Dallas’s Perot Museum of Nature and Science has big plans for a space most visitors only see through a windshield: the parking lot next door. The museum announced a four-acre expansion that converts that lot into outdoor exhibition and learning space, part of a $185 million capital campaign. The project doubles the museum’s exhibition capacity and is expected to add more than 400,000 visitors a year to its current audience of over a million.

Museum leaders say the outdoor emphasis isn’t random. Attendance trends have flattened nationally, and families want experiences that don’t keep everybody inside for hours. CEO Linda Silver says the museum anticipates growing by more than 400,000 people, while Chief Learning Officer Drex Owusu noted that people simply want to spend time out of doors. A 2026 American Alliance of Museums report backs up the strategy, finding that 95% of Americans see museums as community educational assets, places worth investing in.

For Waxahachie families, the expansion means an already solid day trip down I-35 gets a serious upgrade. School groups, scout troops, and weekend explorers will have more room to roam, more hands-on science, and a lot more fresh air. Construction timelines haven’t been detailed yet, but this is one to watch for your next field trip list.

Would your family make the drive to check out the expanded Perot when it opens? Let us know on our Facebook page.