Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC Features Fascinating Exhibits

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is located in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, situated in the center of the state. It is the mission of the museum to "enhance the public's understanding and appreciation of the environment in ways that emphasize the natural diversity of North Carolina and the southeastern United States and relate the region to the world as a whole.''

First known as the North Carolina State Museum, this attraction was founded in 1879 as a combination of collections of State Geologist Washington Caruthers Kerr (rocks, minerals, fossils, and woods) and Commissioner of Agriculture Col. Leonidas LaFayette Polk (agricultural products). For the next 100 years, the museum continued to expand, acquiring a number of new specimens each year, either through research expeditions or from donations from personal collections. A huge donation of local freshwater fauna from Duke University nearly doubled the museum's collection in the 1990s.

In April 2000, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences moved to its new and current location, making it the largest museum of its kind in the southeastern United States. During that same year, the North Carolina Museum of Forestry in Whiteville was established as a satellite facility and plans began to take shape for an education center for school groups and teachers and a 95,000 square-foot Nature Research Center.

Today, the four floors of the museum are filled with a variety of exhibits ranging from live animals and prehistoric fossils to plenty of hands-on displays that delight all ages. Permanent exhibits at the Museum of Natural Sciences include North Carolina's Natural Treasures, a look at the diverse eco-systems of the state; Coastal North Carolina, featuring items found on the state's Atlantic Coast including live sea creatures; Mountains to the Sea, an exhibit featuring models of a number of diverse geological features of the state; Nature's Explorers, a nod to the museum's history; and Underground North Carolina, a display of the gems and minerals found in the state's rich soil.

In addition, visitors can explore Terror of the South, featuring fossils of predator dinosaurs; Prehistoric North Carolina, an exhibit filled with specimens found in the state's fossil beds; Tropical Connections, which profiles the state's relationship with the tropics; Arthropod Zoo, featuring a variety of live creatures from that class of animals; and Living Conservatory, an area of the museum designed to resemble a dry tropical forest.

There is also a Discovery Room for the museum's youngest visitors and their families and a Special Exhibit's Gallery that hosts temporary exhibits on display from museums around the world. The Auditorium on the first floor is used for live science programs and boasts a high-definition 22-foot screen for viewing various films. Several special programs are scheduled in the auditorium each day.

In addition, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offers summer camp experiences for children in grades pre-K through 7th. Adults can take advantage of once-monthly science talks provided by a variety of different lecturers who are experts in their fields.