The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) is a

natural history museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

. The museum is the oldest in the state, and the largest natural history museum in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

. The museum is made up of six facilities, divided between five campuses. The newest facility, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Greenville, was announced in 2020 and opened to the public on September 18, 2021. NCMNS is a division of the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

History

The North Carolina State Museum was created in 1879 by combining two existing state-owned collections of geologic and agricultural specimens. The museum was originally housed in the Briggs Building on

Fayetteville Street Fayetteville Street is a major street in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America. It is a north-south thoroughfare that connects the North Carolina State Capitol, State Capitol to the Raleigh Conventio ...

. The museum's collections, outreach and education programs, and status grew over the next 60 years under the stewardship of Herbert Brimley. In 1887 the museum was placed under the management of the

Department of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

, and was moved to the department's office building: a former hotel on Edenton Street across from the capitol building. An annex was added in 1899 as the collection grew, and the entire facility was moved to a purpose-built building in 1924. The facility was later renamed the North Carolina State Museum of Natural History. In the 1950s and again in the 1990s, shifts in education further expanded the museum's holdings as universities donated their collections to the state. In 1986, the museum was renamed to The North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences. In 2000, the museum expanded with the opening of the Museum of Forestry in Whiteville. This facility was later overhauled and reopened in 2015 as the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Whiteville. Another location was added in 2004, with the opening of the Prairie Ridge Ecostation for Wildlife and Learning. The museum expanded its downtown campus in 2012 with the adjacent Nature Research Center. The collection contains over 1.7 million specimens, including

amphibians Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

reptiles Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

, birds, fish, mammals,

invertebrates Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordate subphylum ...

, invertebrate and vertebrate fossils, plants,

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

, and

meteorites A meteorite is a rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical interactions with the atmospheri ...

. On July 14, 2014, a dinosaur replica along with other items were stolen from NCMNS by two accomplices. The offenders turned themselves in on July 17. The replica, along with the other items were recovered. In 2020, the museum announced its acquisition of the Dueling Dinosaurs, a well-preserved and scientifically important specimen from Montana of a ''

Triceratops ''Triceratops'' ( ; ) is a genus of Chasmosaurinae, chasmosaurine Ceratopsia, ceratopsian dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous Period (geology), period, about 68 to 66 million years ago on the island ...

'' and ''

Tyrannosaurus ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived througho ...

'' possibly locked in combat. First found in 2006, there were unsuccessful attempts to sell it to museums or private collectors for over a decade until the NCMNS reached out in 2016, prompting negotiations to purchase the fossil. Legal issues concerning mineral rights significantly slowed these negotiations until they were resolved in 2020. Funds for the purchase were raised by the nonprofit Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Following the construction of a dedicated display wing in the Nature Research Center, the ''Dueling'' ''Dinosaurs'' exhibit was officially opened to the public in 2024 in the newly-built SECU DinoLab.

Nature Exploration Center

The Center is located on Jones Street in downtown Raleigh.

First floor

* Natural Treasures of North Carolina – Contains dioramas of various wildlife and artifacts pertaining to nature in North Carolina, such as

megalodon ''Otodus megalodon'' ( ; meaning "big tooth"), Common name, commonly known as megalodon, is an extinction, extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Earl ...

jaws and a

Carolina parakeet The Carolina parakeet (''Conuropsis carolinensis''), or Carolina conure, is an extinct species of small green neotropical parrot with a bright yellow head, reddish orange face, and pale beak that was native to the Eastern, Midwest, and Plains ...

specimen. * Coastal North Carolina – Displays dioramas of coastal North Carolina ecosystems, including aquariums featuring live fish native to North Carolina's coast and inland waterways. * WRAL 3-D Theater – A 250 seat

3-D film 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of Stereoscopy#3D viewers, special glasses worn by viewers. 3D films were prominently featured in the 1950s in Amer ...

venue. * Box Office – Sells tickets to the WRAL 3-D theater and the special exhibits.

Second floor

* Coastal North Carolina Overlook – Displays an array of

marine mammal Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their reliance on marine enviro ...

skeletons overlooking the "Coastal North Carolina" hall, including the museum's former mascot, a

sperm whale The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the Genus (biology), genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the s ...

specimen named "Trouble" that had washed ashore on Wrightsville Beach in 1928. Other specimens on display include a

blue whale The blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of and weighing up to , it is the largest animal known ever to have existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can ...

skeleton, a rare

True's beaked whale True's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon mirus'') is a medium-sized whale in the genus '' Mesoplodon''. It is native to the northern Atlantic Ocean. The common name is in reference to Frederick W. True, a curator at the United States National Museum (n ...

skeleton, and the skeleton of "Mayflower", a

North Atlantic right whale The North Atlantic right whale (''Eubalaena glacialis'') is a baleen whale, one of three right whale species belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena'', all of which were formerly classified as a single species. Because of their docile nature, their sl ...

collected in 1874 which has been on display for over a century. * North Carolina: Mountains to the Sea – Displays North Carolina's natural habitats from the western mountains through the central

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

and on to the

Coastal Plain A coastal plain (also coastal plains, coastal lowland, coastal lowlands) is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and an upland area. Formation Coastal plains can f ...

, as well as native North Carolina species in danger of extinction. * Underground North Carolina – Contains gems and minerals from North Carolina, as well as ground, soil, and

seismic Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic ...

displays. *Nature's Explorers – Exhibits the museum's beginnings, and early methods of specimen collection and preservation. Includes a model of an

ocean sunfish The ocean sunfish (''Mola mola''), also known as the common mola, is one of the largest bony fish in the world. It is the type species of the genus ''Mola'', and one of five extant species in the family Molidae. It was once misidentified as th ...

caught in 1937, as well as Miss Kagawa, one of the only

Japanese Friendship Dolls Friendship dolls, , or Japanese ambassador dolls and the , were dolls sent between Japan and the United States in 1927. The dolls were meant to improve the deteriorated Japan–United States relations, relationship between Japan and America that ...

to remain on display throughout World War II. * Discovery Room – A family-oriented hands-on exhibit. * Special Exhibition gallery – Temporary space for an annual special exhibition.

Third floor

* Prehistoric North Carolina – Chronicles prehistoric life in the state and throughout

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. This includes prehistoric

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...

life, such as

petrified wood Petrified wood (from Ancient Greek meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone'), is the name given to a special type of ''fossilized wood'', the fossilized remains of terrestrial plant, terrestrial vegetation. ''Petrifaction ...

, skeleton casts of ''

Prestosuchus ''Prestosuchus'' (meaning "Prestes crocodile") is an extinct genus of pseudosuchian in the group Loricata, which also includes ''Saurosuchus'' and ''Postosuchus''. It has historically been referred to as a "rauisuchian", and was the defining mem ...

'' and the dinosaurs ''

Albertosaurus ''Albertosaurus'' (; meaning "Alberta lizard") is a genus of large tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in northwestern North America during the early to middle Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous period, about 71 million yea ...

'', ''

Edmontosaurus ''Edmontosaurus'' ( ) (meaning "lizard from Edmonton"), with the second species often colloquially and historically known as ''Anatosaurus'' or ''Anatotitan'' (meaning "duck lizard" and "giant duck"), is a genus of hadrosaurid (duck-billed) din ...

'' & ''

Pachycephalosaurus ''Pachycephalosaurus'' (; meaning "thick-headed lizard", from Greek ''pachys-/'' "thickness", ''kephalon/'' "head" and ''sauros/'' "lizard") is a genus of pachycephalosaurid ornithischian dinosaur. The type species, ''P. wyomingensis'', ...

'', as well as the skeleton of "Willo", a famous well-preserved ''

Thescelosaurus ''Thescelosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of Ornithischia, ornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period (geology), period in western North America. It was named and described in 1913 by the Paleontology, paleontologist Charles W. G ...

'' specimen from Montana, which was formerly thought to have a fossilized heart. For Cenozoic life, the hall contains the reconstruction of an ''

Eremotherium ''Eremotherium'' (from Greek for "steppe" or "desert" "beast": ἔρημος "steppe or desert" and θηρίον "beast") is an extinct genus of giant ground sloth in the family Megatheriidae. ''Eremotherium'' lived in southern North America, Cen ...

'' giant ground sloth excavated by the museum near Wilmington, as well as a walkway through a reconstructed late

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

ocean ecosystem. * Terror of the South – exhibits a skeletal reconstruction of "Acro" or "Fran" (NCSM 14345), the largest and most complete ''

Acrocanthosaurus ''Acrocanthosaurus'' ( ; ) is a genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaurs that existed in what is now North America during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous, from 113 to 110 million years ago. Like most dinosaur genera, ...

'' specimen, as well as a life-size model of the giant

sauropod Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their b ...

dinosaur ''

Astrodon ''Astrodon'' is a genus of large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur, measuring in length, in height and in body mass. It lived in what is now the eastern United States during the Early Cretaceous period, and fossils have been found in the Arundel ...

''. The original skull of "Fran" is also displayed separately. * Tropical Connections – Contains a large interactive globe displaying climate regions of the Earth and the connections between North and South America, as well as live tropical animals such as emerald tree boas and

poison dart frogs Poison dart frog (also known as dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly known as poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are ...

. * Mountain Cove – Contains dioramas about the ecosystems and wildlife of North Carolina's

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, including live animal displays. * Snakes of North Carolina – Live displays of

snakes Snakes are elongated Limbless vertebrate, limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales much like other members of ...

native to North Carolina. *Windows on the World – A theater, used for demonstrations, talks, and live animal visits. * Curiosity Classrooms – Two classroom spaces. * Bridge Across Time – An open-air bridge connecting the Nature Exploration Center to the Nature Research Center, illustrating the traces left by ancient life over geologic time.

Fourth floor

* Arthropod Zoo – Live and static exhibits of the insects,

crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...

arachnid Arachnids are arthropods in the Class (biology), class Arachnida () of the subphylum Chelicerata. Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, opiliones, harvestmen, Solifugae, camel spiders, Amblypygi, wh ...

s and other arthropods in North Carolina. *Living Conservatory – A dry tropical forest exhibit with various live plants and animals native to Central and South America, most notably over 200 tropical

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

and a

two-toed sloth ''Choloepus'' is a genus of xenarthran mammals from Central and South America within the monotypic family Choloepodidae, consisting of two-toed sloths, sometimes also called two-fingered sloths. The two species of ''Choloepus'' (which means "la ...

, as well as ornate wood turtles, Stuart's milk snakes,

cichlids Cichlids () are a large, diverse, and widespread family of Percomorpha, percomorph fish in the family (biology), family Cichlidae, order Cichliformes. At least 1,760 species have been Binomial nomenclature, scientifically described, making ...

, and a Brazilian black tarantula. A chamber displays chrysalides of developing butterflies and butterflies that have recently emerged.

Nature Research Center

The Nature Research Center (NRC) is an , four-story wing across the street from the Nature Exploration Center. The NRC and NEC are connected by a breezeway. The initial opening (April 20, 2012) lasted for 24 hours and drew 70,000 visitors. The NRC provides hands-on activities and visitor-viewing of scientists working in the NRC's four research laboratories. The museum also makes use of

distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...

to broadcast lessons and virtual field trips to classrooms around the state.

First floor

* SECU Daily Planet Theater – Inside the globe, a three-story theater hosts science presentations and scenes from nature. * Our Changing Ocean – A aquarium replicates a typical hardbottom habitat off the North Carolina coast. * Investigating Right Whales – Visitors can see and touch the skeleton of "Stumpy", a

killed in a boat collision in 2004, whose death led to laws that require slower cargo ship speeds in whale migration routes. * Exploring the Deep Sea – A model

submersible A submersible is an underwater vehicle which needs to be transported and supported by a larger ship, watercraft or dock, platform. This distinguishes submersibles from submarines, which are self-supporting and capable of prolonged independent ope ...

takes visitors on a virtual dive to the ocean floor off the North Carolina coast. * Exploratory Gallery – Presents projects and breakthroughs in

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

, health, and modeling. * Citizen Science Center – Exhibits on getting involved in scientific research and being a citizen scientist. * Protecting Fresh Water – Displays on the importance of clean waterways and how they can coexist with urban development. * North Carolina's Green Gems – Contains

emeralds Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr., and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991). ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, ...

discovered in North Carolina, including North America's largest cut emerald, the 64.8-carat Carolina Emperor.

Second floor

* Researching Weather – Displays methods used to study the weather. * Diversity of Life – Displays about

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

and the extinction crisis faced by modern species, including live animal displays. * Window on

Animal Health Animal Health was a UK government executive agency primarily responsible for ensuring that farmed animals in Great Britain were healthy, disease-free and well looked after. One of its key roles was to implement government policies aimed at preve ...

– Visitors can view veterinary staff, students, and interns working on real medical procedures. The window is equipped with 2-way audio between visitors and staff and offers video for visitors to view close-ups of images and medical procedures. Patients include species such as

, fish, birds, small mammals and

. * Naturalist Center – Features some of the museum's 20,000 education specimens such as

fossils A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

, bones, preserved reptiles, and birds. This exhibit also showcases audio and video of certain specimens at two interactive tabletops. * Planet Micro – large-scale model reconstructions of

microbes A microorganism, or microbe, is an organism of microscopic size, which may exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells. The possible existence of unseen microbial life was suspected from antiquity, with an early attestation in ...

. * Our Changing Climate – Shows recorded testimonials from experts and students about the impacts of

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

Third floor

* Unraveling

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

– Displays about DNA replication, barcoding and

model organisms A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Mo ...

, including a giant model of a DNA strand. * Postcards from Space – Collection of

. * Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries – Displays of various fossils across geologic time, including a cast of a juvenile ''

'' skeleton, fossil predators from the

Triassic Period The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized 🝈) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is the ...

mammoths A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus.'' They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabi ...

mastodons A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...

from the

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

, and

Ediacaran The Ediacaran ( ) is a geological period of the Neoproterozoic geologic era, Era that spans 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period at 635 Million years ago, Mya to the beginning of the Cambrian Period at 538.8 Mya. It is the last ...

representing some of the earliest complex life on Earth (542-635 million years ago).

Investigate labs

The Nature Research Center's three investigate labs are open-to-the-public hands-on educational spaces. * Natural World Investigate Lab (second floor) – Visitors can use a variety of tools to observe and study the natural world. * Micro World Investigate Lab (third floor) – This lab focuses on advances in

biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

and

microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...

, including

protozoa Protozoa (: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a polyphyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic debris. Historically ...

and

genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of Genetic engineering techniques, technologies used to change the genet ...

. * Visual World Investigate Lab (third floor) – Demonstrates modelling and simulation technologies, and offers classes in electronics and

computer programming Computer programming or coding is the composition of sequences of instructions, called computer program, programs, that computers can follow to perform tasks. It involves designing and implementing algorithms, step-by-step specifications of proc ...

Research labs

The Nature Research Center's five research labs are part of the museum's Research and Collections department. These spaces (normally used for behind-the-scenes work) have transparent glass walls through which the public can observe research scientists. The atrium is home to the LCD sculpture '' Patterned by Nature''. * SECU DinoLab (first floor) – Opened in 2024, this timed-entry research lab allows visitors to view the ongoing excavation of the Dueling Dinosaurs specimen, in addition to other interactive displays about the Cretaceous, such as the cast of a ''

Nothronychus ''Nothronychus'' (meaning "slothful claw") is a genus of therizinosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period. The type species, ''Nothronychus mckinleyi'', was described by James Kirkland and Dougla ...

'' skeleton. *

Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

and

Earth Observation Earth observation (EO) is the gathering of information about the physical, chemical, and biosphere, biological systems of the planet Earth. It can be performed via remote sensing, remote-sensing technologies (Earth observation satellites) or throu ...

Research Laboratory (second floor) – This laboratory is the center for exploration of the

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

of the community, state and planet. Studies focus on such areas as mammalian movement ecology. * Astronomy and Space Observation Research Laboratory (third floor) –

Astronomers An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either observ ...

in this lab use large telescopes around the world to investigate the origins of the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...

by studying the chemical composition of gas clouds around forming stars. *

Genomics Genomics is an interdisciplinary field of molecular biology focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes. A genome is an organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes as well as its hierarchical, ...

and Microbiology Research Laboratory (third floor) – In this lab, biologists conduct a wide spectrum of molecular genetic studies to examine DNA-based relationships among

primates Primates is an order of mammals, which is further divided into the strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and lorisids; and the haplorhines, which include tarsiers and simians ( monkeys and apes). Primates arose 74–63 ...

(called comparative evolutionary genomics). *

Paleontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure ge ...

and

Geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

Research Laboratory (third floor) – The focus of this laboratory is the

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

, evolutionary relationships and

paleoecology Paleoecology (also spelled palaeoecology) is the study of interactions between organisms and/or interactions between organisms and their environments across geologic timescales. As a discipline, paleoecology interacts with, depends on and informs ...

theropod Theropoda (; from ancient Greek , (''therion'') "wild beast"; , (''pous, podos'') "foot"">wiktionary:ποδός"> (''pous, podos'') "foot" is one of the three major groups (clades) of dinosaurs, alongside Ornithischia and Sauropodom ...

dinosaurs—a group that includes the iconic mega predator ''

Tyrannosaurus rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It live ...

'' as well as all living birds.

Satellite facilities and branches

Prairie Ridge Ecostation

Prairie Ridge Ecostation () is a satellite facility and outdoor classroom located from the museum's downtown Raleigh locations. It includes Piedmont prairie, forest, ponds, a stream, and sustainable building features integrated with a wildlife-friendly landscape. Prairie Ridge is part of the museum's mission of enhancing public understanding and appreciation of the

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, biotic and abiotic component, abiotic things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to Earth or some parts ...

by providing an outdoor learning space while acting as a model for

renewable A renewable resource (also known as a flow resource) is a natural resource which will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption, either through natural reproduction or other recurring processes in a finite amount of ti ...

and

sustainable energy Energy system, Energy is sustainability, sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the e ...

. The facility opened a Nature PlaySpace on Saturday, September 28, 2013.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at

Whiteville, North Carolina Whiteville is the county seat and the most populous city in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,394 at the 2010 census. History Columbus County was created in 1808. In 1810, an act authorized James Bunbury Whi ...

formerly known as the North Carolina Museum of Forestry, is a satellite facility of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Its mission is to celebrate the natural history and

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by socie ...

of North Carolina's forests through interpretive exhibits, educational programming, and the preservation of natural and man-made materials that demonstrate the ongoing relationship of forests and people. Displays and interactive exhibits include an outdoor Tree Trail and Fossil Dig Pit, and the museum offers educational program experiences and special events.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Contentnea Creek

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Contentnea Creek, formerly known as the Grifton Nature & Science Center, is a satellite facility and outdoor classroom located in Grifton, North Carolina. It features hiking and paddling trails centered around Contentnea Creek, along with an observatory and outdoor classroom.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Greenville

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at

Greenville, North Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is the county seat of and the most populous city in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. It is the principal city of the Greenville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the List of municipalities in North Carolina, 12t ...

formerly known as A Time For Science (ATFS), is a satellite facility of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences located in Greenville, North Carolina. It and the Grifton Nature and Science Center were acquired through a partnership between NCMNS and ATFS. The center was renovated with new exhibits being added and reopened in September 2021. The Museum at Greenville is largely based on the Raleigh facility, but with more exhibits focusing on subjects relevant to northeastern North Carolina such as

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

and

pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female carpel, stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are ...

s, and includes resources from

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...

Notable annual events

NCMNS hosts many special events through the year. The most notable are: * On

Groundhog Day Groundhog Day (, , , ; Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if ...

, February 2, Sir Walter Wally makes his annual prediction for the arrival of the upcoming spring. Sir Walter has a 58% accuracy rating, which has earned him nationwide recognition for his prognostication ability. * BugFest, held in mid-September every year, is a free day-long festival devoted to insects. This event attracts more than 35,000 visitors per year. A smaller version of the festival, called BugFest South, is held at the Whiteville facility in May or June. * NCMNS participates in First Night Raleigh each year on December 31. In 2012, First Night drew 80,000 people to the blocks around the museum.

Gallery

File:PhC42 Bx18 Museum of Natural History F10-1 (7096742305).jpg, The Agricultural Building (the site of the museum between 1887 and 1924) ca. 1900s File:PhC42 Bx18 Museum of Natural History F14 (6950672326).jpg, Specimen collection ca. 1900 File:PhC42 Bx18 Museum of Natural History F19 (6950672476).jpg, "Mineral Room" of museum ca. 1900s File:PhC42 Bx19 Museum of Natural History F81-4 (6950675814).jpg, Exterior of the Museum building (now the Nature Exploration Center) ca. 1942 File:PhC42 Bx19 Museum of Natural History F63-6 (7096744583).jpg, Museum interior ca. 1960s File:PhC42 Bx19 Museum of Natural History F90-3 (6950676244).jpg, An exhibit preparator ca. 1981. File:North-Carolina-Museum-of-Natural-Sciences-20070321.jpeg, Museum building circa 2007, prior to construction of Nature Research Center File:Albertosaurus (2386806536).jpg, ''

'' skeleton mount in the "Prehistoric North Carolina" hall. File:NC Museum Of Natural Sciences Nature Research Center-Daily Planet.jpeg, Nature Research Center exterior at night

References

External links

Official website
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Museum of Natural Sciences The Museum of Natural Sciences (, ; , ) is a Brussels museum dedicated to natural history. It is a part of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (; ), itself part of the institutions of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSP ...

Natural history museums in North Carolina Museums in Raleigh, North Carolina NASA Museum Alliance Smithsonian Institution affiliates Natural Science Collections Alliance members Nature centers in North Carolina Dinosaur museums in the United States Paleontology in North Carolina Insectariums Butterfly houses 1879 establishments in North Carolina Museums established in 1879