The Lab

Spark Curiosity, Ignite Creativity

Investigative classes for the curious.

HMNS now offers one-day, in-depth courses for teens who have outgrown camp but are not yet ready to become Teaching Assistants or join the Moran Ecoteen Program. Each session includes a discussion with subject-matter specialists, hands-on problem-solving activities focused on a specific topic and a visit to either a Museum hall, venue, or behind-the-scenes area.

Classroom drop-off is required in the morning, but parents may choose a “self-checkout” option in the afternoon. Participants should bring a lunch.

Details:

Ages: 13 and 14 year olds
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Fee: Members – $75 per class per child | Non-members – $90 per class per child

Teen programming is funded through the generosity of The W.T. and Louise J. Moran Foundation.

Classes go on sale with summer programs.

Coming Soon

Available Class Topics

Forensics – Fact and Fiction
JUNE 15 or JULY 13, 2026

Investigate forensic blunders and how they affect outcomes as you gather and analyze evidence. You will gain a deeper understanding of how forensic errors can occur and how the presentation of evidence can change jury perception.

In this class you will extract DNA, identify and simulate various blood-spatter patterns, reveal the pitfalls in document matching, and examine memory, perception and suggestion influence on eyewitness accounts. Next you will process a mock crime scene and participate in a mock trial to present and challenge forensic evidence.

Archaeology Uncovered
JUNE 16 or JULY 14, 2026

Analyze real artifacts and modern “middens” to uncover how archaeologists piece together the stories of past cultures from what they left behind.

During the day you will examine artifacts to determine their use or meaning, reconstruct replica artifacts, translate symbols, and visit the Museum exhibit halls to look for clues. Later you will be

challenged to put your new skills to the test. With limited information, you will attempt to make inferences in order to match the “midden” to an HMNS staff member.

Fossil Lab – Tiny Treasures
JUNE 17 or JULY 15, 2026

Find, sort, and identify hidden fossils. Then visit the Paleo Prep Lab and work as a team to assemble a dinosaur skeleton.

Begin your day by discovering the different fossilization processes, and the importance of molds and casts in paleontology. Next you will learn the process of wet sieving to separate fossils from matrix, sort your microfossils and then use them to infer information about the prehistoric environment they came from. Finally, you will take a trip to the Museum’s Paleo lab to discuss fossil preparation methods, and then assemble a small, but scientifically accurate, dinosaur replica.

Engineering Explorers
JUNE 18 or JULY 16, 2026

Tackle a series of hands-on design challenges where you’ll master the engineering design process and unleash your creativity.

Participants will engineer a contraption capable of supporting their body weight in water, build miniature maglev trains and then challenge others in several categories, and create a space-glove prototype that must pass a series of tests. There’s a twist though! Throughout the day, participants will also be confronted by various materials management restrictions that will put their creative thinking front and center.

Killer Plants
JULY 17, 2026

Uncover the world of carnivorous plants! Explore trapping mechanisms, handle real specimens, and take home a carnivorous terrarium.

This Lab class begins with a plant and flower dissection to better understand how carnivorous plants are different then their more familiar counterparts. Next participants will visit the Cockrell Butterfly Center to see the carnivorous plants housed there and then conduct a series of observations to discover the various feeding mechanisms. By the end of the class, participants will have the information they need on soil, lighting and feed requirements to care for their freshly assembled carnivorous plant terrarium in their own home.