137 + 1. That’s how many Merit Badges Benjamin Coveler has earned from the Boy Scouts of America. Currently offering 137, Benjamin earned the Computers Merit Badge which was discontinued in 2014. It was later replaced with the Digital Technology Merit Badge, which he also earned. Earning them all is an incredible accomplishment, which is […]
When we started working on this Family Guide more than a year ago, we knew we wanted to create a massive, imaginative illustration of our Museum and its many objects. To do that, we would have to find the perfect artist to bring our creative vision to life. Enter, local artist Bill Ferguson! Bill’s artistic […]
Since HMNS is one of the featured charities at Okra Charity Saloon in September (read about it here), we’re doing a series of blog posts about cocktail chemistry this month. Get to know your drinks on a more molecular level. We’ll explore acids and bases, surface area, density, and fluorescence. It’s going to be elemental. […]
All of us in the Youth Education Programs department at the Houston Museum of Natural Science started as volunteers, part-time, or interns. We all came from different backgrounds, departments and experiences. The thing we have in common (other than we each bring our own flavor of nerd to the department) is that we all got […]
Disclaimer: This fictional story was written by Julia Russell in Youth Education Programs. Hello everyone, My name is Julia, and it’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since I started my research as a graduate student at HMNS. It really seems like it was just yesterday… I’ve loved museums since I was a […]
Families come in many shapes, many sizes and many kinds. We at the Houston Museum of Natural Science are always looking for ways to make our halls and collections more accessible to families of every background. That’s why we’re excited to announce our new resources for families of children with sensory sensitivities and autism spectrum […]
The lights in the Morian Hall of Paleontology brighten and illuminate the Tyrannosaurus rex. The immersive soundscape in The Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife comes to life. The periodic table powers on in the Welch Hall of Chemistry. And the peg elves emerge. That’s right. As the museum gears up for another day of exploring, […]
Hey, Scouts! Spend the day at HMNS this weekend and work on earning your Nova Award during STEM/Nova Day! The Houston Museum of Natural Science is the perfect place to complete your badge requirements. Visit our permanent exhibit halls, watch a Burke Baker Planetarium or Wortham Giant Screen Theatre movie, and ask some of our […]
When I tell people I’m the Overnight Coordinator at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, I usually get one of two reactions. It’s either a sarcastic “Oh, does everything come to life at night?” or an astounded “People can spend the night there?!” While I’m in the Youth Education Programs department and typically work with […]
I’ve been entranced by sharks since I was a little kid. From the first time I saw Jaws, I was hooked (pun intended). There are so many aspects of a shark’s physiology I admire, but my favorite point of fascination is probably the variety of hunting techniques they use to capture their prey. Though most […]
