Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary
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. The Heard is the result of one woman’s vision for the future and her commitment to the community and North Texas. 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. In keeping with Miss Heard’s vision, the Heard’s purpose is threefold: education, conservation, and preservation. Through education, particularly for young people, the Heard emphasizes an appreciation of nature and its conservation. 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. The annual Holiday Trail of Lights, in December, is  one of the most unusual holiday lighting displays in all of North Texas. Visitors can support the Heard Museum at this holiday fundraiser and have fun with the whole family. This family-friendly event includes thousands of lights synchronized to holiday music, holiday décor along a half-mile Heard nature trail and live music by local performers in the outdoor Heard amphitheater. The annual Halloween at the Heard is a family-friendly Halloween event. Kids will trick-or-treat on the Dinosaurs Live! watch a family-friendly movie under the stars in the amphitheater, and stroll through the "Haunted Forest ," and participate in a kids costume contest. Date Night at the Heard is a fun, outdoor fundraising event featuring live music, dancing, a cash bar and food trucks. Important events and festivals. The event is for guests ages 21+. The Heard Nature Photographers Club was established in 1981 and has served the nature photography enthusiast ever since. The Heard Nature Photographers Club meets the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Heard Natural Science Museum. When nature wakes from its winter slumber, the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary celebrates this beautiful season with the annual Spring Plant Sale  and Texas Heritage Day. For more than 20 years, veteran and novice gardeners alike have anticipated this rare opportunity to purchase plants from a huge selection of native plants, hard-to-find herbs and well-adapted plants at Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary’s annual Spring Plant Sale.