North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences We illuminate nature with research, conservation initiatives, interactive exhibits and programs. Page Expectations and Guidelines:

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We hope this will be a place where fans feel comfortable sharing information and experiences about the Museum with one another. Please be considerate of other fans' opinions. We ask that you follow our posting guidelines here. Comments in violation of posting guidelines may be removed. We do not allow:

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or intended to slander anyone or any organization.

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External links do not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources or the State of North Carolina. Correspondence to and from this account is subject to North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

Want to make the most of your trip to BugFest this year?Score a FREE t-shirt on event day when you join or renew a membe...
09/02/2026

Want to make the most of your trip to BugFest this year?

Score a FREE t-shirt on event day when you join or renew a membership at BugFest or online September 1–19 with code "HOP26". Also, grab a collectible VIP pass to skip the line at Café Insecta and dig into tasty bug-filled dishes from local chefs. Flash your VIP pass or membership card to save 20% off in gift shops and 10% off in cafés.

Best of all, Members enjoy unlimited FREE admission to special exhibitions and invitations to exclusive events. Join or renew today: https://ncmns.net/BugFestMember26

NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

30 years. One big bug bash! 🐛BugFest is celebrating its 30th anniversary on Saturday, September 19, and you’re invited! ...
08/28/2026

30 years. One big bug bash! 🐛

BugFest is celebrating its 30th anniversary on Saturday, September 19, and you’re invited! Enjoy 100+ exhibits, crafts, games, and entomologists on hand to answer your buggiest questions. Come and try tasty dishes from Café Insecta that might change your mind about eating bugs, then stay for live music and performers that’ll keep the party going into the evening.

This year’s star is the red-banded leafhopper, the face of our “Hoppers” theme. Get more event details at https://ncmns.net/BugFest2026.

NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
visitRaleigh
Downtown Raleigh Alliance

As students all over the region head back to school, we’re celebrating the power of learning beyond the classroom.With s...
08/23/2026

As students all over the region head back to school, we’re celebrating the power of learning beyond the classroom.

With support from the Triangle Community Foundation's Environmental Resilience Grant, more than 600 teens participated in programs, including Junior Curators, Junior Interpreters, Teen Climate Ambassadors, Teen Science Café, and Girls in Science Camp, totaling more than 4,700 hours of hands-on environmental education this year.

Thank you for helping inspire the next generation of environmental stewards!


The most popular live animal in Staying Alive, JJ the two-toed sloth, is slowly making their way out of Raleigh, so act ...
08/21/2026

The most popular live animal in Staying Alive, JJ the two-toed sloth, is slowly making their way out of Raleigh, so act fast if you want to catch our special exhibition— it closes this Sunday, August 23!

Also on the move are Yoshi the three-banded armadillo, Wiggles the tokay gecko, and more than a dozen other species. This is your last chance to explore the striking ways nature fights back with unbelievable self-defense strategies.

Get tickets to the exhibition’s final weekend at ncmns.net/staying-alive.

NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

THIS. IS. HUGE. 🦖🏆Dr. Lindsay Zanno has been named a recipient of the 2026 North Carolina Award for Science — the highes...
08/21/2026

THIS. IS. HUGE. 🦖🏆

Dr. Lindsay Zanno has been named a recipient of the 2026 North Carolina Award for Science — the highest civilian honor bestowed by the State of North Carolina.

And if you know Lindsay’s work, you know why.
She has crossed continents in search of fossils. Built one of the nation’s leading paleontology research programs right here at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Led research that has rewritten what we know about dinosaurs — including helping settle one of paleontology’s longest-running debates by demonstrating that Nanotyrannus was not a juvenile T. rex.

But here’s what makes us especially proud:

For Lindsay, discovery has never been something to keep behind a laboratory door.
She has spent her career opening that door — inviting schoolchildren, Museum visitors, early career scientists, and people across North Carolina into the process of science itself.
Because Lindsay believes science belongs to everyone.

Today, North Carolina is recognizing what we get to see up close every day: an extraordinary scientist, mentor, leader, and champion for public science.

Congratulations, Lindsay. This one is BIG. 🦖

Members, don’t miss your chance to see Staying Alive while it’s still here through August 23. Enjoy benefits like free, ...
08/15/2026

Members, don’t miss your chance to see Staying Alive while it’s still here through August 23. Enjoy benefits like free, unlimited admission to special exhibitions, a 20% discount on gift shop purchases, a 10% discount at our cafés and many more perks!

Becoming a Member doesn’t just help you save on experiences; it’s a vital way to support the Museum! Join at https://ncmns.net/4yYtrae.

Collaborative Science Research Day is August 15!Visit the Museum to learn how you can contribute to active scientific re...
08/13/2026

Collaborative Science Research Day is August 15!

Visit the Museum to learn how you can contribute to active scientific research, including documenting dragonflies, identifying primate blood cell types, classifying galaxies, and more. Talk to researchers, see what they’re working on, and find out how you can get involved as a collaborative scientist. That’s this Saturday, from 10 am - 2 pm.

More info at https://ncmns.net/4wUriey.

NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

08/06/2026

SOLD OUT. Check out our next Museum Movie Night: Jurassic Park, Nov. 6: https://ncmns.net/movienight

All aboard! 🛸

Beam yourself up for Museum Movie Night. But hurry, the ship is filling up fast. Seats are going quickly for our screening of the sci-fi comedy classic, Galaxy Quest. Don't get left behind on this one.

Grab tickets before the crew leaves without you at https://ncmns.net/GalaxyQuest.

📽 cc: DreamWorks Pictures

08/04/2026

The BIGGEST tourist attraction in Raleigh—by popularity and by prehistoric proportions—is the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. 🌎🦕

Drawing more than a MILLION visitors each year, this downtown gem is the most-visited museum in the Tar Heel State and the largest of its kind in the Southeast.

With hands-on exhibits and millions of specimens, visitors can see world-renowned Dueling Dinosaurs, soar through a butterfly-filled conservatory, and experience everything from North Carolina’s coastal habitats to the edges of our solar system!

For more information visit naturalsciences.org.

FAQs:
- Free general admission.
- Food and drink available for purchase at the Daily Planet Café.
- Museum Store on the first floor of the Nature Exploration Center.
- Wheelchair accessible, with accessibility options available upon request.

📆 Open daily from 10am to 5pm

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
📍 11 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601

Address

11 W Jones Street
Raleigh, NC
27601

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+19197079800

Website

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