Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary

A private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1967, the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary is located in McKinney, Texas, United States. With a 289-acre wildlife sanctuary, five miles of hiking trails, about fifty acres of wetlands, a two-acre native plant garden, a butterfly house, live animals, indoor and outdoor exhibits, the Heard welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually. The Heard is one of the most important attractions in the City of McKinney.

History
Miss Bessie Heard (1886–1988) was 80 years old when she saw the need to preserve a place where future generations could visit to experience nature. The museum opened October 1, 1967 and now serves more than 100,000 visitors annually.

The Heard’s purpose is threefold: education, conservation, and preservation.

Main attractions
Within the 289-acre wildlife sanctuary, visitors can explore trails, sit in on educational programs, and get their hands dirty with conservation projects. The Heard sanctuary has five habitats including Blackland prairie, wetlands, bottomland forest, upland forest and white rock escarpment. The Heard has been awarded The Audubon Society's designation as an important birding area. Texas has preeminence as a bird-watching area due to its placement on major migratory paths. However, The Heard offers special opportunities for bird-watching by providing a unique resource in a large metropolitan area.

Also, the Heard's Pioneer Village features eight buildings in miniature scale that emulate structures that would have been typical in prairie settlements in the late 1800s.

Outdoor exhibits

 * Animal Encounter Trail
 * Native Plant Garden
 * Butterfly Garden
 * Native Texas Butterfly House (active in summer)
 * Dinosaurs Live! Life-Size Animatronic Dinosaurs (September- February; visit website for complete dates)
 * Pioneer Village

Indoor exhibits

 * Native Texas Snakes
 * Mosasaur Exhibit
 * Living Lab (some dioramas of the major ecosystems found at the Heard, a working observation bee hive, native fish, etc.)
 * Marine Shell Room
 * Project Passenger Pigeon

Programs and activities



 * Hiking on six nature trails; more than 5 miles
 * EcoAdventures; Canoeing at the Heard Wetlands
 * Scouting Workshops
 * Second Saturday Bird Walk
 * Night Hikes
 * Bird Banding Station; established in 1978 and is the oldest bird banding station in the state of Texas
 * Education programs
 * Field trips
 * Summer Camps
 * Programs for Kids
 * Volunteer programs

Important events and festivals
The annual Holidays at the Heard event, in December, is one of the holiday lighting displays in North Texas.
 * Holidays at the Heard

The annual Halloween at the Heard is a family-friendly Halloween event.
 * Halloween at the Heard

Date Night at the Heard is an outdoor fundraising event featuring live music, dancing, a cash bar and food trucks. The event is for guests ages 21+.
 * Date Night at the Heard

The Heard Nature Photographers Club was established in 1981. The Heard Nature Photographers Club meets the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Heard Natural Science Museum.
 * Annual Heard Nature Photography Contest