Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History has several exhibits designed for kids. 

There is a dinosaur exhibit. They have several interactive features in this exhibit. One lets you project color and designs on a model dinosaur, essentially creating it's skin. Another has kids draw on a dinosaur coloring sheet and then scan it in so that their design is added to a dinosaur landscape. 

The Innovation Studios exhibit has several rooms including a room with legos, a room with craft supplies, a room with light play toys, and a section for exploring the effects of wind. This section encourages children to explore and learn about the world. 

The Children's Museum section has several structures to encourage play for children birth-8 years. There is a kids grocery store which includes play food, carts, baskets, and a checkout area. This area is easily the most popular with kids and you have to keep your eye out for a shopping cart to become available. There is an area to design your own railroad tracks. There is a play restaurant where kids can cook, serve, and eat food. There is a pretend ambulance and hospital where kids can care for infants. There is a play boat. There is the natural science feature that has shells, preserved flora and fauna, and descriptions for the items. There is also a section designed for toddlers and infants that has a rug for children to lay on and smaller toys. This section also has a sensory friendly room that has blankets, a sound machine, noise-cancelling earphones, and different light settings for kids who may need a break. There is also a nursing mothers room with a rocking chair, changing station, sink, and toys along the wall for older kids to play with while mom is nursing. There is also a family restroom. The Children's museum section honestly needs a big update. The toys feel pretty worn out and need to be replaced and replenished. 

From the Children's Museum section you can go to the new galaxy playground. This is an accessible playground that is designed for children of all abilities. There is a shade structure to help with the heat during summer. Unfortunately they removed the water play toys when they renovated this section, which were great when it was hot outside. 

There are several more exhibits upstairs that are not quite as interactive. I personally have found this museum to be in need of a general overhaul. The museum is a part of the ASTC network which allows members to use their pass to get in for free to other reciprocal museums around the county. Most of the other museums I have been to with this pass have been more impressive. The membership is definitely worth the money if you are going to visit a few times, or if you plan to visit other cities and want something fun to do with your kids while you're out. The one caveat is that the Perot museum is not included, unless you upgrade your membership level, due to the distance limitation. You can check out the participating museums here: https://www.astc.org/membership/find-an-astc-member/passport/

Though not as impressive as others, this can still be a big hit with kids. Especially if you have a membership, the children's museum section alone is a much better deal than other play museums. Just be mindful that it can get very busy during the week, especially in the summer, with field trip groups.