North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh

What a privilege it is to have such an extensive and amazing Natural Sciences Museum here in the great state of North Carolina! If you’ve never been to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, this is your cue to go! The main location is in downtown Raleigh, but they also have locations in Prairie Ridge, Whiteville, Greenville, and Contentnea Creek. 

I enjoyed researching more about the museum because I learned so much about its history and everything they offer. 

“The state’s museum devoted to science and nature, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in central Raleigh is the largest institution of its kind in the Southeastern United States and, with over a million visitors a year, the state’s most visited museum. Its 300,000 square-foot downtown campus is augmented by Prairie Ridge Ecostation and satellite facilities in Whiteville, Greenville and Contentnea Creek. Together, they provide a variety of curriculum-focused classes onsite, offsite, outdoors and online for pre-kindergarten through graduate students across the state.”

You learn so much with every trip to the museum but their website is also very educational. I would highly recommend checking out their website for all of the events and seasonal/short term exhibits they have. You can also download their museum guide which I’d highly recommend so you can plan out which exhibits you want to go tour on your first visit!

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences has so many kinds of animals! From bones to butterflies, insects, fish, mammals, and more - just look at all of the amazing wildlife you’ll get to encounter!

Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? From our childhood obsession with playing dinosaurs to our many trips to the theaters to enjoy Jurassic Park, we can all agree that dinosaurs have always piqued our curiosity. The museum has plenty of dinosaur exhibits to enjoy and more importantly, to learn so much about the prehistoric predators. 

“In 2023, we will open “Dueling Dinosaurs,” a major permanent exhibition and laboratory devoted to a truly important paleontological discovery: the most complete fossils of a T. rex and Triceratops ever found, locked together at the time of death. This unique find will advance our understanding of these species and their behavior in ways we now can only begin to guess at. When open, Dueling Dinosaurs will allow the public to unravel the mystery behind their deaths in a state-of-the art interactive exhibit, while witnessing these remarkable fossils up close as they are studied by researchers in a scientific setting.”

There’s so much to learn here but also so many cool events to attend! They have science trivia contests on Thursdays at the Science Cafe where you can enjoy local wine and beer on tap. On the last Friday of the month, they have an interactive science experience that includes dinner and a show. You can even rent the museum for parties, events, etc. Don’t forget to check out their BugFest they have every year!

There is so much to do, see, and experience at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences! It’ll take several trips to truly enjoy all of their exhibits. Take your friends, take the kiddos, and take yourself for a great time of discovery at this fantastic museum and show them A Little Local Love!

* All Photos Property of NC Museum of Natural Sciences