Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is defined by its prominent location on the northern edge of Hermann Park, where its complex houses four floors of exhibit halls, the Burke Baker Planetarium, and the three-story rainforest of the Cockrell Butterfly Center. Established in nineteen oh nine by the Houston Museum and Scientific Society, the institution began with a mission to provide free scientific education. For decades, the organization moved through several temporary homes, including the city auditorium and a site within the Houston Zoo, before construction of this permanent facility began in nineteen sixty-four.