Dallas Museum of Natural History reopens as Fair Park works to bring visitors back

A historic Texas gem is back open after a 14-year hiatus.

For Walt Davis, the Dallas Museum of Natural History is more than a building.

"This is a photo of me when I was 3," Davis said.

Davis, the museum's curator of exhibits, grew up visiting the museum and always had a passion for the outdoors. After graduating from college, he began his career there.

But when the museum closed its doors 14 years ago, Davis knew the history inside was at risk of being forgotten.

"When the museum closed, I realized that the history of the place was in danger of being lost," Davis said. "And so I wrote a book about the museum to put down on paper what it took to build it."

The museum was built during the Texas Centennial and officially opened June 6, 1936 — 90 years ago this month.

The museum had its soft opening last Sunday and the communities support brought nostalgia to many. 

"It was a part of the childhood of thousands of people, and several of them came in Sunday and were so happy to see it open again," Davis said.

Brett Wulke, Fair Park's general manager, said reopening the museum is one building block in a larger effort to bring more programming to the park.

"There's many more programs in the pipeline that we're working on," Wulke said.

With FIFA Fan Fest underway, visitors can make a day of Fair Park. The Children's Aquarium, Texas Discovery Gardens, the African American Museum and the Hall of State are also open, along with the Sunday farmers market.

An additional treat is that at 11 a.m., the Old Mill Inn will open for lunch and remain open through the last game of the day.

Wulke said Fair Park is also listening to the community as it looks for more ways to bring people into the park.

"We're listening to the community," Wulke said. "We want to do activities that will draw people to the park."

For Davis, reopening the museum is about preserving history and passing it on.

"It's a gift of one generation to the next," Davis said.

The Dallas Museum of Natural History will be open for tours for the next five Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Have an idea for Fair Park? Email PKRFairParkSchedule@dallas.gov or call 214-670-8400.

The Dallas Museum of Natural History is located at 3535 Grand Ave.