Holly Jolly

Jingle Tree is back at the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land! Honorary Chairs Judi Dai and Catalina Flores-Rau invite you to a week-long celebration – view and bid on fabulous holiday decor. Proceeds support the Museum’s mission of local science education and an expansion of sensory-friendly accessibility programming.

Get in the holiday spirit by viewing holiday décor at the museum, along with live demos and new trends, during a special workshop experience. Enjoy light bites and beverages while you visit – a perfect time to spend with friends!

Jingle Tree’s premier event, the evening begins with tributes to our presenting sponsor and chairs, and highlights the generous donors supporting Jingle Tree. The evening’s festivities include entertainment, curated bites and beverages, an auction with exclusive museum experiences, and final bidding on the beautiful designer trees and holiday décor. Don’t miss the count-down to the auction closing bell!

Get ready for a festive night at our Wortham Giant Screen Theatre featuring the animated 2009 version of A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey as the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge!  Watch Scrooge’s exciting journey through Christmases past, present, and future on the big screen, and discover some meaningful lessons along the way. And what’s a movie without snacks? Enjoy a holiday treat pack with buttery popcorn, a juice box, and a fruity roll-up for a fun, kid-approved twist. Gather your friends and family, put on your coziest holiday sweaters, and join us for an evening full of holiday spirit and laughter! 

*Crafts available from 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in Glassell Hall. 

*Movie Box will be available for pickup starting at 6:00 p.m. in Grand Hall. Movie starts at 6:30 p.m.

Three times a year, HMNS offers Sensory Friendly events where exhibits and venues are modified for those with sensory sensitivities. Exhibits and venues are modified to create a sensory neutral environment. The Burke Baker Planetarium and Wortham Giant Screen Theatre also offer modified 2D shows with house lights on and the volume reduced. Sensory Backpacks, which include ear defenders, sunglasses, and fidgets, are available to check out with an ID at the Museum Services Desk, and Touch Carts with tactile specimens to explore will be available throughout the Museum’s permanent exhibit halls.

For more information and to pre-register for free permanent exhibit hall entry, click below. 

Santa’s bringing his workshop to HMNS, and he needs your help putting together the perfect popsicle stick gingerbread house or plastic plate snow globe. The best part? After all your hard work, you get to take them home with you! Don’t forget to make time to take a photo with Santa before he heads back to the North Pole. 

Crafts from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in Moran Lecture Hall. 

CHECK THIS OUT! 

Sensory Friendly Hour, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.  

During this hour, lights and music will be adjusted for a sensory-friendly environment in the Moran Lecture Hall, where you and your family can take pictures with Santa and create crafts in a calm environment. Please note that there will be a cool-down space available across the hall, and the other museum exhibits will NOT be adjusted to be sensory-friendly on this date.  

*Event ticket required

For the General Public: 

Take pictures with Santa in the Hamill Hall, located across from Matter & Motion, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  

*Free with Permanent Exhibits ticket purchase 

Ho-ho-ROAR! Step back in time to the prehistoric era and celebrate the season with us! While Santa Claus is off on vacation, his holiday sidekick, Santa Claws, will be here to spread festive cheer. Enjoy a fun-filled day for the whole family, with activities like a reindeer hat craft, balloon art, a 360 photo booth, and a live DJ spinning festive beats!

Satisfy your cravings with delicious treats, including creamy gelato from Argentina Gelato, fresh popcorn from POParazzi, and sweet cookies from B&L Bakery. It’s a roaring good time you won’t want to miss!

*Treats from food vendors available for purchase only.

Step into the holiday spirit at the Museum Store for Story Time with Santa! Gather around as Santa reads The Dinosaurs’ Night Before Christmas, bringing festive cheer and dino-themed fun to life. Join us at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. for this magical experience that’s perfect for kids and families alike. Don’t miss this enchanting opportunity to make memories with Santa this season!

Breakfast from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Moran Lecture Hall

The holiday season is all about indulging, so Santa is partnering with us to throw this festive breakfast featuring exceptionally fluffy waffles and delicious hot chocolate. After you’ve eaten your fill, don’t forget to take a photo with the jolly old fellow and show off your syrupy smiles! 

Please see menu here.

*Member and General Public ticket prices available 

CHECK THIS OUT! 

Sensory Friendly Time, 9:00 – 9:40 a.m.  

Your family can take pictures with Santa in a calm environment located in Hamill Hall, located across from Matter & Motion. Please note that there will be a cool-down space available, and the museum exhibits will NOT be adjusted to be sensory-friendly on this date.  

For the General Public:  

Take pictures with Santa in Hamill Hall, located across from Matter & Motion, from 1 – 3 p.m. 

*Free with permanent exhibit ticket purchase

Cookie Decorating from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in Moran Lecture Hall.

It’s no secret that Santa is a huge fan of cookies, and guess what? So are we! Join us for a festive morning as we decorate our holiday cookies (and eat them, too) with Santa. Remember to snap a picture with the big guy while he checks to ensure you made it to the Nice List this year. 

CHECK THIS OUT! 

Sensory Friendly Hour, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.:  

During this hour, lights and music will be adjusted for a sensory-friendly environment in the Moran Lecture Hall, where you and your family can take pictures with Santa and decorate cookies in a calm environment. Please note that there will be a cool-down space available across the hall, and the other museum exhibits will NOT be adjusted to be sensory-friendly on this date.  

*Event ticket required 

For the General Public:  

Take pictures with Santa in Hammill Hall, located across from Matter & Motion, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

*Free with Permanent Exhibits ticket purchase 

Sundial  

With 110,000 pounds of snow, the Houston Museum of Natural Science is officially the coolest place in town. Watch your favorite science museum transform into a winter wonderland before your very eyes and celebrate the first day of winter with style at Snow Flurry. Featuring sweet treats, live entertainment, a live DJ, and so much more, it’s snow wonder HMNS is the place to be this winter. Join the party before the shortest day of the year comes to a close. Don’t forget your mittens, you’ll need them!

*Event subject to change based on weather conditions. 

*Please Note: On the day of the event, be sure to visit our check-in table in Grand Hall to pick up your wristband. Without a wristband, access to certain activities will not be permitted.

*Santa will be going back to the North Pole at 1 p.m. to prep for Christmas! 

Create holiday memories by travelling across Texas by model railroad in this scratch-built O-scale model. The multiple trains crisscrossing the state will visit important and unique places in the state’s geology and physiography. Destinations include oil country salt domes, prairies and wetlands of the Texas coast and state and national monuments such as Enchanted Rock, Pedernales Falls, The Balcones Escarpment and Big Bend National Park. Along the routes to these geologic wonders the trains will also pass-through Galveston, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio with other surprises along the route. 

This exhibit (the size of a tennis court) is the largest indoor O-scale model railroad in Texas.  Don’t miss what is sure to become a holiday tradition! 

Embark on a real-life safari, right in the heart of the Museum, and witness the remarkable diversity of animal species from two distinct yet equally captivating regions. These exhibits showcase the beauty and complexity of these ecosystems, offering you a unique opportunity to appreciate and connect with the fascinating wildlife of Africa and Texas, all within a tranquil setting. 

Tour led by James Edward Washington III. 

Good garden planning involves laying out rows and blocks for the upcoming season. Great gardening maximizes existing space and layout to enhance production, improve soil quality, and reduce weeds. This class will cover strategies such as succession planting, spatial interaction, nurse cropping, cover cropping, and living mulches. 

Cosponsored by Urban Harvest. 

Eligible for CPE. 

Virtual ticket sales close at 12 p.m. Central on Friday, December 13. You will receive the Zoom link from Urban Harvest by 3:00 p.m. Central to the email used during registration.