The suburb of Coppell, Texas, sits just outside of Dallas. It offers residents and visitors a quaint small-town feel, but with Texas-sized activities. Coppell and the surrounding towns have some world-class art, history, and science museums, along with some unique and quirky museums that are sure to entertain you. Make sure to put these Coppell-area museums on your bucket list, and plan a visit whether you need something to keep the whole family busy and entertained on a rainy day or you just want a day out with the kids.

The Museum of the American Railroad

The Museum of the American Railroad showcases the rich history of the American railroad along with its heritage and a peek at its future. This museum has a long history of providing an educational and entertaining experience for all its visitors while working to present and preserve its collection of trains.

The new site of the museum in Frisco offers outdoor guided walking tours of the rolling stock site. Some of the trains that you might see on your tour include:

• Pullman Sleeping Cars. Some of these luxurious sleeping cars had chandeliers, leather seats, and even heating and air conditioning.
• Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 4903. This locomotive could pull 12- to 14-car passenger trains over the high-speed Northeast Corridor that ran between Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
• The Santa Fe Doodlebug M.160. The Doodlebug is a restored diesel locomotive that ran on Santa Fe’s rural branch lines. It retired in 1966 and came to the museum in 1969.
• Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Big Boy. The Big Boy was a powerful locomotive that could move freight over steep terrain and keep up a fast schedule. This is one of 25 Big Boys in the 4000 class, which at the time were the longest, heaviest, and most powerful locomotives in the world.

You can find the Museum of the American Railroad at 6455 Page St. in Frisco, Texas. Admission is only $10 for adults and $5 for children between ages 3 and 12.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

There are so many activities and things to do at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. This museum started as a small children’s museum, which the kids can still explore since it remains a separate museum within the now larger one. There are tons of exhibits to explore throughout the museum with fun and activities for kids and adults of all ages.

Some things you can expect to see include:

• Natural communities. This exhibit explores the variety of ecosystems in Texas and the animals that live there. Explore how the animals evolved and adapted to their homes.
• LaunchPad. Discover the tools needed to launch into space and see artifacts from the Space Shuttle and the Space Race. You can even find out how much you weigh on the moon, and see yourself in an infrared camera.
• 9/11 Tribute and World Trade Center artifact. The museum has the honor of exhibiting one of the pieces of the north tower of the World Trade Center.

You’ll find this Fort Worth Museum at 1600 Gendy St. in Fort Worth. Admission is $16 for adults, $13 for children between 2 and 18, and free for kids under 2 years old.

Cavanaugh Flight Museum

Image via Flickr by pquan

The Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison has a collection of vintage aircraft and memorabilia on display. It is a fun and inexpensive activity for families whether you have an interest in aviation or enjoy history. This flight museum restores and maintains historically significant and vintage aircraft and even operates them, offering flight experiences for visitors. The experienced pilots offer rides in warbirds such as the Douglas AD-SW Skyraider or the North American P-51D Mustang.

The museum collection includes World War I aircraft, World War II aircraft, and aircraft from the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Along with the planes, there are also military trucks, armored vehicles, and weapons on display. You can see all the exhibits on a self-guided tour with information available to read about everything you see.

You’ll find the Cavanaugh Flight Museum at 4572 Clare Chennault St. in Addison, Texas. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and military, $4 for children between ages 4 and 12, and kids 3 and under can go for free.

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

The Perot Museum covers five floors of interactive exhibits designed to teach visitors about science and nature. Along with the exhibits to explore, the museum offers programs and activities for all ages. Plan a sleepover birthday party for your school-aged child, or bring older kids to the museum to participate in educational activities where they can learn about what it takes to be a scientist and how scientists spend their day.

Some of the permanent exhibits include:

• The Moody Family Children’s Museum.
• The Discovery Life Exhibit.
• The Being Human Hall.
• The Lamar Hunt Family Sports Hall.
• The Texas Instruments Engineering and Innovation Hall.
• Lyda Hill Gems and Mineral Hall.

The museum has exhibits that will engage kids with all different interests. They can study ancient animal bones and rare fossils at the featured T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall, or take in a stargazing adventure at the Expanding Universe Hall. This exhibit also features an obstacle course that moves at the speed of light.

You’ll find the Perot Museum of Nature and Science at 2201 N. Field St. in Dallas. Admission is free for members, $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $13 for kids ages 2 to 12, and free for children under 2.

These are some of the museums we at Creme de la Creme think you need to visit. They are all within a quick drive from Coppell, so you can bring the kids on the weekend when you need a fun activity.