of the Americas. “I didn’t even know there was a third floor until the tour of the museum during orientation for the job,” Monselyn admitted.

Stella, a resident from West University, was visiting the museum with her grandmother, Elizabeth, from Missouri City. Stella said it was exciting to see one of the blocks fall, she was more looking forward to the butterfly exhibit. When asked which type of butterfly was her favorite, she enthusiastically replied, “All of them!”

Karen and David come to the Museum of Natural Science frequently, but their favorite exhibit is the butterfly exhibit. Both said that the Blue Morpho Butterfly is their favorite. “Sit still and they’ll come to you,” Karen said, when asked what advice she would give visitors to the butterfly exhibit.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is an awesome place to visit when looking for a fun indoor activity in Houston. The wide variety of things to see allows the museum to deliver a custom experience to any sightseer, of all ages and interests.

Whether you want to submerge yourself in a tropical environment with beautiful butterflies flying in every direction or learn about the fuel sources which are the building blocks of today’s technology, there is an interesting and exciting experience for you. We were there for about two hours but were unable to thoroughly investigate the myriad of displays and exhibits. The vast expanse always provides something new to see, no matter how many times you have already visited. Whether you have not gone in years or went a couple weeks ago, we strongly encourage you to take a trip to one of Houston’s premiere attractions to have a memorable and informative experience.

Pro Tips for Visiting the Museum

Try not to arrive at the museum at 10 a.m. Many of the museum’s day camps start at this time, so parking can be challenging.
Tickets for the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre shows go fast. If you think you might want to see one of the movies, buy your tickets when you arrive at the museum.
Admission to the permanent museum exhibits is free from 3-6 p.m. every Thursday.
College students with valid IDs save $5 on general admission to the museum.
In the Wiess Energy Hall, make sure to watch the full video, which includes many songs, about the role of energy. Intern Jacob Padden said, “They’re en-LIGHT-ening.”
Around 12 p.m., the museum begins to fill up with various day camps coming to visit the museum. If you want a quieter museum experience, we recommend not coming at this time.

River Oaks resident Emma enjoys looking at all of the big gems in the crystal exhibit.
One couple at the museum waited for 45 minutes in the butterfly exhibit waiting for a butterfly to land on their camera.
The Butterfly Exhibit in the Museum of Natural Science.
Christine, a Memorial resident, has been working at the museum for the past two summers. She usually runs test carts throughout the museum, or gives tours to museum guests.
River Oaks resident Chance said his favorite exhibit was the dinosaur exhibit.
Intern Alex Daily chats with Emma about why she likes the crystal exhibit.
Buzz interns explore the Magna Carta Exhibit.
Employee Monselyn loves her job at the museum.
Elizabeth and Stella waited for close to five minutes to see the pendulum knock down one of the small blocks placed around the circle.
Chance’s favorite type of dinosaur was the water dinosaur because they can go underwater.

River Oaks resident Emma enjoys looking at all of the big gems in the crystal exhibit.

One couple at the museum waited for 45 minutes in the butterfly exhibit waiting for a butterfly to land on their camera.

The Butterfly Exhibit in the Museum of Natural Science.

Christine, a Memorial resident, has been working at the museum for the past two summers. She usually runs test carts throughout the museum, or gives tours to museum guests.