Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is the city's most popular museum and one of the best natural history museums in the country, and it is a natural pairing with the Museum of Fine Arts a few blocks away. Its showpiece is the Morian Hall of Paleontology, a huge, multi-level gallery where dinosaur skeletons are mounted in dramatic action poses — predators lunging, herbivores rearing — instead of standing stiffly in rows, alongside the long story of life from the earliest oceans to the Ice Age. The Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals is a dark, glittering surprise, with spectacular crystals and cut stones lit like jewels. The Wiess Energy Hall is a uniquely Houston experience: an immersive, high-tech look at how oil, gas and new energy sources are found and produced, with simulators and a ride-style theatre. Elsewhere you will find halls on ancient Egypt, Native American cultures, malacology and Texas wildlife. The museum also runs the Cockrell Butterfly Center, a three-story glass rainforest filled with free-flying butterflies, the Burke Baker Planetarium and a giant-screen theatre. Note that the standard entry ticket covers the permanent exhibit halls only; the Butterfly Center, planetarium shows, films and special exhibitions are priced separately or in combos, and the museum's George Observatory sits far away in Brazos Bend State Park. Galleries are open daily, and timed entry with a smartphone voucher keeps the box office line short. It is a very busy place on weekends and school holidays, so arrive at opening or visit later in the afternoon.

Start with the paleontology hall while you are fresh — it is the largest and most impressive part of the museum and repays a slow walk, from the giant marine reptiles to the mammals of the Ice Age. Then head to the gems and minerals, which many adults find the most beautiful room in the building, and save the energy hall for when children need something interactive. If you only add one extra, make it the Butterfly Center: the rainforest conservatory is warm, humid and full of colour, and the insect zoo downstairs is a hit with children.

The museum has a long history in Hermann Park and has grown in stages, most recently with a large new wing that doubled the exhibit space. That growth makes it easy to get lost, so pick up a map and plan a route. Photography is restricted in some temporary exhibitions; look for signs. The museum is wheelchair accessible, and there is a paid parking garage on site, though METRORail and the free parking around Hermann Park are alternatives.

HMNS combines naturally with a stroll through Hermann Park and the Japanese Garden, a visit to the Houston Zoo next door, or the Museum of Fine Arts across the district. Families can make a full day of it with the zoo; adults may prefer to pair it with the MFAH and dinner in the Museum District or nearby Rice Village. A word on timing: school groups arrive in force on weekday mornings during term, filling the dinosaur hall until lunchtime, so on school days a mid-afternoon visit can be calmer. Weekends are busy all day. Buy add-ons such as the Butterfly Center or a planetarium show at the same time as your entry ticket, since popular time slots sell out, and check the special-exhibition calendar, as the museum hosts large touring shows several times a year that need a separate ticket. Food is available on site, and the museum shop is excellent for science-minded gifts.