Houston, TX–24 June 2017
Time for a visit to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, near a park with a monument to Sam Houston:
Outside the museum is an artwork titled Kugel Ball; the ball floats freely on a film of water.
On the first floor, fish hanging from the ceiling and the obligatory Foucault pendulum:
They had an exhibit of gem carvings by Gerd Dreher.
I found the third floor to be a total snoozer. It has the Hall of the Americas and an Egyptian display, neither of which did a thing for me.
If you are into sea shells, they have a really comprehensive display (here’s just one part of it):
Paleontology
What would a natural history museum be without the dinosaurs? These are just a very few pictures; the exhibit is very complete.
Minerals and Gemstones
I really liked this section of the museum. Strangely, I prefer the minerals to the gems. Go figure.
Fabergé Exhibit
There was a display of artifacts by Fabergé. Beautiful, but didn’t compete with the minerals and gems, in my opinion.
Cockrell Butterfly Center
OK, the butterfly center was the absolute highlight of the museum for me. This is a two-story-tall living butterfly habitat in a rainforest-like setting. Simply spectacular; there are butterflies everywhere.
Miscellanea
Some pictures from outside a garden supply center, and some nice wall art. I especially enjoyed the last one.