A lot can happen in 100 years, and throughout our first century, the Museum has always been growing—first from modest displays downtown to more spacious accommodations in the Houston Zoo, and then, with the opening of the Burke Baker Planetarium in 1964, to the Museum’s current location in Hermann Park.
Over the years, HMNS has continued to acquire major collections, expand its permanent exhibitions, and add new venues: the Challenger Learning Center in 1988, the George Observatory and the giant-screen Wortham IMAX Theatre in 1989, and the Cockrell Butterfly Center in 1994.
Today, the Houston Museum of Natural Science is an expansive, multi-story science center where millions of families, students and visitors from around the globe gather to experience the natural world through exceptional permanent galleries as well as unparalleled world premiere exhibitions that bring the earth’s wonders to Houston, many of which are organized by HMNS.