Joel Bartsch: Some of HMNS' Permanent Exhibits

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Some of HMNS' Permanent Exhibits

An accomplished museum leader, Joel A. Bartsch leads the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) as CEO and president. Joel Bartsch has expanded HMNS operating space twice through facility renovations and educational programs, and permanent exhibits.

One of the most popular museums in the United States, the Houston Museum of Natural Science features the Burke Baker Planetarium, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, and multiple permanent exhibit halls in addition to traveling exhibitions. HNMS is one of the most visited museums in the country.

The permanent exhibit halls are free every Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m. during normal working hours, and from 3 to 6 p.m. during holidays and the summer. While the HMNS' permanent exhibit halls are not limited to the following, here's a brief description of some of the halls:

1. Moran Paleontology Hall - Housing over 450 fossils and fossil replicas, the hall provides visitors a vivid glimpse back in time to the movement of evolution in the planet back from 3.5 billion years ago. The hall is 30,000 square-foot, with additional exhibit space and some classrooms.

2. Stake Hall of Malacology - Designed for malacology, the stake hall highlights creatures in fossils, models, living specimens, and dioramas., Malacology refers to the study of mollusks-invertebrate animals - such as snails and squids, many of which are protected in shells.

3. Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals - With over 750 gorgeously crystallized mineral specimens, the Cullen Hall contains some of the world's rarest specimens. Visitors get an optimum view of the gems in their display cases with the aid of fiber-optic lighting.

4. Foucault Pendulum - A visual demonstration of the planet's rotation, Foucault Pendulum swings as the earth turns beneath. The energy to drive the swinging motion is derived from an electromagnet.

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About Joel Bartsch

Since 2004, Joel A. Bartsch has led the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) as president and CEO. In this capacity, he coordinates and leads museum staff and curators in the creation and maintenance of immersive exhibits, implements renovation strategies, and promoting museum-wide leadership. Through these efforts and many others, Joel A. Bartsch has nearly doubled both the institution’s annual attendance and membership base. He also oversaw two major expansions at the museum that added more than 250,000 square feet of space.

Mr. Bartsch began gaining experience in museum leadership more than three decades ago, when he joined the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum as a curatorial assistant and assistant to the director. He held this role during his last years as a mining engineering student at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. From there, Mr. Bartsch took on staff roles at the Texas Memorial Museum and HMNS, curator of earth sciences at Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hawaii, and director and curator of the California State Mining & Mineral Museum.

Through these positions, Joel Bartsch gained extensive experience in everything from managing daily operations and directing fundraising efforts to writing corporate grant requests. He drew on this experience when he returned to HMNS as a curator, project manager, and director of earth sciences, the positions he held immediately prior to his current role as the president and CEO.