I didn’t think the Perot Museum could get any cooler, but now that their first traveling exhibit has moved in, it’s cooler than ever. 

“Animal Inside Out” is officially open to the public now, but media got a sneak peek last week—and let me just say, it is truly amazing.

The museum exhibit puts the skeletons, muscles, organs and circulatory systems of various types of animals in the spotlight, via the scientific process of plastination, invented by Dr. Gunther von Hagens. Plasti-what, you’re asking? Basically, all plastination means is that scientists have removed all the fluids in the animals’ bodies and replaced them with plastics that harden, which allows the details of the body to shine so that we can observe the intricacies of each specimen (don’t worry, no animals were hurt or killed in the creation of this exhibit).

There are more than 100 plastinated organisms within the 7,500-square foot exhibit, and getting to be up close and personal with a giraffe, bull, squid, reindeer and more in this unique state is well worth the price of admission (my personal favorite was the boneless octopus!).

A “Body Worlds” production (also created by Dr. Hagens), “Animal Inside Out” is another installment in a series of exhibits that included “Body Worlds: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies,” which you might remember from when it traveled to Fair Park’s Museum of Nature & Science in 2006-2007. Dallas is "Animal Inside Out"'s second U.S. stop, after debuting at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry and a European tour.

“The ability to see it in this way is unprecedented,” said Perot vice president of programs Steve Hinkley. He said the exhibit shows the evolutionary connection between animals and humans. The Perot Museum will use the exhibit as a “launching pad” for learning programs and partnerships with area schools, Hinkley said. 

Since opening to the public on Dec. 1, 2012, the Perot Museum has already reached the one million visitors mark. They hit that milestone in July, and to date, 200,000 students have walked through the Perot’s doors.

And if the Perot keeps bringing in innovative exhibits like “Animal Inside Out,” I have a feeling those numbers are going to skyrocket. 

Tickets to “Animal Inside Out” are timed entry and must accompany a timed-entry general exhibit hall ticket. Non-members can purchase “Animal Inside Out”/Perot Museum general exhibit tickets for $27 for adults (18-64), $18 for children (2-11; under 2 are free), and $22 for youth (12-17) and seniors (65+). To avoid lines and sell outs, visitors are encouraged to buy advance tickets here.

Note: The exhibit is open to all ages, but some displays discuss animal reproduction. The exhibit may not be appropriate for some younger children.