August kicks off at Houston Museum of Natural Science with Behind-the-Scenes Tours

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Historical Cartography Tour: “Mapping Texas: From Frontier to the Lone Star State”
Tuesday, August 1, 6 p.m.

Featuring maps dating from 1513 to 1920, the special exhibition traces more than 400 years of Texas history.

Through this unique presentation of cartographic history, visitors can visualize how the fourth largest city in the US, Houston, and the third most populous county in the US, Harris County, grew into an economic powerhouse because of the Houston Ship Channel and the growth of railroads in the region.

The works in this exhibition are mainly from the archival collection of the Texas General Land Office and Houston map collectors Frank and Carol Holcomb. Additionally, there are items on loan from the Witte Museum in San Antonio and the Bryan Museum in Galveston.

Go behind-the-scenes with a master docent to see the formation of Texas, from an unnamed frontier in the New World, to a small outpost of New Spain, to the huge, bustling state that now leads the nation.

HMNS Members $15, Tickets $27. For tickets, go to http://store.hmns.org/DateSelection or call 713.639.4629.

Photo courtesy of Rees-Jones Digital Map Collection.

Hall of Paleontology BTS 03  “Dinosaurs of the Jurassic” James Washington, HMNS
Wednesday, August 2, 6 p.m.

The Jurassic Period ushered in the “Golden Age of Giants,” the time of 100-foot-long diplodocuses and stegosaurs who were skilled swordsmen.

Predatory dinos clothed themselves with feathers.

Giant sea reptiles cruised the oceans, while winged dactyls hunted for squid.

HMNS Members $15, Tickets $25. Click http://store.hmns.org/DateSelection or call 713.639.4629.

Photo courtesy of Ken Groue.

Entomology Tour “Cockrell Butterfly Center”
Tuesday, August 8, 6 p.m. 

On this special behind-the-scenes tour led by Butterfly Center staff.

In addition to the Butterfly Center and Insect Zoo, you will visit the containment room and rooftop greenhouses-areas not open to the public-where staff cares for the Museum’s caterpillars, butterflies, other insects, food plants for the butterflies, and the celebrity corpse flower Lois.

Kids 5 and above welcome.

HMNS Members $20, Tickets $27. Click http://store.hmns.org/DateSelection or call 713.639.4629.

photo courtesy of HMNS

 

Featured photo by V. Sweeten 

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