Tag Archives: hall of the americas

Labor Day! Fun For The Long Weekend At HMNS

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Monday is Labor Day – and you know what that means, right?

LONG WEEKEND.

In case you’re wondering how to fill the long hours between Friday afternoon and Tuesday morning, here’s a list of the top ten weekend experiences you can have with the family at HMNS all weekend long.

That’s right – we’re open MONDAY! Because we’re here for you. 

10. Come And Take It!

A look at the stunning variety of fascinating artifacts from Texas’ rich history, that is.

Come And Take It
The Come And Take It Cannon!
See a full set of photos from the exhibit on Flickr

Texas! The Exhibition closes at 5 pm on Monday, Sept 5 – so don’t miss your last chance to see Santa Anna’s spurs, Davy Crockett’s violin, the Davis Guards Medal and many other objects from a huge swath of Texas history – from prehistoric cultures to the Spindletop oil gusher.

Preview the exhibit with our blog series on Texas History! (And see how you can win free tickets to see the exhibit closing weekend!)

9. Ramble through Borneo with Orangutans

And while you’re at it, explore Tsavo with young elephants.

Born To Be Wild
The cuteness! See it this weekend in Born To Be Wild 3D at HMNS!

Born To Be Wild 3D is a fascinating, entertaining and heart-warming film chronicling the efforts of two pioneering women to save orphaned animals.

Time Out New York says “The kids will squeal with delight.” We think you probably will, too.

8. Discover The True Meaning of Mayan Prophecies 

2012: Mayan Prophecies
2012: Mayan Prophecies in the HMNS Planetarium

Worried about 2012? Explore the Mayan culture in this new planetarium film. Learn why Dec. 21, 2012 will be just another day, but the Mayan culture’s true contributions to civilization are unique and fascinating.

7. Solve A Crime!

If watching CSI makes you think you think “I could do that!” – this exhibit is for you! Study fingerprints, chromatographs, DNA, insect lifecycles, tire marks, hair analysis, thread comparison, and handwriting analysis to catch the culprit!

Crime Lab Detective opens at the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land on Saturday, Sept. 3!

6. Watch A Butterfly Enter The World!

Cockrell Butterfly Center

Our butterflies flit through a three-story, glass enclosed rain forest habitat – and it’s a showstopper of the large-scale variety. But you shouldn’t miss the Hall of Entomology on the upper level – where you can watch butterflies emerge from their chrysalides daily. It’s a quiet moment of tranformation, rebirth and wonder that everyone should experience.

5. Discover a Modern-Day Dragon

Think all dragons breathe fire? Some just flash it – including The Dragon, one of the world’s most famous mineral specimens.

The Dragon | HMNS Mineral Hall

It just so happens to be part of our collection – on permanent display in the Hall of Gems and Minerals, along with literally hundreds of the world’s finest gems and minerals. Hundreds. 

4. Develop An Intense Desire To Wear This.

Ancient Ukraine Exhibit at HMNS
Preview the entire exhibition in this set of photos on Flickr.

If you’ve followed our advice on #4, you’ve likely whetted your appetite for gold. And our Ancient Ukraine exhibition (closing Sept. 5!) could be called: Gold! Oh, And Some More Gold. (Except that it also features fascinating artifacts made from many other materials, from the entire 6,000 year history of Ukraine.)

Get an idea of what you’re in for in our curator’s blog series on Ancient Ukraine.

3. Spend Saturday With The Stars!

George Observatory

Long weekends are the perfect time to make the long drive out to our George Observatory. It’s an hour outside Houston, but that means light pollution is at a minimum – and stars are at a maximum.

If you’ve never been, you will marvel  at the number of stars you can see with the naked eye – and the astronomical detail you can view through our Gueymard telescope, one of the largest in the country that’s available for public viewing.

The Observatory is open every Saturday night from 3 – 10 pm. Get Directions and information on Admission.

2. Explore Two Continents

Hall of the Americas

Our Hall of the Americas features cultures from the Inuit in Alaska to the Inca of Peru – go on an expedition through hundred of years of American history and over 2 continents this weekend!

1. Take The Science Fun Home!

The HMNS Museum Store has a metric ton of science ideas and activities to take home – and your purchases always support our science educational programs! Grab the Pocket Starfinder for your Big Bend camping excursion, take the Encyclopedia of Texas Shells on a seashore expedition, or identify what’s fluttering around your own backyard with the Butterflies of Houston and Southeast Texas Guide.

From a Galileo Thermometer to track the summer heat to a Dinosaur Hunter Field Canteen, we’ve got everything you need to close out the summer right!

Here’s to a great long weekend – hope to see you here at HMNS!

100 Years – 100 Objects: Baby Cradle

Published by on in Anthropology
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The Houston Museum of Natural Science was founded in 1909 - meaning that the curators of the Houston Museum of Natural Science have been collecting and preserving natural and cultural treasures for a hundred years now. For this yearlong series, our current curators have chosen one hundred exceptional objects from the Museum’s immense storehouse of specimens and artifacts—one for each year of our history. Check back here frequently to learn more about this diverse selection of behind-the-scenes curiosities—we will post the image and description of a new object every few days.

A Native American baby cradle, one
of the 100 objects we’ve chosen to
celebrate our centennial.

This description is from Dirk, the museum’s curator of anthropology. He’s chosen a selection of objects that represent human cultures throughout time and around the world, that we’ll be sharing here – and on hmns.org – throughout the year.

Baby cradles are almost universal objects with a history going back centuries. The museum has quite a few in its collections from different parts of the world.

In this case, we are dealing with a late 20th century example from the subarctic regions of North America. It serves as a very colorful reminder that this tradition still continues.

You can see more images of this fascinating artifact – as well as the others we’ve posted so far this year - in the photo gallery on hmns.org.

Explore thousands of years of Native American history in the John P. McGovern Hall of the Americas, a permanent exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Dec. Flickr Photo of the Month: Museum of Natural Science

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Let’s face it – the holidays can be kind of crazy. So crazy, in fact, that December’s Flickr photo of the month was somehow overlooked until today. With apologies to wheelcipher, this month’s featured photographer:

The Hall of the Americas – a permanent exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science that features the history and cultures of North and South America - houses some of the most dramatic artifacts in the entire museum. Is it any wonder we were blown away by an image from this hall for the second month in a row?

Here’s what wheelcipher had to say about his stunning image:

The shot was “lucky.” I was trying to make the most of some less-than-ideal lighting conditions and playing with some of the exposure settings on my new Sony Alpha A100 camera. The fact that the picture came out so good was 99% luck. It was one of the best ones of the day.

Museum of Natural Science
Museum of Natural Science by wheelcipher. You can see more of his photos on his blog.

So, what’s this Photo of the Month feature all about? Our science museum is lucky enough to have talented and enthusiastic people who visit us every day – wandering our halls, grounds and satellite facilities, capturing images of the wonders on display here that rival the beauty of the subjects themselves. Thankfully, many share their photos with us and everyone else in our HMNS Flickr group – and we’re posting our favorites here, on the Museum’s blog, once a month. (You can check out all our previous picks here or here.)

Many thanks to  wheelcipher for allowing us to share his beautiful photograph. We hope this and all the other amazing photography in our group on Flickr will inspire you to bring a camera along next time you’re here – and show us what you see.

Nov. Flickr Photo of the Month – Hemis-face

Published by on in Anthropology
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Once you’ve worked at the Museum for several years, you begin to think you’re familiar with everything, from the smallest object in the most remote exhibit hall to the most visible – giant dinosaurs. And it’s wonderful – objects are like old friends you pass every day in the halls.

So for me, one of the best things about HMNS pool on Flickr is that the amazing photographers who wander our halls are constantly showing me things in a new light. In the case of this month’s pick, Hemis-face by KenU Diggit?, I was completely blown away by something in one of our permanent exhibits that (even after almost five years here) I had actually never seen before. From the composition of the photograph to the contrast in the piece itself, this is a stunning image. Here, KenU Diggit? reveals his technique:

During my short time as a photography hobbyist, fresh perspectives, sharp contrasts, and textures affect how I compose every photograph. The process is simple: find something to shoot, try an interesting approach to the subject, and capture the picture when my “gut feeling” says so.

I have an affinity for macro photography; I love to take pictures as close as I can get to the subject. Little details and subtle textures are more easily captured this way. I was drawn to the wisps of hair and the wear upon the mask. The simple black background give the object the full attention of the viewer.

“Closeness” emotes intimacy. This is the reason why I chose to capture just a portion of the mask. The asymmetry adds an edge and a fresh angle of viewing. I also chose to focus on the eye of the mask. Due to this, the slightly blurred foreground of the mouth and brow creates a sense of depth and draws the viewer closer to the object, as if the mask were only inches away from their own face. For a second, one could mistaken this for real human expression than just a simple mask. As you look it, it looks at you. Don’t be rude; say “Hello” back.

Hemis-face
Hemis-face by KenU Diggit?

KenU Diggit? shot this in the John P McGovern Hall of the Americas, a permanent exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science that features thousands of years of Native American history – from parkas made from seal intestines by the Inuit in Alaska to amazing feather art of the Amazon. This particular object is a Windmaker mask, circa 1875 – 1900. I hope you’ll visit us – and see if you can find it, too.

So, what’s this Photo of the Month feature all about? Our science museum is lucky enough to have talented and enthusiastic people who visit us every day – wandering our halls, grounds and satellite facilities, capturing images of the wonders on display here that rival the beauty of the subjects themselves. Thankfully, many share their photos with us and everyone else in our HMNS Flickr group – and we’re posting our favorites here, on the Museum’s blog, once a month. (You can check out all our previous picks here or here.)

Many thanks to  KenU Diggit? for allowing us to share his stunning beautiful photograph. We hope this and all the other amazing photography in our group on Flickr will inspire you to bring a camera along next time you’re here – and show us what you see.