Your first reaction is WOW! The architecture is stunning. I learned the horizontal cast concrete ridges in the facade are meant to replicate geologic strata.
They have 11 permanent exhibit halls in 180,000 sq ft on 4 levels, a 300-seat digital theatre, a bead-and-trinket store, etc. As a builder I was awed by all the angles and curves and ramps, wondering how many times they had to re-do them to get everything to fit just right. Turns out they got it right the first time thanks to the 3-D digital model where they built it just for practice. And I saw the complete blueprints....stacked 6 inches thick.
Smart folks they are!
K liked the "Expanding Universe Hall" which was about the universe (duh!), stars, exploration, the Big Bang, etc. It was extremely detailed yet understandable.
Trust me....this photo doesn't do it justice. The large exhibits and special effects were awesome.
I preferred the "Gems and Minerals Hall" and the "Dynamic Earth Hall". They had an earthquake shake platform you could stand on and dial in the magnitude of the earthquake you wanted to experience. Cranked all the way up the floor rose and fell and moved side-to-side with extreme, unpredictable violence. It was an interesting sensation for someone who's thankfully never experienced a real one.
In Gems and Minerals, among other things, they explained in detail how the climate change way back there created oil and natural gas and showed how we extract it today. This sounds rather sophomoric, but I promise you it was very professionally presented. They explained offshore drilling platforms...
and the various kinds of drill bits and how they work....
and how a blowout prevention "Christmas Tree" works, too....
I also enjoyed the weather exhibits, including one that showed how colliding fronts form tornadoes....
They also had exhibits about critters and birds and such, and a bones room, too....
We were there about 3 hours and that was just a "get acquainted" peek. To really see and experience everything would take several days at least. It's the sort of place where you might go once a quarter and spend the day on just one floor reading, listening, and interacting. If you could do that, by the time you were finished you'd probably have the equivalent of an advanced degree in any number of disciplines.
Kudos to the Perot family and their uber-rich friends who funded this beautiful museum. (It opened debt-free.) It truly is world class. If you're just passing through Dallas go see it. You won't be disappointed. If you live nearby, go see it over and over.
I'm not easily impressed, but this really blew my socks off!
S
Interesting how climate change a zillion years ago was responsible for climate change today...or without global warming we would not have global warming.
ReplyDeleteYou mean you never built 3-D models before you started your projects? And you call yourself a builder!
Perot is part kook, but he does do good things with his loot, plus he is a real patriot to boot.
Of course I build construction models Cranky. First, I start with a shoe box....
Delete"Genius" and "kook" are often interchangeable. ;)
S
It looks like a grand museum.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Scott! Defibitely makes me want to see it. BTW, I have a video somnewhere of Ross striding away from a podium to shake hands with me ( and half the rest of the band) who had learned how to play "Crazy" just for the occassion.
ReplyDeleteFin
This museum sounds absolutely wonderful! I totally understand about wanting to go back there several times; one visit is just too overwhelming to get everything.
ReplyDeleteI remember a trip to several Smithonian museums a few years ago. A guide mentioned that if you looked at each exhibit for only 15 seconds, it would take you 60 years to look at all the exhibits of all the Smithonian museums. I remember saying, "...that settles it - we are retiring and moving to Washington!"
Glad you enjoyed the museum - isn't it nice to be overwhelmed and impressed sometimes?
Sounds like a great place to be both entertained and educated. I wish it was closer to me.
ReplyDeleteIsn't fun that we are allowed to take pictures inside museums now? Even art galleries seem to allow it without flash.
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