Perot Museum of Nature & Science, Outdoors

The exhibits in the new PMNS outdoor area are intended to broadcast values; encourage experimentation and inquiry; facilitate individual exploration; and present a welcoming, accessible, and fun experience.  
The exhibits will be broken into five distinct categories: 

•Net Experience
•Urban Observatory
•Treetop Climber
•Wetland Play Area
•Dispersed Light, Sound, Motion & Water Play Exhibits 

These exhibits will be nestled within a naturalistic landscape that visitors can 
freely explore and an elevated, treetop-level series of floating structures. 

The feature zones that are addressed and which the future Architect and Landscape Architect may modify are the:

Net Experience: Visitors are provided a different perspective on the site and allowed to gather, observe, and play in this unique environment.

Urban Observatory: Mainly optical, this cluster of experiences is situated either within the Observatory or below it and takes advantage of the tower’s unique position in the landscape to provide visitors with compelling new perspectives on the site, other visitors, and the surrounding city. 

Treetop Climber: This experience gives visitors a full-body climbing experience, unique views of the site, adventurous play ,and age-appropriate risk taking. External, floating pods connected to the climber via net bridges or tunnels 
allow for stepping off the action of the climber, gathering, and observing.

Wetland Play Area: Designed to depict local stories, this play area creates unique recreational experiences for diverse users and reflects the site’s natural richness.  It is also an artistic endeavor that sparks the imagination of kids and adults alike. It is physically challenging but also inspiring, providing opportunities for risk-taking and motor-skill development. This play area is also a sculpture in the urban landscape, a landmark in its surroundings, and a gathering place for visitors of all ages.

Dispersed Light, Sound, Motion & Water Play Exhibits: Scattered throughout the site will be approximately two-dozen inquiry-based, phenomenological exhibit experiences. These experiences will provide visitors with surprising chance encounters and opportunities to engage with the site in unexpected ways. The exhibits will explore 
the phenomena of light, sound, motion, and water. These are generally small-scale, 1–3 person interactives.
Light gives substance to our surroundings. Color, shade and shadow, movement, reflection, and refraction activate the visual world around us. 

Sound brings the environment to life in other ways. Splashing, crunching, blowing, whispering, and music are all stimuli that can enhance our appreciation of our surroundings.

Mechanical Motion appears not just in our built environment, but also in nature. 
Slides, pendulums, and bearings can all be naturally occurring and these exhibits amplify that message.

Water play is the ultimate sensory experience adding welcoming sounds and a 
hint of coolness to an urban park. Educationally, water play offers open-ended, exploratory, and multi-sensory learning benefits.