Open Monday – 2/19/24

02/07/2024 |

While the Heard is usually closed on Mondays, on February 19, the Heard will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note that guests may not be granted entry after 4 p.m. on these dates.

North Texas Giving Day 2024

02/07/2024 |

Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to bringing nature and people together to discover, enjoy, experience, restore and preserve our priceless environment. Your support through financial contributions will help ensure that the Heard, including a 289-acre nature preserve, will be sustained.

Thank you for your consideration and support!

Donations can be made through www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/heardmuseum or at our website. Please consider helping if you can. If you’re not able to help financially, please consider sharing! That is also very helpful.

More About Us

Founded in 1967, the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney Texas consists of a natural science museum, indoor and outdoor exhibits, over six miles of nature trails, an outdoor amphitheater and a 289 acre wildlife sanctuary. The Heard hosts more than 100,000 visitors each year, drawing families, educators, researchers, environmentalists, and more. Visitors hike the trails year round (self-guided or interpreted by Heard volunteers and staff, by reservation) and have the opportunity encounter many species of flora and fauna. Programs offered by the Heard include exhibits, school field trips, outreach programs, homeschool natural science programs, preschool natural science programs, summer nature camps, birthday parties, scouting initiatives, environmental research programs, team-building initiatives, night hikes and community events.

Protected for its biological importance and for scientific and educational use, this nature preserve is part of the less than 1% of the Blackland Prairie (the most endangered ecosystem in North America) that remains. The Heard Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature preserve rather than a park because of the special character of this area and the rarity of some of its plants and animals. Preserving these natural resources depends on our collective stewardship. Because the Heard does not receive regular tax funding, improvements to our facility and conservation of these resources are made possible with the support of individuals like you through donations, admissions and volunteering.

The Heard was founded in 1967 by Bessie Heard at the age of 80. In a time when the rate of expansion of the Metroplex was slower than today, she foresaw the need to preserve a place where future generations could experience nature. The Heard’s mission of bringing nature and people together is largely fulfilled through onsite educational programs, which emphasizes an appreciation of nature and its conservation and utilizes the natural resources available within our 289-acre nature preserve.

The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary located in McKinney, TX also manages roughly 60 combined acres of Blackland Prairie restoration sites. The Blackland Prairie ecoregion once covered over 19,000 square miles in Texas, which began at the Red River, north of Dallas, and extended south to present-day San Antonio. Now, less than 1% of this ecologically critical ecosystem remains.

Please note: the button labeled “register” below will take you to our North Texas Giving Day donation page.

Total Eclipse of the Heard

01/19/2024 |

SOLD OUT! Be sure to check out our other fun events.

Turn around, bright eyes! Get ready for an unforgettable experience at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary. On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible from our location, and we’re planning an incredible event to celebrate this rare cosmic event. Join us for a day of exploration and discovery as we witness the moon completely cover the sun, plunging the world into darkness for a few brief, awe-inspiring moments.

We’ll guide you through the science behind the eclipse, sharing fascinating facts about this incredible phenomenon and answering your questions. You’ll also have the chance to explore our beautiful sanctuary and observe the wildlife that makes their home here. Don’t miss your chance to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event with us at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary!

Each attendee will receive solar eclipse glasses or solar eclipse viewers with ticket purchase!

Come for the eclipse or stay all day and explore–it’s up to you! More information coming soon.

Tickets are SOLD OUT!

Schedule

Food and Beverage Schedule

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – The Speedy Bean Honeylu’s Coffee
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Kona Ice
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Texas Roadhouse

Activity Schedule

9:30 a.m. – Heard Bird Walk
10:30 a.m. – Solar Eclipses in History Talk
11:30 a.m. – The Celestial Mechanics of a Total Solar Eclipse Talk
12:24 p.m. – Approximate Eclipse Start Time
1:41 p.m. – Approximate Totality Start Time
1:43 p.m. – Approximate Maximum Eclipse Time
1:45 p.m. – Approximate Totality End Time
3:03 p.m. – Approximate Eclipse End Time
5:00 p.m. – The Heard will close our gates to the public. Feel free to explore until then! Be sure to leave time to make it back to your vehicle by this time.

Price

Member Rate: $5*

Non-Member Rates:

$25 – Adults
$15 – Ages 3-12

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Totality Schedule at Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney, Texas

Credit: National Solar Observatory, AURA and National Science Foundation. Using NASA eclipse path data generated by Fred Espenak, Besselian Elements for April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Specific eclipse data from the US Naval Observatory’s Astronomical Applications Department.

*The Heard Member rate is valid only for persons covered by a Heard membership. Want Heard Member pricing? Join Now.

Listed on nationaleclipse.com