Well, folks, David Flick over at the Dallas Morning News is either the fastest typer known to man or he has ESP. As he reported early this morning (24 minutes after the press conference began), the Perot Museum of Nature and Science will open its doors on December 1, one month earlier than originally planned. The announcement was made this morning to applause and cheers at a media sneak peek.
Tickets will go on sale online Tuesday, October 2, at www.perotmuseum.org. The five-floored museum will have 11 permanent exhibit halls, an education wing equipped with six learning labs, and a 297-seat multimedia theater that will screen Meerkats 3D, among other movies.
Although the announcement was exciting, I couldn’t stop gawking at the interactive features surrounding me. The “dancing water” molecules that hung above my head during the presentation kept me preoccupied the entire time. The 88 floating spheres are motion sensitive, and the animated movements were a fun diversion. I kept walking around under them to trigger the sensors, and I think I started a trend because it didn’t take long for others to do the same.
There is also an enormous Malawisaurus fossil in the main lobby that grabbed my attention. The 35-foot-long fossil was dug up in Malawi, and the head-to-body ratio is unbelievable. Dinosaurs must not have had much to think about back then. Considering I can barely pronounce the scientific name, I think we need to come up with a nickname for our new friend. Any ideas for what we should call it?
Other interactive features outside include a forest that houses large musical instruments for visitors to play, a leapfrog forest where children can run around and learn about species mutation, and a rooftop observation deck.
All in all, the museum looks like it will be a great addition to downtown Dallas, and I can’t wait to check it out when it opens.
Caitlin Adams is a D Magazine intern for fall 2012.
