Ready to ‘ saur ’ in Houston
COMPASS WEST SOUTH CENTRAL U . S .
Ready to ‘ saur ’ in Houston
The Houston Museum of Natural Science provides visitors with a full-force science education . The attraction , which opened in 1909 , has large dinosaur and fossil exhibits , a planetarium , a butterfly garden , a 394-seat IMAX theater and traveling exhibit spaces .
According to Chris Arreaga , corporate / group sales manager , the museum is a popular spot for school groups .
“ Tour operators are looking to bring their students to a place where they will not only have fun but can also learn something new ,” says Arreaga . “ Here , students can find out about the life cycles of butterflies , how diamonds are formed and where they are found , why the Egyptians mummified their dead , and how dinosaurs stalked and caught their prey .” There are a variety of hands-on exhibits throughout the attraction ’ s Cabinet of Curiosities and the new Welch Hall of Chemistry . The 30,000-square-foot Wiess Energy Hall , which will open by summer , will add another permanent exhibition that offers interactive educational components .
“ Student groups can learn and have fun while comparing the viscosity of various oil samples from around the world , pick up and hold fossils and rare artifacts , or test their skills in electronically ‘ changing ’ the arrangements of atoms in molecules , which results in completely different chemical properties ,” says Arreaga .
For adult groups , he recommends booking a tour with one of the museum ’ s well-trained Discovery Guides , staff members who take visitors through the exhibits and offer in-depth commentary .
“ Our Discovery Guides bring the artifacts and fossils to life ,” adds Arreaga . “ They re-create for our groups the history , life and environment of how these objects came to be .”
Contact Arreaga at carreaga @ hmns . org or visit hmns . org .
SAN ANTONIO CVB
Set your sights on San Antonio
NTA is bringing the second edition of Travel Exchange ’ 17 to San Antonio from Dec . 14 to 18 . The popular southern Texas destination has plenty in store for members , and you can read more about our upcoming host city in the July issue of Courier . And don ’ t forget : If you attended Travel Exchange in St . Louis , you can save 50 percent off your registration for San Antonio if you sign up by July 14 at NTAonline . com / convention .
HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE
42 April / May 2017