Perot Museum files $90M garage plan as $185M campaign hits $135M

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science has $135 million committed toward a $185 million capital campaign, Community Impact reported Oct. 20. The money funds a 60,000 sq ft outdoor exhibition expansion on the museum’s downtown Dallas campus.

A state construction filing covers a narrower scope. The museum’s Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation TABS registration, filed July 29, 2026, lists an estimated cost of $90,000,000.

That filing describes a four-level parking garage, a covered walkway to the museum entry, and an addition of event space and restrooms. It does not list the outdoor exhibits.

Why it matters

Texas requires a TABS accessibility registration for construction above a set cost. It does not require a nonprofit to disclose the size of a private capital campaign.

That explains the gap between the two figures. The $185M goal is the museum’s account of the full campaign. The $90M is the construction scope registered with the state so far.

For contractors and trade firms, the filing is the more concrete number. It names the work, the owner and the schedule for the garage and event-space package.

The numbers

The campaign stands at roughly 73% of its goal, leaving about $50M to raise. The registered owner is Dallas Museum of Nature and Science, at 2201 N. Field St.

The filing lists a January 2027 start and a January 2029 completion. It describes the project as privately funded, on private land, for private use.

The outlet describes 25 large-scale outdoor exhibits, landscaping, and new parking, dining and lobby areas. No general contractor or architect of record appears in either source.

What’s next

Groundbreaking is expected in early 2027, with the outdoor space set to open in late 2028, according to the outlet. A separate TABS filing for the exhibit buildout would show its construction cost. For more Dallas-Fort Worth projects, see the Dallas market hub.