April 10: Discover Outdoors

Take some time to get back to nature during this awesome outdoor family adventure. Explore cool critters, get the buzz on bees, and learn how to rock like a geologist. Get tips and tricks on going green and learn how to do your part to save the planet. Then, finish the day with a canoe ride around Fair Park's Leonhardt Lagoon.

Discover Outdoors is FREE to MNS members and included with admission for non-members.

Demonstrations and Activities*

Is It Native?
Can you tell a native plant from an invasive plant? SCA will show you how. You’ll also learn about the dangers non-native species pose to the North Texas area.
Presented by Student Conservation Association

Canoe Rides
Hop in a canoe and paddle around Fair Park’s lagoon. (Weather permitting)
Presented by Dallas Downriver Club.

Wildscape Tour
Take a guided tour of some of MNS's natural spaces. You'll learn about the butterfly lifecycle and look for signs of animal life around Fair Park. (Weather permitting)
Presented by North Texas Master Naturalists.

Have Hive, Will Travel
Here’s your chance to learn all about bees and see a live hive. Come see what all the buzz is about!
Presented by Texas Honeybee Guild

Discover Birds
Activities, face painting, and birding information for all ages! Practice your bird-watching skills with spotting scopes and binoculars, then learn how to create bird-friendly habitats in your yard.
Presented by Trinity River Audubon Center

Feets of Nature
Discover different animal tracks and see which animals created them. At the end of the day you’ll have a fun piece of art to take home.

Backyard Bingo
Take a self-guided tour around the Leinhardt Lagoon. See how many critters you can spot right in our backyard. (Weather permitting)

Going Batty
Get the scoop on these creatures of the night! You'll learn how much you and a bat have in common. Then you'll be able to make a bat mask to wear home.

Geology Rocks!
Learn what it takes to be a geologist with this fun rock game.

Prehistoric Texas: Can You Dig It?
10am-2pm
Experience outdoor life in the Lone Star State before there were people. Meet Mosasaurs, Glyptodonts, Trilobites and other weird critters who prowled Texas long ago.

Connect A Million Minds
In November 2009, Time Warner Cable launched Connect a Million Minds (CAMM), a philanthropic commitment of $100 million cash and in-kind donations. This five-year program was designed to inspire students to pursue learning opportunities and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Presented by Time Warner Cable.

Member Lounge: Bandana-rama
Gear up for outdoor adventure! Design your own bandana to keep you cool, wipe your face, or tote your treasures on your next outing.

*Activities occur all day unless otherwise noted and are subject to change.

MNS is an AAM accredited institution that is the result of the merger of the Dallas Museum of Natural History, The Science Place, and the Dallas Children's Museum, supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and HP.