Discover death at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

I recently visited Houston for a friend's birthday, and I may have lightly suggested that we go to the Houston Museum of Natural Science because I really wanted to see the "Death by Natural Causes" exhibit.

The big picture: "Death by Natural Causes" explores ways people can die, from deadly minerals to poisonous plants.

• The exhibit isn't supposed to be scary, according to the museum's website . Instead, it "aims to dispel your fears."

Yes, but: My fears were not dispelled.

The vibe: The exhibit, which opened at the end of June and will be open through the end of the year, is beautiful, thorough and unsettling.

• I learned that a dog accidentally killing someone with a gun is rare but has happened multiple times.
• An interactive display shows how some Fiestaware is radioactive.
• The exhibit also has several deadly live animals, including a brown recluse spider and a black widow.

Fun fact: A fortune-telling machine that asks questions about what you eat, your biological sex , whether you smoke, and more told me I will live to 81 years old.

• Not bad, but I was hoping for a few more years.

How it works: We chose to visit the exhibit an hour before the museum closed — a mistake that almost ruined the trip.

• The exhibit is very popular. An employee warned people in line that they may not be able to get in before the museum closed, and offered vouchers to visit another time.
• We stayed in line, and luckily we made it just in time.

The bottom line: Seeing the exhibit is worth getting a few new fears.

If you go: The museum is at 5555 Hermann Park Drive.

• $35 gets you into "Death by Natural Causes" and all permanent exhibit halls.
• The exhibit isn't recommended for kids under 10 years old.