Gear up with a lab coat, gloves, and goggles, and travel through experiment stations that get you up close and personal with cellular biology (available in both English and Spanish). You don’t need to be a scientist to enter, but you’ll feel like one when you leave!
Please see lab hours, ticket pricing, experiment options, and lab rules below. The DeBakey Cell Lab experience is also available for field trips, Discovery Camps, birthday parties, and private events.
Lab Hours
| Monday* | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Thursday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Friday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Sunday | 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
Lab Tickets
Members | $3 per person
Non-Members | $6 per person
Each lab ticket permits access to up to 2 of the 6 lab stations per visit. Lab tickets must be purchased in addition to general museum admission.
The last lab ticket will be sold 1 hour before closing. Check museum hours here.
Due to the presence of chemicals, glassware, and bacteria, all guests ages 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult. All lab participants must be 7 or older.
Each visitor group may select up to 2 experiments per visit
Grades 2nd – 8th & Up
DNA Extraction | 15-20 mins
See long, stringy DNA strands after breaking down cell membranes of a wheat germ.
Cheek Cells | 15-20 mins
Stain and examine a small sample of your cheek cells under a microscope.
Grades 4th – 8th & Up
Examining Blood | 30 mins
Make, stain, and look at a sheep blood smear through a microscope to appreciate different types of blood cells, RBCs, WBCs, and platelets (along with human blood smear samples available in the lab). Or study blood typing with simulated patient blood samples.
Grade 8th & Up
Antimicrobial Agents | 20-25 mins
Determine which common antimicrobial products are the most effective in killing bacteria.
Mystery Microbes | 30-45 mins
Identify living bacteria cultures using chemical tests, stains, and a microscope.
- All lab participants will be required to have tickets upon entering the lab. Lab tickets must be purchased in addition to general museum admission at the ticket desk.
- Each visitor group may select up to 2 experiments per visit
- Due to the presence of glass, chemicals, flammables, and bacteria, children must be 7 years or older to enter the lab
- All children under the age of 13 must be supervised by a parent or guardian
- Safety glasses, gloves, and lab coats must be worn at all times while in the lab
- Gum chewing, feeding, food, or drinks are not allowed
- Pregnant women are strongly discouraged from entering the lab due to the presence of live bacteria
- Be alert and proceed with caution
- Video recordings are not allowed while experiment(s) are in session; guests may take pictures before and after
Other Ways to Enjoy the Cell Lab
About Dr. Michael DeBakey
The lab is named after the respected and accomplished cardiovascular surgeon and medical pioneer, Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, this interactive bilingual lab experience is designed to make biology-based science experiments accessible to the public and inspire future scientists and science-lab leaders in the medical field.
Sri Lakshmi Chalasani
Content Specialistschalasani@thehealthmuseum.org713-521-1515Please reach out for more information or questions about the DeBakey Cell Lab