Let me ask you a question, and be honest. When is the last time you were inside a museum??? Not dropping somebody off. Not chaperoning a field trip. Actually in one, for you.
If you’re like most of us, it’s been years — and the last visit probably involved being dragged past the dinosaurs by a small person on a mission for a snack, a bathroom, and the nearest exit. Somewhere along the way, museums became something we do for the kids. Mixers & Elixirs at the Houston Museum of Natural Science is here to flip that script. The short version for my skimmers: 10/10, grown-ups only, once a month on Fridays all summer, and it belongs on your list of things to do in Houston for adults. Now let me tell you how my night went — including the one mistake we made so you don’t have to.
What Is Mixers & Elixirs?
Picture the museum you remember — the dinosaurs, the exhibits, the planetarium — and now take out every single child in the building. Add drinks. Add food vendors. Add a DJ. That’s the recipe, and oh my, does it work.
It’s an adults-only museum night done right — a grown-up opportunity to explore the museum on your own terms. No kids allowed. You get to drink, you get to have fun, you get to eat, and you get to party — all while playing in the exhibits. Nobody is rushing you. Nobody needs a juice box. For one Friday night, the museum is all yours.
So I took my girls out. And by “my girls,” I mean my adult children — I checked, and the no-kids rule does not apply once your kids can order at the bar. Getting my play time in with the same people I once dragged past these very dinosaurs? That’s a full-circle moment if I’ve ever had one.
Before You Go: Tickets and the Food Situation
Do a little ground work before you get there, because I love you and I want your money to stretch. Buy your ticket online early — early bird pricing is real, and walking up to the door will cost you more for the same exact night. Have a museum membership? Even better — you get a discount on top of that. This is one of those rare nights out where planning ahead literally pays.
And come hungry!!! From the moment you walk in, the food vendors are set up and waiting on you. Paella being made right in front of you. Tacos. Cupcakes and treats for when you want a little something sweet between songs. And drinks, of course — it is called Mixers & Elixirs, after all.
Masquerade Night Was a Whole Production
Every month has its own theme, and my night was Masquerade Night. Now, people watching is one of my favorite sports, and this crowd did not disappoint. I walked in expecting a few masks over a room full of regular Friday outfits. I was wrong, and I have never been happier about it.
People showed UP, and they dressed to the theme in every direction: gowns, costumes, freakum dresses — all in the mix, all in the same room, all somehow working together. And then there were the overachievers, bless them, who arrived in whole queen and king ensembles looking like they walked straight off the Queen Charlotte set. Just watching everybody arrive dressed to impress, greeting each other, twirling for pictures — the ticket paid for itself before I ever got a drink in my hand. From the second you walked in, everyone was festive and the vibe was pure party.
The Great Decision: Dance Floor or Karaoke?
Now for our one mistake of the night, which I’m sharing so you can learn from us. Almost immediately, you have to choose: the dancing side or the karaoke side? We heard the music, we followed the music, we chose dancing. And we regretted it — not the dancing itself, but the fact that we never stuck our heads in to get on the karaoke sign-up list for our favorite song. Though in our defense, we couldn’t have narrowed it down to just one anyway. Too many good options, not nearly enough decisiveness in our group. Learn from us: sign up for karaoke first, dance second. The dance floor will still be there. The list will not.
That said, dancing inside a museum is an experience all its own. You’re out there living in the moment, letting your hair loose, and the dinosaurs are watching over the whole thing like ancient chaperones. Shouts out to them for not judging us. The crowd was wonderfully diverse, and every single person in that building came to have a good time.
We Played in the Exhibits Like We Had No Home Training
Here’s where the night went from fun to FUN. We started at the craft stations, where you could make your own masquerade mask along with some other cute little installations. Very sweet, very on theme. But then we got into the actual exhibits, and a group of grown women reverted to field-trip children in real time. The periodic table? Played with it. The dinosaur exhibit? Absolutely. The whole human body section — the brain, your nervous system, how your muscles work — we touched everything, pressed every button, and read the displays out loud to each other like we were getting graded on it. We got to be kids again while being very, very grown, and I would argue that combination is the entire point of this event.
Add in a photo booth session that took — and I’m being generous with myself here — a lot of time, and the night flew right by.
Karaoke in the Planetarium. Yes, Really.
By the time we finally made it over to karaoke, we only caught the last couple of songs. But those few minutes told us everything we needed to know, because the karaoke is in the planetarium. People singing their hearts out under a dome full of stars. Next time, we are on that sign-up sheet before we do a single other thing — song already chosen, no debating.
The Verdict: Is Mixers & Elixirs Worth It?
10/10, highly recommend, already planning my return. Time with your favorite people is refreshing to the soul no matter where you spend it — but getting it in over paella and dinosaurs? That’s a night the whole crew is still talking about. If you’re tired of the same rooftop and the same brunch, if you want something to do in Houston that’s actually a bit different, this works for all of it — girls’ night, date night, or a grown family outing like ours. Mixers & Elixirs happens once a month on Fridays during the summer at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Grab the early bird ticket, come hungry, dress to the theme, and sign up for karaoke FIRST.
Bookmark this for your next free Friday and send it to whoever you’d bring. Kids optional — unless they’re grown.
Your turn: dance floor or karaoke — which side are you choosing first? And what Houston event should the Playbook cover next? Tell me in the comments.
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Work hard. Play harder.
— Cori
