Second Saturday: Bats & Not-So-Spooky Wildlife

Second Saturday: Bats & Not-So-Spooky Wildlife is at the Houston Museum of Natural Science on Saturday, October 10, from 8 AM to 10 AM. It's part of the museum's Second Saturdays program, which opens the Hermann Park location an hour early for members only, so you can walk through the permanent exhibitions before the general public arrives.

This particular session is built around Halloween. The first half is a hands-on craft: kids make a bat to take home as their first decoration of the season. Once the crafting is done, the group heads to the Frensley/Graham Hall of African Wildlife on the second floor. There, museum docents walk through the myths and stories people often find spooky about animals—the kind of things that usually get twisted into ghost stories or urban legends, but have a real biological explanation behind them.

It's a good way to get the kids into the spirit of October without the actual scares. You get a craft for the house and a bit of wildlife trivia to go with it, all while the museum is still quiet. If you're a member, you'll have the permanent galleries to yourself for a while, which is a nice change from the usual weekend rush.

Keep in mind that the early access only covers the permanent exhibitions. Special exhibits, the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, the Cockrell Butterfly Center, and the Burke Baker Planetarium aren't included in the early opening. The session runs from 8 AM to 10 AM at 5555 Hermann Park Dr, and it's free for members.