Take Me On A Tour: Sixth Floor Museum

When Great Grandma was making her plans to visit us last week, Grammie thought she’d like to see the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas.

Honestly, I have never considered a trip because Reese is in Kindergarten and I was afraid he wouldn’t understand the relevancy of such a museum. But it was either the Sixth Floor Museum or the King Tut exhibit, and I was glad Grammie & Great Grandma chose the Sixth Floor museum because it was cheaper!

Adult admission cost $13.50 , Seniors cost $12.50, Children (6-18) cost $12.50, & children under 5 are free. With this coupon I was able to save $2 per admission (I printed one copy for everybody) so the cost was very reasonable!

They do not allow photography or videotaping in the museum, so this mural at the entrance was our only photo opportunity!I had expected to pay extra for the audio tour offered, because I wanted Great Grandma & Grammie to get the full effect of the tour. Imagine my surprise when I found out the audio tour is included in the admission cost! That makes it an even better value, because other places (such as the Dallas Zoo) charge extra for the audio tour option.

This was taken inside the women’s restroom, because technically, I wasn’t supposed to be taking pictures. But we hadn’t entered the museum yet, & I wanted to get a shot of how thrilled Reese was with my photo request…

What other fun homeschool adventures is Heather up to? Come find out at Reese’s View Of The World.

Sci-Tech Discovery Center – Grossology

A few months ago the Sci-Tech Discovery Center opened it’s doors for the first time with the traveling show, Grossology.

It is located in Frisco in a warehouse setting that will be getting a complete overhaul this spring.  The Sci-Tech Discovery Center is a place for kids to learn about science in a fun and hands-on way.

Because I have three boys – ages 3, 6 and 8 – I figured that Grossology would be something they would enjoy.  At this stage, anything having to do with bodily functions is hysterical.  I am not usually one to encourage this, BUT science is involved!

The Grossology exhibit is a series of learning stations covering all sorts of gross stuff.  Each station has interactive play and plenty of grossness.

This area has actual disgusting smells to sniff and then you can guess where in the body that smell can be found.  Yes, my boys actually enjoyed this station. I will admit to faking a few sniffs just to stop the “mommy, smell this!”  demands.

Throughout the displays are gross facts.  This one made me thankful I am a mom here in Texas.

I was a bit fascinated by the walk-through nose.  Once inside you are treated to an actual sneeze.  It gets a little breezy.

There are scheduled activities, “lectures” and events at the Sci-Tech Discovery Center.  This is an impromptu snot-making station that Rhett, my three year old thought was really cool.  So cool that the combo of glue, borax and water is still in a sticky wad contained in a Ziploc bag in my purse.

This station is all about skin and the grossness that can occur – scabs, wounds, warts, etc.   The boys didn’t think twice about using a pimple or ingrown hair to climb up the wall.

Yep, that is Rhett playing Gas Attack pinball in this corner of the room devoted to all things gas-y.

And then there was Urine: the Game.  My husband set the daily high score in a matter of minutes proving that completing medical school is helpful in sorting the body’s waste products.  He was very proud.  We were all proud.

The life size Operation Game was my very favorite part of the exhibit.  It played just like the home version except the femur was several pounds and removed with salad tongs. 

BUZZZZ!

Rhett slid down the esophagus and ran through the stomach on his way to the intestines…

…and then through the colon where he was pooped out. 

Literally.

More information about the Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco can be found on their website. This attraction seems to be the start of something fun.

River Legacy Science Center and Park in Arlington

We took a little day trip with a group of friends last week down to Arlington for the River Legacy Science Center.

I had two of my boys with me ages 3 and 5. We arrived after the 45 minute car ride in which my navigation system got a little pushed out of shape. It seems that my idea of how to get there differed from hers. But we made it and found a beautiful tree covered parking lot with trails that lead to the Science Center.

The center is nestled in the trees between ponds and creeks and trails. It’s architecture was inspired from children’s drawings. It is a special place that feels a bit whimsical. There is no admission. All the attractions there are free.

Inside there are several learning areas. Each has interactive exhibits geared to grade school age children. The kids ran around pushing buttons, finding animals and exploring the center.

This photogenic snapping turtle was my favorite. He was fine with posing for multiple pictures unlike the boys.

The boys were partial to a fuzzy tarantula they found nestled in the tree exhibit pictured above.

Outside is a really pretty observation deck to the pond. I loved the building architecture here. We were able to observe some snapping turtles in their natural habitat from a bit of a distance.

All around the Science Center and through River Legacy Park are trails. Our group consisted of quite a few small children so we concentrated on the ones around the center. It would be fun to go back and do some more exploring.

River Legacy Park is incredible. It is huge. There is a play area, multiple picnic areas – both covered and uncovered, and wide open space.

The kids played on the playground for awhile and then we enjoyed a picnic on a nearby table.

We spent a total of 3 hours. We could have spent more if we had the time and energy. It was worth the drive and we will return.