Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a natural history museum located in Dallas, Texas, United States, founded by Ross Perot and his wife Margo Perot. The museum is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums, and is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. The museum's mission is to inspire minds through science education, and it has partnerships with organizations such as the National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund.

● History

The museum was established in 1936 as the Dallas Museum of Natural History, with a collection of fossils and minerals donated by Everette Lee DeGolyer and John W. Ashton. Over the years, the museum has undergone several expansions and renovations, including a major renovation in 2006 led by Morphosis, a Los Angeles-based architecture firm founded by Thom Mayne. The museum has also received support from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Dallas Foundation. In 2012, the museum was renamed in honor of Ross Perot and his wife Margo Perot, who made a significant donation to the museum. The museum has also collaborated with other institutions, such as the Field Museum of Natural History, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Smithsonian Institution.

● Architecture and Design

The museum's building was designed by Thom Mayne and his firm Morphosis, in collaboration with Good Fulton & Farrell, a Dallas-based architecture firm. The building features a unique design with a glass and steel exterior, and a stone and wood interior. The museum's design has been recognized with several awards, including the AIA Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects and the LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The museum's architecture has also been compared to that of other notable buildings, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, designed by Frank Gehry, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, designed by Frank Gehry.

● Exhibits

The museum features a variety of exhibits, including a dinosaur exhibit with a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, a gem and mineral exhibit with a collection of diamonds and rubies, and a Texas Instruments exhibit on engineering and technology. The museum also has a 3D theater and a digital planetarium with a Zeiss projector. The exhibits have been designed in collaboration with other institutions, such as the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and the University of Texas at Austin. The museum has also hosted temporary exhibits, such as the King Tut exhibit from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

● Collections

The museum has a collection of over 11 million specimens and artifacts, including fossils, minerals, rocks, and gems. The collection includes a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, a Triceratops skeleton, and a collection of meteorites from around the world. The museum's collection has been recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive in the United States, and has been used for research by institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Chicago, and the Harvard University. The museum has also collaborated with other institutions, such as the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

● Education and Programs

The museum offers a variety of educational programs for children and adults, including summer camps, workshops, and lectures. The museum also has a distance learning program that allows students to participate in virtual field trips and interact with museum staff and scientists from institutions such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the European Organization for Nuclear Research. The museum has also partnered with organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts of the USA, and the 4-H to offer educational programs and activities.

● Research and Conservation

The museum is involved in various research and conservation efforts, including the study of biodiversity and ecosystems, and the conservation of endangered species such as the Texas horned lizard and the American bison. The museum has also collaborated with other institutions, such as the World Wildlife Fund, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to support conservation efforts around the world. The museum's research has been published in scientific journals such as Nature, Science, and the Journal of Mammalogy, and has been recognized with awards from organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Category:Museums in Texas