Bugs! Yes, bugs. It's impossible to overstate how important (and how amazing!) insects are. They’re front and center this summer at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Bug Lab, a brand new exhibit that showcases the remarkable genius of insects through interactive and immersive activities.
Bring the kids, load up the car, head into Dallas because this is the must-visit exhibition of summer 2025.
But Why Is It A Must-Visit?
A co-creation between New Zealand’s Te Papa museum and the visual effects wizards at Wētā Workshop of Lord of The Rings fame, this isn’t your average bug exhibit, but one of the most impressive ones the Perot Museum has done to date. This is spectacle, and beneath that, deep science.
What To Expect
I'll be honest: We didn't quite know what to expect. And what we experienced was amazing.
- Detailed, larger-than-life models of insects
- Immersive bug chambers where the walls move, lights shift and sounds mimic the natural habitats of nature’s most extraordinary tiny creatures.
- Adaptation stations where you can test your own agility, strength, and problem-solving against that of an insect (spoiler: they usually win).
- Hands-on labs, where real specimens and real science show how bugs have already changed our world, and how they might just save it.
Who's This For
If all of that sounds like something for the kids, it is. But it’s also for their parents, and their parents’ parents. This is an exhibition that moves at a multigenerational pace, with plenty of wow for little ones and a healthy dose of “whoa, I didn’t know that for grown-ups.”
Plan Your Visit
Admission to Bug Lab requires a separate ticket:
- Adults: $10
- Youth (2–12): $8
- Children under 2: Free
- Members and groups: $6
- Community Partners: $1
Museum admission is $25 for adults, $15 for youth, and always free for children under 2. Members receive general admission at no cost. Tickets sell out fast, so get yours in advance at perotmuseum.org.
The Perot Museum is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas.
Things To Do Nearby
After you visit the museum, head across the street to El Fenix (the flagship!) for classic Tex-Mex, or walk over to Klyde Warren Park for a picnic. If you want to make a full day of downtown, head over to the Dallas Museum of Art or the Nasher Sculpture Center — or both!
