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In this field trip, the history and science of the energy industry come to life at the Wiess Energy Hall at the Museum of Natural Science!
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Below find resources to read before your trip, details on each stop and parking/driving instructions.
Resources:
The Houston Museum of Natural Science has a series of online courses on energy topics. It starts with an overview of energy and goes through hydrocarbons, drilling basics and energy sources. Go here for the Online Courses from Wiess Energy Hall.
Explore:
Wiess Energy Hall – Houston Museum of Natural Science
On the top floor of the Houston Museum of Natural Science is the amazing Wiess Energy Hall.
At 30,000 square feet, the exhibit is roughly the size of a football field. And it brings the history and science of the energy industry to life through interactive displays.
Now, I first wrote this post as I was planning our trip. We had been to the museum recently but not the top floor. We went back as we were learning about energy, and the pandemic has made Wiess Energy Hall a little less cool.
The Geovator and the Eagle Ford Shale Experience are closed and the interactive displays are turned off. You can still see Energy City, the Formation video and other parts of the exhibit. Learn all about the Wiess Energy Hall HERE.
With general admission you can see the Energy Hall and the other permanent exhibits. (So, the Energy Hall is not as awesome as it was pre-pandemic, but you can still see some cool stuff here and in the rest of the museum.)
Since we are learning about energy, the trip was still worth our time… and now we’re looking forward to a trip to Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum in Galveston.
(And pssst… check out the bathrooms up by the Energy Hall. They are pretty slick.)
Drive/Park:
The museum has a paid parking garage but there is free parking in Hermann Park. I would park in Lot C and walk over. (Also, stop by the Centennial Garden on your way back to the car!)