Science museum is a hidden gem
House hunting can be a tiring experience especially when you are doing it with kids. You can only entertain them so much and then the melt down occurs. No big screen TV, Disney movie, or bribing them with a special snack will do it. Taking a little time out from house hunting is a great way for both parents to relax and kids to chill. Finding something to appease kids for an hour or two will help to curb their boredom and give you another opportunity to focus on your home searching goals.
So, what’s the solution? The Texas Museum of Science & Technology is just 15 minutes from Travisso in Cedar Park. Whether you live close by or are from out of town, its location down RM 1431 makes for an easy drive. However, you do have to turn down Toro Grande Drive to find the large warehouse-like facility. Graphics of the infamous scientist Albert Einstein and mathematical equations let you know that you have arrived.
Cedar Park science museum overview and community programs
With friendly, knowledgeable, and approachable staff the mission of the museum is to bring informal science to the community and culture of Central Texas. And, it delivers. The museum provides both informative exhibits and a plethora of community programs such as Science Saturdays, Friday night Star Parties; Wee Searchers, a bi-monthly program for early learners under 5, and monthly special events.
The museum encompasses over 20,000 square feet and is sectioned off into three primary areas of discovery and learning. The first area is the museum’s planetarium. The second, is an area titled Timewalk. And, the third area is set aside for special exhibits. During a recent visit the special exhibit housed Tutankhamum: “Wonderful Things” from the Pharaoh’s Tomb.
Cedar Park science museum exhibits
A 360 degree geodesic dome houses the museum’s planetarium. There’s no additional fee for the show that lasts approximately 30 minutes. The show’s narrator provides insight to our solar system’s seven planets and is both easy to understand and follow. The presentation briefly explains each planets role in the solar system along with an overview of the planet itself. A movie follows the presentation. In addition to “The Incredible Sun” the museum shows four additional movies on different days with varying times.
Timewalk is a permanent exhibit at the museum that traces the Earth’s history taking visitors through the Precambrian Era, through the Jurassic Period, and into the Holocene Period. Explore four billion years of the Earth’s past including ancient animals that once lived in what is now Texas, the skull of the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex, and hominid fossils. A Timewalk Gallery Guide using symbols helps visitors identify fossils and animals that once walked our earth’s surface.
Tutankahamun: “Wonderful Things” from the Pharaoh’s Tomb is a special exhibit that travels back in time with reproductions of golden treasures of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun. Visitors to the museum can view a variety of the spectacular reproductions including the golden State Chariot, the golden mummy case, and the mummy of the pharaoh himself. The entire collection includes 130 artifacts. The original tomb and its treasures used to produce the replicas were found by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. Visitors to the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit in Los Angeles can view a portion of the original artifacts.
Visiting the Cedar Park science museum
You can visit the museum seven days a week. It is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Admission prices vary for adults, youth, children, and seniors. However, check Groupon before you go. You might be able to snag a deal.
Editor’s note: The Texas Museum of Science and Technology is expanding its services and exhibits beginning August 21. During this time it will be closed and reopen on September 21 with exciting new ways to explore and discover the amazing world of science and history.