NC Museum of Natural Sciences is an great place to explore and get lost. Exhibits are both visually stunning and very interesting. Between the life size Dinosaur exhibits and the live research areas, this museum will surely inspire people for generations to come.
Science Central in Downtown Raleigh
The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is located in downtown Raleigh just north of Capital square. The parking can be a little tricky so be sure to take a look where you will park before you go. We typically use the public parking lot one block to the east. This lot fills up fast on weekends so identify a back up place to park with the Raleigh Parking Map.
The original entrance to the Museum is on the East side of the building. There is a pedestrian only plaza area between this museum and the NC Museum of History where both have entrances. There is a new entrance now to the extension on West Jones street. The extension is directly connected to the original part via fully enclosed walkways.
Science Starts Here
The museum has several areas all with their own flare and draw. I will touch in some of my favorites and the most popular areas. This is the parent museum for the Greenville Science Museum.
Whale That’s a Surprise
On the first floor to the right of the entrance, you will find the aquatic and coastal life exhibits. You will know you have found it when you see the massive whale skeleton suspended above you. I have been coming to this museum since I was a kid and I am still awestruck by this beast.
The exhibits in this area are a fun mix of live and static scenes. The there are some interactive parts that help explain what you are looking at too. Aside form the whale, I find the pelican scene at the end of the exhibit visual stunning.
The static displays have a few live fish tanks blended together to make them look as if they are real coastal scenes. I find this is a little silly but I can appreciate that it shows the fish in a more dynamic light than just a tank in a wall
The Indoor Forest
The second floor has a mock forest floor that you can stroll through. It feels like the perfect place for an advanced game of eye-spy. Birds and all sorts of wild life are suspended and hidden in this area. I have not tried playing eye spy with Madilyn yet but I will definitely be back to try it with her.
The fun park of this is that it shows all these different components of the forest interacting with each other. Additionally they have a waterfall here. This indoor waterfall is a little less impressive than the Pine Knolls Aquarium waterfall but still a great surprise.
This exhibit is both inside the forest and in the surrounding areas. You will find smaller related areas in the spaces surrounding the forest. One of my go-to’s is the snake exhibit. This teaches you about the common snakes throughout the old North State and which ones to stay away from. Simple yet practical knowledge.
Dinosaurs
The prehistoric and Dinosaur exhibits are some of the all time the favorites of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and for good reason. The marquis exhibit is in its own glass atrium. The light filled exhibit opens up to a recreation of two dinosaurs fighting each other. The full size T-Rex skeleton replica perfectly fits the massive space with two pterodactyls circling above. More often than not this room is packed.
Bug Out
The 4th floor is all bugs. The center piece to the whole level is a butterfly room. Live butterflies are bred and cared for in this area. They offer tours if you are able to sign up. I have only ever been in there once despite coming for years. You can watch the cacoons from a special viewing window year round. The other exhibits are equally fun to check out.
There are tanks of different types of foreign and local bugs all over the area. My LEAST favorite of these tanks is all the cochroaches. I understand that they are ecologically important but I tend to walk right past these.
There is also a set of bug heads that allow you to have the perspective of a fly. The multiple diverging lenses can be a little disorienting but it always attracts the kids (and me). If you are a little hungry at this point, there is a cafe that serves basic food and drinks. Hours are limited so if you are counting on the cafe for lunch/snack be sure you check the current hours.
Nature Research Center
This is the new wing to the museum. Recently built in the adjacent block and connected via enclosed walkway, this area is home to real research. The building hosts all sorts of labs for researchers and scientists to conduct research and is visually stunning too. All these work spaces are fully clad in glass walls. I can see how this would be a powerful tool for showing young aspiring minds what research actually looks like.
There are some fun exhibits in this area also. They tend to focus on more recent and pressing topics and are mainly computer based.
Rotating Exhibits and Events
The Museum is known for all sorts of different events and specialty exhibits. They have a dedicate space for rotating Exhibits of all kinds. I came for the Titanic exhibit here when I was in elementary school. During this visit the staff was in the early stages of setting up for the dualing dinosaurs exhibit. Check out what exhibits are coming soon.
There is also a large spherical globe theater in the newer section the are puts on several different shows to watch. Viewing is available at multiple stories in the museum so it can get a bit noisy. It was also closed when we visited this time.
The museum also hosts some private events but these are typically after hours. My brother considered getting married in here but it was a little too pricy at the time. You should have no issue with these interfering with your visit.
Overall
The Museum is a great place to take your kids and is a fun place to explore even as an adult. Though some of the exhibits are starting to show their age, the museum continues to be engaging, fun, and refreshing. As a long time visitor, I am also excited to see that they are updating and expanding this place. Arguably one of (if not THE) best museums in Raleigh this is must see if you visit the NC Capital.
If you see this after your page is loaded completely, leafletJS files are missing.
Want More? Subscribe! Or Check out our Activity Map for more cool Activities
