Mayborn Museum Unveils New Backyard Ecology Hall

Press Release —The new Backyard Ecology Hall at the Mayborn Museum will open on October 5 with a ribbon cutting at 9:15am and special grand opening activities from 10am to 1pm. Grand opening activities will include seed-planting in the Historic Village and various activities throughout the museum throughout the day.

The Backyard Ecology Hall is a new long-term exhibit area which will offer an immersive exploration of ecosystems in the Waco area, providing hands-on learning experiences for visitors. It is specially designed to reach fourth through sixth grade level visitors but also offers engaging content appropriate for learners of all ages. “The development of the Backyard Ecology Hall is a major addition to the Museum’s permanent exhibits and represents a significant investment from many individuals, families and supporters to bring this vision to life,” says Charles Walter, Mayborn Museum Director.  

The Hall includes four discovery rooms, each with its own theme that connects to the ecology found in our own backyards. The four discovery rooms include the Amazing Abilities space, the Forms with a Purpose space, the Brazos River Gallery and the Living Together room. Each of the rooms have interactive components, specimens from the Baylor research collection and live animals. 

Created specifically for the Mayborn Museum, the Backyard Ecology Hall will feature Monarch butterfly migration, “snake squeeze” and video microscope interactives as well as a Brazos River-themed water table, a honeycomb-shaped climbing structure and a Baylor Research Station focused on current projects. “The Mayborn Museum is committed to engaging our community and inspiring lifelong learning,” Walter said. “Our new Backyard Ecology Hall is educational, visually stunning and absolutely engaging. We are thrilled to unveil it to the public and to provide hands-on learning experiences for visitors.”  Entrance into the new Hall will be included in the price of museum admission.

General admission for adults is $9, $8 for seniors, $7 for children ages two to twelve. Baylor students and members are free. 

The museum’s hours are:  Monday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Thursday 10 am-8 pm,  Sunday 1 pm-5 pm.

The museum is open all year long except for Baylor University home football games and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Good Friday through Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  The museum is located at 1300 S. University Parks Drive, Waco, Texas 76706.