Downtown aquarium & Children's Museum (live, cost of, floors)

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

There is a baby section in the Children's Museum; did you find that part? No reading at all. And there used to be a courtyard with a water play area and other hands-on stuff; perhaps it was closed for construction when you were there? I've taken my kids since they were little little babies and there is always plenty to keep them entertained. I've never once felt like it was too dependent on reading.

My children are too old for the baby section. The courtyard was closed for construction when we were there, so we missed whatever is usually there. Maybe that was the problem.

[Kofi713]

Originally Posted by Topaz

My children are too old for the baby section. The courtyard was closed for construction when we were there, so we missed whatever is usually there. Maybe that was the problem.

The Children's Museum is expanding. I'm sure the new section will be nice. I use to like the Children's Museum when I would go there as a kid (which had to be just 10 years ago when I was around 7 years old).

They are also building a branch museum in Sugar Land I believe.

[Topaz]

I'm coming back to update this post for the benefit of future searchers. We went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science today and we thought it was a 10/10. My children both loved it, especially the Cockrell Butterfly Center and the Live Insect exhibits. We bought a family membership and we'll be going back there a lot.

We'll give the Children's Museum another shot once the renovations are complete but the Science Museum impressed us about 10 times more.

[SilverWings]

Originally Posted by Kofi713

They are also building a branch museum in Sugar Land I believe.

Well, maybe this is a mix-up a little bit - the Natural Science Museum is expanding into Sugar Land (The Former Prison building in Telfair at intersection of University and New Terr. Blvd.), but I am unaware of the Children's museum doing the same. Doesn't mean they arn't, but I havn't read about that.

[MommiePreMed]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

There is a baby section in the Children's Museum; did you find that part? No reading at all. And there used to be a courtyard with a water play area and other hands-on stuff; perhaps it was closed for construction when you were there? I've taken my kids since they were little little babies and there is always plenty to keep them entertained. I've never once felt like it was too dependent on reading.

My 2.5 year old son and I visited the Children's Museum last weekend and it was a disapointment. The water play area in the courtyard must be closed. The baby area has fewer toys than my son's school and non of them were interesting or different than the toys that we purchase at Learning Express or Right Start.

I agree, that there is too much reading for a 2.5 year old. The museum is not designed for preschool aged children. Babies yes, and older children but not the 2 to 4 year old child. I was bored.

[houstoner]

Originally Posted by SilverWings

Well, maybe this is a mix-up a little bit - the Natural Science Museum is expanding into Sugar Land (The Former Prison building in Telfair at intersection of University and New Terr. Blvd.), but I am unaware of the Children's museum doing the same. Doesn't mean they arn't, but I havn't read about that.

Family Fun in Sugarland Texas at the Discovery Center - The Childrens Museum of Houston (http://www.cmhouston.org/discoverycenter/ - broken link)

[houstoner]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

And there used to be a courtyard with a water play area and other hands-on stuff; perhaps it was closed for construction when you were there?

The outdoor pond with the boats and water toys is closed for renovations (my kid really misses that!), and so is much of the stuff that was outside. The train is gone and so is the stuff around the nature center, part of the playground, and the art area in the next building. They're doubling the size of the museum, as if it weren't big enough already! When they're finished next spring, it will take up the whole block. Expansion Project - The Childrens Museum of Houston (http://www.cmhouston.org/expansion/ - broken link) We used to go almost weekly starting around age three till about six and she loved it. She's eight now and we only go once in a while when they have a new exhibit. She's more enamored of "the dinosaur museum" (HMNS) now.

[jfre81]

loldinosaurmuseum

The HMNS exhibit hall hasn't changed much since I was a kid, but it's still cool.

[houstoner]

Originally Posted by jfre81

loldinosaurmuseum

The HMNS exhibit hall hasn't changed much since I was a kid, but it's still cool.

Hey, man, there are dinosaurs!

Have you seen the new animated propaganda films for the energy industry in the Wiess Energy Hall? Those alone are worth the price of admission. Indoctrinating young Houstonian minds starts early.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by houstoner

Hey, man, there are dinosaurs!

Have you seen the new animated propaganda films for the energy industry in the Wiess Energy Hall? Those alone are worth the price of admission. Indoctrinating young Houstonian minds starts early.

Yes, indeed, there are dinosaurs.



And a larger-than-life periodic table of the elements, minus a letter. With samples of some of them. No plutonium. Shucks.

Did the propaganda film have people chanting "Drill Baby Drill?"