The Greensboro Science Center (formerly known as the Natural Science Center of Greensboro, originally the Greensboro Junior Museum) is a science museum and zoological park established in 1957 and located in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...

, United States. It has been accredited by the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA), is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aqu ...

(AZA) since 2008, and is a member of the

American Alliance of Museums The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), formerly the American Association of Museums, is a non-profit association whose goal is to bring museums together. Founded in 1906, the organization advocates for museums and provides "museum professionals w ...

(AAM).

History

The Greensboro Science Center (GSC) was established in 1957 as the Greensboro Junior Museum. By its 40th anniversary in 1997, it was attracting some 200,000 visitors each year, and attendance has continued to grow to 434,718 as of 2017. The current executive director, Glenn Dobrogosz, was hired in 2004 The facility received accreditation by the

in 2008, this allows for guests to utilize the AZA's reciprocity program where they can get discounts on their admission at the Greensboro Science Center when they have a membership with a fellow AZA organization. As part of a $20 million makeover, the GSC opened Time Warner Cable's Extreme Weather Gallery in May 2011, and the HealthQuest exhibit in June 2011, however, the HealthQuest exhibit is currently no longer on view to the public. On May 2, 2015, the Greensboro Science Center opened its tree top adventure park, Skywild. On June 4, 2021 the newest expansion to the Greensboro Science Center, Revolution Ridge opened to the public and is the largest addition in the Center's history.

Attractions

The Animal Discovery Zoological Park is home to animals including

red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...

Sumatran tiger The Sumatran tiger is a population of ''Panthera tigris sondaica'' on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali tiger, Bali and Javan tigers are extinct. DNA sequencing, Sequ ...

okapi The okapi (; ''Okapia johnstoni''), also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe and zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal that is endemic to the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. However, non-invasive gen ...

s, pygmy hippos,

maned wolves The maned wolf (''Chrysocyon brachyurus'') is a large caninae, canine of South America. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay, and is almost extinct in Uruguay. Its markings resemble those of a red fox, but it is neither a ...

serval The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild small cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, where it inhabits grasslands, wetlands, moorlands and bamboo thickets. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and ...

sand cat The sand cat (''Felis margarita'') is a small wild cat that inhabits sandy and stony deserts far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well camouflaged in a desert environment. Its head-and-body length ranges from with a ...

fishing cat The fishing cat (''Prionailurus viverrinus'') is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. It has a deep yellowish-grey fur with black lines and spots. Adults have a head-to-body length of , with a long tail. Males are larger than f ...

white-nosed coati The white-nosed coati (''Nasua narica''), also known as the coatimundi (), is a species of coati and a member of the family Procyonidae (raccoons and their relatives). Local Spanish names for the species include ''antoon'', ''gato solo'', ''pi ...

meerkat The meerkat (''Suricata suricatta'') or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-body ...

s, fossa, black howler monkeys, silvery gibbons, red ruffed lemurs,

ring-tailed lemur The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine (wet-nosed) primate and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of fiv ...

cassowaries Cassowaries (; Biak language, Biak: ''man suar'' ; ; Papuan_languages, Papuan: ''kasu weri'' ) are flightless birds of the genus ''Casuarius'', in the order Casuariiformes. They are classified as ratites, flightless birds without a keel (bird a ...

Aldabra tortoise The Aldabra giant tortoise (''Aldabrachelys gigantea'') is a species of tortoise in the Family (biology), family Testudinidae and genus ''Aldabrachelys''. The species is Endemism, endemic to the Seychelles, with the nominate subspecies, ''A. g. ...

s, and

Nile crocodile The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the eastern, southern, and ce ...

s, and is designed to showcase the "Science of Survival." Attractions within the zoo include the Friendly Farm, Kavanagh Discovery House, Revolution Ridge, and Davis Kelly Fountain of Youth and Discovery. The Museum includes SciPlay Bay, Time Warner Cable's Extreme Weather Gallery, touch labs that include live snakes, lizards, and invertebrates, and Prehistoric Passages: Realm of Dragons, which houses a

komodo dragon The Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis''), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large reptile of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo (island), Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Dasami, and Gili ...

that moves between an inside exhibit and outdoor enclosure in the zoo. The OmniSphere Theater is a full dome theater where visitors experience everything from the stars to coral reefs in 2D and 3D. The Wiseman Aquarium is an aquarium that features animals including

stingray Stingrays are a group of sea Batoidea, rays, a type of cartilaginous fish. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwate ...

African penguin The African penguin (''Spheniscus demersus''), also known as Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. It is the only penguin found in the Old World. Like all penguins, it is flightless, ...

s, Asian small-clawed otters,

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

mata mata Matamata () is a town in Waikato, New Zealand. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which tak ...

s, moon jellies and several other species of fish. The Rotary Club of Greensboro Carousel is North Carolina's largest carousel featuring animals that showcase the science center (such as Red Pandas, Octopus, Dinosaurs, etc.) along with state mascots (NC State Wolf, UNC TarHeel). The ride is an additional charge, but is built for all ages and abilities. Winter Wonderlights is Greensboro newest holiday attraction, that features a walkable holiday themed light display, which has been active since 2020.

Plans for the future

In 2009, Greensboro voters considered a $20 million bond referendum for the Natural Science Center. $10 million was used for the SciQuarium, a aquarium with more than 75 species of animals and a cownose ray touch tank. $10 million is planned for renovations and expansions of existing parts of the GSC. The master plan for this renovation was developed with the help of

Cambridge Seven Associates Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc., stylized as CambridgeSeven, and sometimes as C7A, is an American architecture firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Buildings designed by the firm have included academic, museum, exhibit, hospitality, transpor ...

and Moser-Mayer Phoenix & Associates, and phase 1 (the SciQuarium) opened in the summer of 2013. Phase 2 will include updates to the current museum, and phase 3 will include new animals such as pygmy hippos, cassowaries and red pandas in an exhibit called "Endangered Species Village." The final form of which turned into what is referred to today as "Revolution Ridge."

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Greensboro Science Center Zoos in North Carolina Science museums in North Carolina Museums in Greensboro, North Carolina Natural history museums in North Carolina

Aquaria in North Carolina {{Portal, United States This category is for public aquariums in North Carolina, United States. Zoos in North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the ...

Zoos established in 1957 Paleontology in North Carolina Dinosaur museums in the United States