From hiking scenic trails and spotting rescued wildlife to digging for dinosaur fossils and walking among giant dragons, there's far more to discover at The Heard Museum than most families expect.
If you haven’t had the chance to visit with your family, it is highly recommended. The Heard Museum, or The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, is a great place to spend the day with your family in nature.
This North Texas destination is an indoor and outdoor experience created both to educate the North Texas communities and nurture Texas’ natural wildlife. It is located on a 289-acre property on the border of McKinney and Fairview, and is a must-visit all year round.
Trails & Exhibits
One of the biggest reasons families visit The Heard is its trail system. From long adventurous hikes to stroller friendly paths, everyone can enjoy a piece of the museum’s natural habitats.
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The Laughlin Loop Trail is typically used for a seasonal trail exhibit, featuring animatronic animals such as Dinosaurs, Bugs, or Dragons. This 0.5 mile trail is paved, partially shaded and perfect for the younger kids, as they go from animal to animal, and train their eyes to watch nature for the unexpected. Along the trail are also several benches and picnic table spots if your family needs to fuel-up to continue exploration.
Dragon Trails, the most recent exhibit, runs from March until July. The next exhibit will be Dinosaurs Live, running from September into the next year.
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Off of the Bluestem Trail, another stroller-friendly 0.5 mile trail, you’ll find some interesting houses, friendly critters and a beautiful garden.
The Pioneer Village is a kid-favorite exhibit, acting as a playground of imagination. Several houses line up, mirroring houses and buildings pioneers often built in the Texas prairies. Built-in ladders to bunks, wooden tables and chairs, butter churns and more become part of a child’s opportunity to stretch their imaginations. Whether it’s a well-thought out make-believe, or a fun game of hide-and-seek, it's the kind of place where kids naturally slow down and let their imaginations take over.
Pro Tip: The Pioneer Village also has seating in the center and is located across the path from the bathrooms, making it a prime snack stop.
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Since the property is also a wildlife sanctuary, the "Animals of the World" exhibit provides a permanent home for rescued animals that cannot be released back into the wild due to injuries or other circumstances. Skunks, foxes, bobcats, deer, eagles, turtles and more can be viewed along this trail, where they now live safely while helping educate visitors about Texas wildlife.
Pro Tip: Try to get to this exhibit first thing upon opening to watch feedings. Most of these animals can be shy or solitary, but feeding always brings them out for real observations.
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The Bluestem Trail also has the Butterfly House & Garden, which is only open during the Summer. While strollers are not allowed inside the house, kids of all ages will love seeing up close all the different species of butterflies flying around them. Visitors may even spot caterpillars inside their chrysalises before they emerge as butterflies.
Pro Tip: If you’re visiting in the off season of this exhibit, the surrounding garden is still beautiful and blooming with North Texas native flowers and plants.
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The other 4 trails within The Heard Museum vary in terms of length, accessibility and challenge-level, so be sure to follow the map at the Main Entrance to decide how to further enjoy the property.
Indoor Exhibits & Main Entrance
The Main Entrance building also serves as a two-story indoor exhibit space.
On the top-floor where visitors enter and check-in, the prairie wildlife diorama is hard to miss. Each animal is associated with attributes, such as diet, habitat and more. This is the entrance to the museum portion of The Heard.
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The indoor top-floor museum also includes a variety of exhibits, all encouraging exploration and passion for nature.
Rocks and fossils are spread out on tables with magnifying glasses, right at child-appropriate height, inviting curious minds to ask big questions. Wildlife dioramas featuring preserved animals show different niches that can be found in Texas, such as blackland prairies or wetlands.
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The Heard's passion for nature extends millions of years into the past. Alongside life-size skeletal models of dinosaurs once found in Texas, kids can grab excavation tools and uncover their own "fossils" in an interactive dig pit.
Fun Fact: The Heard Museum also participates in fossil excavation and research through their own Fossil Lab programs.
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Finally, this portion of the museum also houses live wildlife, including snakes, owls, turtles and opossums. Stools and benches are located throughout so that children of all ages can enjoy the animals up close.
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The lower-level of the Main Entrance also houses several animals unable to be released from rehabilitation, including turtles, spiders and snakes.
Events and Programs
While visiting on a regular day is worthwhile, The Heard's calendar offers even more reasons to come back. Seasonal storytimes, guided hikes, kayaking adventures, family programs, and evening events help visitors experience North Texas nature in entirely new ways throughout the year.
Be sure to check The Heard’s website or MacaroniKID for any upcoming events.
Know Before You Go
- Bathrooms are located throughout the park and on trails, but make sure to bring a map along with you so you can plan accordingly.
- Only the Bluestem Trail and Laughlin Loop are fully stroller-friendly. The others are gravel or dirt, and not recommended for wheels.
- Along with the interesting bugs and birds flying around, poison ivy and snakes surround the trails, so be sure to stay on the paths for safety.
- Bug spray, sunscreen and closed-toe shoes are highly recommended.
- Food and drink are only allowed in certain areas of the indoor portion, so plan for picnic-style breakfast or lunch.
- Membership is worth consideration, as it pays for itself within 2 visits, provides special perks, and can be accompanied by special pricing at the Dallas Perot Museum.
Whether your family spends the afternoon searching for butterflies, watching rescued wildlife, hiking shaded trails, or pretending to be paleontologists, The Heard has a way of making nature feel exciting. It's the kind of place where kids leave with muddy shoes, lots of questions, and a new appreciation for the world around them.
