Perot Museum Hopes To Educate, Fill A Need

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a spectacle inside and out, yet there were more jaw-dropping sights to be seen outside the museum Saturday as two acrobats danced to music while rappelling down the side of the museum.

Minutes later, the museum opened and hundreds of people went in to explore Dallas’ latest wonder.

“It’s big,” said Qwun Davis, referring to the building and not the dinosaur bones he’s surrounded by in one exhibit. “I like the outside. I don’t really know how it (the building) stands up because it’s all placed weird. It’s cool.”

On all five floors, and in all 11 permanent exhibit halls, there’s something to engage or challenge the mind and boddy.

“I just think they’re going to learn so much,” said Ann Hardaway moments after watching her 7-year old daughter Charlotte play meteorologist in front of a map, camera and teleprompter. “I think they’ve (the museum) done a really good job putting all the information together. They’ve touched on all the things kids can understand layman-wise.”

“It’s spectacular and it’s engaging, “ said Walt Davis, who’s touring the museum with his wife and grandsons. “It draws you in and you do things and you learn things as you go along.

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is all about inspriring young people to want to learn about science and it’s what Ross Perot said needs to happen.

“In our country, we don’t have near enough scientists and engineers,” Perot told NBC 5 shortly before the museum opened. “80 percent of our PhDs at all of our elite engineering schools like Cal Tech and MIT come from two countries, China and India. Is that amazing? We’ve got to create those engineers right here.”

Organizers hope the museum is unlike any other and amazes all who enter.

“It’s more than we ever expected,” said former teacher, and Ross Perot’s wife, Margot Perot. "It’s going to mean a lot to people of all ages so I hope people come again and again."

The five adult Perot children made a $50 million gift to get the museum named in Margot and Ross Perot’s honor.