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!

DeBakey Cell Lab experience is also available in field trips, Discovery Camps, birthday parties, and private events.

Lab Hours

Monday CLOSED
Tuesday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Check museum hours here.

*Last ticket sold 1 hour before closing

Lab Tickets

Members | $3 per person

Non-Members | $5 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.

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 ages 7 or older.

Grades 2nd & 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 & 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). 

Antimicrobial Agents | 20-25 mins

Determine which common antimicrobial products are the most effective in killing bacteria. 

Grades 8th & Up

Mystery Microbes | 30-45 mins

Identify living bacteria cultures using chemical tests, stains, and a microscope. 

Giant Chromosomes | 40 mins

Stain DNA, learn to examine the DNA in tightly packed chromosomes under a microscope. 

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 chalasani

Sri Lakshmi Chalasani

Content Specialist & Lab Coordinatorschalasani@thehealthmuseum.org713-521-1515

Please reach out for more information or questions about the DeBakey Cell Lab