A Perfect Houston Saturday - Fun for Your Kids and You!

There aren't many places that can prove to be as entertaining to adults as the children, but this one is a 5-star destination. Often people believe that you can't truly combine education and fun, and sometimes it is hard to do, but here you'll have so much fun your kids won't even notice it is actually an educational experience.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at One Hermann Circle Drive, is guaranteed to delight visitors of any age. HMNS covers so many areas of interest and has such rich and visually delightful displays in their regular and special exhibits, anyone who steps inside is sure to find an area to enjoy, even ones they can't believe they would even have been interested in. On top of that, there is an IMAX theater , always showing a variety of films on its gigantic 60 by 80-foot screen. While IMAX is an amazing experience all on its own, here you can even catch an IMAX 3D film! The IMAX 3D is something you have to experience to appreciate, and with so many choices to see you'll probably want to come back again and again. Also found at HMNS is the gorgeous Cockrell Butterfly Center and spectacular Burke Baker Planetarium. And with all that to do, you're sure to need a bite to eat while you're out. Inside the museum or in the neighborhood, they even have that covered too.

The regular exhibits at HMNS are great. They have great sections on astronomy and space-related science, exciting wildlife displays, and surprisingly interesting areas devoted to energy, minerals and gems. I found myself intrigued by things I would never have even thought would be slightly interesting. And of course, a crowd pleaser every time, the dinosaurs! With so much to look at I always find it hard to see everything we want to see in just one day, especially if you want to fit in a special exhibit and IMAX too. To help in planning out your trip you can buy your tickets online and get your schedule figured out before you even get there. The Burke Baker Planetarium is not the star-filled sky you remember as a child, but a state-of-the-art digital dome theater. There is stunning footage and brilliant sound. If you've never visited this planetarium you are definitely missing out.

Overall, the HMNS can provide hours, or even days of exciting fun for you and your kids. You won't fit it all in on one Saturday, but if you plan it out a little you can have a great day, happy children, and a learning experience that you can actually share with them.