Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary, McKinney, TX

Miss Bessie Heard was well known for her philanthropic generosity. She was born in Texas in 1886 and lived until 1988. The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary is part of her legacy. Miss Heard had a vision beyond her time and the commitment to make it happen. At eighty years of age Miss Heard felt she needed to preserve some land for future inhabitants of Texas and beyond to see nature first hand. Because of her generosity the museum opened its doors in 1967. An estimated one hundred thousand visitors come to the museum and sanctuary. The museum's mission has stayed the same since its inception to educate people, conserve and preserve nature.

Tickets to the museum and sanctuary are eight dollars for adults and five dollars for seniors and children ages 3-12. Children under two and members are free. Prices can change and special events may cost more. The address of the Heard Natural Science Museum & Sanctuary is 1 Nature Place, McKinney, TX 75069. The hours of the museum are Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. They are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. They open on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve until 3:00 pm. The area has two picnic areas. One is just steps away from the parking lot and the second one is on the Bluestem Trail. They are available on a first come first serve basis.

There are many exciting parts to the museum and sanctuary. Of course there is the sanctuary itself, but there are also nature trails, rope courses, birding areas, native plant gardens, exhibition collections, education programs, eco adventures, facility rentals and a museum store.

Five habitats exist in the sanctuary: bottomland forest, blackland prairie, upland forest, wetlands and white rock escarpment. The prairie has grasses, wild flowers, broad leaf plants and can be hilly or level, but is punctuated with rich soil. Trees and shrubs are minimal. Nature trails are self guided with more than six and half miles devoted to them. Expect to see animals, insects and birds native to the area.

Some of the native plants that are at The Heard include: Red Bay, Buffalo currents, Agaritas, live oaks and other flowering plants. Visitors to the museum will see a butterfly garden.

Indoor exhibits are interactive for the most part. Guests can expect to see rocks, minerals, fossils, marine life, venomous snakes and sea shells. Visitors can walk through a huge wetland diorama; children can excavate for fossils and visit a marine room. The Living Lab allows visitors to handle certain specimens and use tools.

The museum store aptly named the Nature Store offers science and nature related items. Guests can find minerals, rocks, jewelry, birdfeeders, garden accessories and many other items suitable for gift giving. Field guides for birds, nature crafts, birding and science experiments are also part of the merchandise in the store. Museum members get a ten percent discount.