On any given weekend, a trip to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in downtown Dallas involves weaving through large crowds and watching kids play with all the cool, hands-on exhibits.
Last Friday night, however, the museum transformed into an adults-only hangout with live music and libations for an event called Social Science. Those 21-and-up had a chance to explore the six floors of exhibit space with drink in hand sans the risk of stepping on small children.
That opportunity alone seemed worth the $18 ticket - where else can you party alongside an 85-foot alamosaurus skeleton? Beats from a DJ in lobby blasted throughout the museum, creating dance floors among the dinosaur fossils and gem stones. The 1,400 attendees could let loose their inner child with activities in the sports corridor or interactive setups like computer-controlled robots and musical sound equipment.
An added bonus: Each Social Science has a theme, and Friday's was mixology, which meant free craft beer and wine samples, and booze-centric lectures. One demonstration on molecular mixology used chemicals like liquid nitrogen and sodium alginate to create crazy looking cocktails (although some of the "experiments" were more successful than others).
Something about having a bar on every floor of the museum made this visit to the Perot more exciting than other times I've been. Considering the ticket price was just $1 more than a normal day, and that the Wolfgang Puck cafe offered a specialty menu of $4 eats, there was little to complain about. (Drinks cost an additional $6-$8.)
So if you've been putting off checking it out, I highly recommend Social Science. The next party is April 17 from 7-11 p.m. Inspired by the museum's new International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes, opening Feb. 12, this event will have a forensic/murder mystery theme. Tickets are currently on sale, and you may want to buy early since many times the event sells out.
