Another terrific, and free, museum in Raleigh! If you visit the History museum, you should come directly across the walkway to the Museum of Natural Sciences, and vice versa. There was so much to see that I'm sure I missed some of the exhibits but what I saw was a beautifully curated collection that is sure to entertain and even inspire people of all ages. There were a few things closed; I'm not sure if it was due to Covid or because it was a Wednesday mid-afternoon and the traffic just didn't warrant those areas being open. Their dinosaur exhibit(s) were my favorite that I've ever seen. To have the Brontosaurus set in front of the huge window, created such an impressive and realistic impression on the size and magnitude of that species. And the Pterodactyl's were frightening and the most realistic ones I've seen in a museum. I loved being able to go upstairs where it was as if the Pterodactyl's were coming right at you; it was a bit of a surreal moment. They also had a great display on gemstones and had a lot of information on the animals once living, and some still living, off of the Carolina Coast. My only regret is not allowing myself more time (and also not buying that Pluto bookmark!). There was a few groups of small children and they all seemed SO excited and engaged with the exhibits. I highly recommend a stop for anyone visiting, or living, nearby.

This place has definitely improved over the years! It's definitely worth your time going. It's free to enter and the paid events are not expensive at all. The best part is, you could spend all day there and still not see everything! I especially love their dinosaur exhibit. My only complaint is I wish the dinosaur exhibit was larger and more interactive for $10 a person. But I was surprised that they move!

Fun and educational place with lots of great exhibits. It was surprise for us knowing the museum is absolutely free to the public. Clean and very well maintained place. They also have canteen with good sandwiches and other snacks. Our favourite section was butterfly dome where we saw several species of butterflies. Love to visit this place again.

Located in the heart of downtown Raleigh, this museum is an excellent choice for a weekend getaway or a weekday excursion with kids. It boasts an impressive collection of live insects on the top floor, other floors included snakes such as copperheads, cottonmouths, rat snakes, and other snakes commonly found in North Carolina. The dinosaur exhibits were a big hit with the children. We also decided to explore the spider exhibit, but I wouldn't recommend it. There are far more captivating displays and a 3D film to enjoy elsewhere. What's even better is that there's no admission fee, and the place wasn't crowded during our visit. I wholeheartedly recommend this museum for families, kids, or anyone with a passion for spending quality time exploring. Parking is available in public areas, and even on a weekend, we found ample street parking.

A large, poignant, nicely arranged collection of NC natural history from prehistoric time to now and beyond. So much to read and see and great interactive screens in Building 2 (don't miss going!) The building is really nice and well-planned. Nice customer service. Clean bathrooms. Great for all ages. Free and handicap-accessible. Free parking. In a great area close to other attractions.

The perfect wedding venue! My husband and I got married in the Acrodome. The wedding planners supplied by the museum were so helpful and the caterer was great. Our guests were able to walk around the exhibit during the reception while we took pictures. The smaller space offered a more intimate feel for the event as a whole and the price couldn't be beat.

If you are looking for a fun educational place to take your kids, this is the place. It's free, but they do have a couple exhibits that you have to pay for. Such as the 3D movies or a special exhibit. I took my kids today and was there for four hrs and still wasn't able to see everything. The paid dinosaur exhibit was really fun. They have life size dinosaurs that move. All my kids loved it, except my 3yr. She got a bit scared of the moving dinosaurs. But she loved the life like water tunnel.

the museum is rich in exhibits 3 or 4 floors, for all ages. About 2 hr walk through. You are your own tour guide. Best part is its no cost at all. You'll learn a bit of history on wildlife and science. The dinosaur exhibit was pretty cool. I was to scared to get in there with the butterflies though, it would be a nice experience if you aren't squirmish like me. Quite fascinating. Something fun to do if you're already in the area. I wouldn't suggest traveling more that 2 hours to get here. I don't like that there's certain life wildlife displayed in cases that aren't the appropriate length requirements for them to thrive in. I hope they are taken out at night or something, but don't believe they are. But overall all great experience.

Outstanding museum that continues to thrive and innovate. Currently under construction which is a testament to their constant growth. Big dinosaur stuff on the way! So informative and interactive. The exhibits truly come to life. The museum is free however certain exhibits are ticketed. Membership is less than $100 for families! You can’t beat that. A beautiful place to learn and grow. I highly recommend and look forward to coming back, I’ve been visiting this museum since I was a kid! I admire the progress and look forward to more knowledge and creativity. Stop by when you can!

This museum is in downtown Raleigh and offers a nice variety of things to view and learn about. It is free to get in. The museum also has movies and special exhibits that require payment. Some of the areas close sooner than others. However, whether young or old, this place has something to educate anyone of any age. It is two buildings with multiple floors. There is a parking deck close by to park in, and it's just a short walk to the entrance.

This is an incredible asset in Raleigh that I think is often overlooked by the locals. It shows up on every “visit Raleigh” site but people who have lived here for years seem to forget it exists. It’s an excellent experience for children to learn and has changing exhibits. They’re working on a new dinosaur area as of this post. The whale bones and dinosaur bones are huge and a humbling reminder of our place on this planet. Lots of great native NC exhibits as well- even with some closed for Covid. All in all a great experience for kids and adults.

FREE museum, just pay for parking and you are good to go. Great location in downtown Raleigh. Great exhibits, from prehistoric to water life in North Carolina to mountain life. Some exhibits were closed due to Covid 19. I would have liked to go in the butterfly exhibit but that was closed too. But so many things to see, great fun for the kids all ages. Definitely worth a visit. Everything is wheel chair accessible, there are some stairs, escalators and elevators.

Free admission. Worth your time. 5 floors of a very diverse exhibition. Very kid friendly. Cafe on the 4th floor for a quick snack. Bathrooms everywhere. Easy to navigate. Loads of parking nearby. Staff is very friendly, the mood is great. Variety of live animals (bugs, butterfly, etc) Must visit in Raleigh. Also a great alternative to Marbles just down the road.

This is a free museum that is open to people of all ages. I was so impressed by their collections. It’s a 4-story museum with a breezeway that connects to research labs that are currently in operation. They have interactive exhibits that are so fun for the kids and adults alike. Watch for special exhibits that they are rotating through. Be sure to keep an eye out for some unique finds that are native to North Carolina and even more rare finds that exist only in this museum. The staff is very friendly and helpful!

We took our kids here while on vacation in North Carolina. They had such a great time looking at the dinosaur models. I was very impressed that such a neat place was free to visit. You can tell that all of the models were very expensive and well made. My favorite part was learning about space and all of the space rocks they have on display. They also have a really pretty butterfly botanical garden that is also home to a sloth. Sadly this area was closed to visitors being able to go inside. Overall a 5/5 experience, perfect for learning! I can't wait to go back when the kids are a little older and can really appreciate what it has to offer.

We go to this museum all the time! We have never been during Bugfest. It was absolutely amazing!! One of the ladies that work there told us it’s the biggest event of the year. They offer several insects for you to see and touch, they also have lots of vendor set ups outside, you’ll get to see people dressed up in costumes, face painting, and just a lot of education on the several different kinds of insects . My kids loved it. We had so much fun and look forward to going next year.

Went here for the first time & had a blast! The staff was friendly and helped with how to best enjoy each floors. It was great that you can either use the escalators or elevator. Everything was just interesting and very cool to look at. My Girls really enjoy to explore and so I do😊

A great place to spend time in Raleigh. Entrance is free you only pay for movies and special exhibits. Beautifully maintained and designed museum.

Great museum! We spent about an hour there but could have spent the whole day. Lots of exhibits to check out, and lots to learn. There were lots of families walking around and enjoying the experience! They have some dinosaurs, spiders, bugs, geology, history, etc. very well laid out among the 4 floors with a cafe on the fourth floor. There is also a Sloth that you may be lucky enough to see like we did!

Very impressed with the amount of exhibits considering the admission is free. My small children loved it. Worth the visit and your donations. The staff at the Microbe viewing station were awesome. They let me 3 year old use a microscope. He loved every second of it. Very knowledgeable and engaging.

Raleigh boasts of a stellar natural sciences museum, and rightly so. From the moment we entered this museum, we knew that it meant business. From the skeletons of the whales towering above to other kinds of fish and mammals, the museum is a testament to the wonders of nature. They’ve taken special care to explain every small detail, and we spent hours educating ourselves on the details of the natural sciences. They’d an exhibit on spiders going on when we visited. I believe these exhibits rotate, and that makes the experience all the more interesting. They also had an exhibit recognising the work of women in sciences. It was illuminating to learn about those women. The museum is free(with the exceptions of the exhibits). It gets busy on the weekends. There’s a cafe(Acro Cafe) which serves food and drinks on the top floor. Street parking is available outside, and the North Carolina Museum of History is located right next to it. I’d devote around 2-3 hours to this museum.

Awesome free museum! There's so much to do and look at as well. The locations is a college district, and the surrounding area is very pretty especially with the fall trees. My favorite exhibit was the bug exhibit, and the live animals were absolutely fascinating. A must see if in Raleigh.

First of all, this place is educational. Probably will learn more here than from a teacher. Second, it’s entertaining and can brighten your schedule. Lastly, it’s free, which makes it a wonder without any price that you have you pay. Located in the heart of Raleigh, this place is a must for any visiting people.

Loved it. This place was massive and free. Two buildings, one was four floors and the other was three floors it took us about 5 hrs to go though the whole building and see everything. The bug exhibit was amazing especially with the terrariums of live bugs. Sadly the butterfly room was closed but we did see the sloth that was in their and got to watch him eat. They also had live feedings during the week. They also have a nice little Cafe next to the butterfly house on the fourth floor so you can watch the butterflies while eating.

Amazing Place! I took my family here for the first time and had quite the adventure. There are countless things to see and do and I only wish I could've done more. They have almost everything you can imagine in a museum. From the Paleontology Lab to the Living Conservatory, From the Biodiversity Lab to the 3D Cinema, this place has it all. Whether you're taking your kids there to learn something new or just looking for a little bit of nostalgia. No matter the reason, this place certainly has what every adult and child needs.

Definitely worth stopping by if you’re in the Raleigh area. It’s free entry and there is a lot to see. Make sure to go to both buildings. You can cross over via bridges on the upper two levels. They are doing some remodeling on the first floor main area, so that was the only sad part that we weren’t able to go to that area that is usually our favorite. Also, sadly the butterfly exhibit is still closed, but you can at least look at the many beautiful butterflies through the glass. Really hope they open it back up soon. Great homeschool day trip. Not a lot of people on weekdays.

This place is amazing… and free! The perfect for learning and show to our childrens the science of nature. People very friendly.. excellent access and parking. Nice architecture and good exposition. One day is not enough for visiting the building, I have to back as soon as possible to continue. They have membership available and is a great idea. My congratulations to this expectacular museum! My best and highly recommendation !

Loved the 3D imax movie on Predators. Spacious and clean on all 4 levels. Great for people of all ages. Smoke free environment. The food was convenient and tasted good. Admission was also free. The exhibits are very educational! Very nice museum!

Little disappointed that alot of the interactive labs and displays weren't working on the nature side. We originally went here 5 years ago and now again in 2023. As an adult nothing has changed much. Kids enjoyed it as they were to young to remember our first visit. If you do want to do labs do them first as they close at 3.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is located in downtown Raleigh and is the largest natural history museum in the Southeastern United States. It features a vast collection of specimens, exhibits, and interactive displays that showcase the natural wonders of North Carolina and beyond. Visitors can explore a range of topics, including ecology, geology, marine biology, paleontology, and more. The museum also offers educational programs and events for all ages, including lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities. Admission to the museum is free, making it an accessible and engaging destination for anyone interested in the natural world. There is plenty of street parking available right outside the museum and there is also a big parking lot across the street.

Great museum for children and the adults responsible for them. The exhibits are gorgeous and the whale skeletons awe inspiring. Definitely recommend.

A fantastic museum expirence for all ages. Whether you're an intrepid young scientist or someone who's never set foot in a museum, there's bound to be something for everyone to enjoy. I'll definitely be coming back, especially once the new exhibits open up.

I can definitely see why they have a 4.8 star rating. I live in New Jersey and I only wished we had museums that were as good as this one and to top it off it's free. Me and my family had an amazing time and can't wait to go back again. We enjoyed everything from the weather experiments to the laboratories to the dinosaur exhibits and I could keep going on and on. This is definitely a place you want to come visit and spend all day.

Plenty of information in different sections throughout the museum. Free entrance unless you want to visit the special exhibition. Parking by the road side or there’s a big parking space next to the building. Clean bathroom.

Wonderful museum. So much fun for all ages and interests. Learning about our new home state and all the variations from coastal plains, savanna, piedmont and mountains.....

Good place, I learned a lot here. Meanwhile, many exhibitions are closed due to some reason and some living animals- particularly insects are kind of disturbing. In general, it is a well-designed, educational, and free museum, so I am giving five stars.

Went here for the first time & had a blast! The staff was friendly and helped with how to best enjoy each floors. It was great that each floor had bathrooms and you can either use the escalators or elevator. Everything was just interesting and very cool to look at.

There is so much love and care put into this museum. The environment felt very safe and clean, everybody was wearing a mask. Free parking on weekends. So much to see you could easily spend an hour or two walking around, great experience all around!

This was a nice museum but I'm only giving it 4 stars because the museum had the butterfly exhibit closed off. Also there were a few ppl with their masks down so that was annoying. We had a good time but it wasn't a top 3 fave but that's because we really love the interactive museums. The gift shop selection is helping my rating however.

NCMNS is my favorite museum in Wake County. The staff is incredibly kind and knowledgable and they have resources to make exhibits accessible to all people. Their programing and events are beautiful orchestrated mixing education and fun for all age groups. Free admission to the museum but with options to purchase tickets to their special exhibits or 3-D movies makes this a great option for groups or people trying to not spend money.

I don’t go to many museums but this one was incredible. It’s a great time for all ages. Expect to spend around 2-3 hours if you take your time to explore everything in the two buildings. Really friendly staff and the best part is that it’s free!

Very well put together museum. Nice and clean. It has 2 sides (research and exploration). You can walk from one side to the other via a bridge on floors 2 and 3. It's small enough to get through it all in a few hours depending on how much you like to read and look at certain things. The exploration side has a 3D theater show and a butterfly room exhibit. Entry is free for everyone except for the attractions which you do have to buy tickets for. It is downtown Raleigh so parking is very easy and convenient. You can spend sometime at the museum and walk downtown for a bite, shopping or site seeing. Unfortunately I didn't get a lot of pictures this time because it was busier than last time we went, but still very enjoyable.

Wish I had visited this museum when I was growing up. The dinosaurs make this trip worth it. I saw the look on the kid’s faces. They were in complete awe…. I think the best part for me was the Beyond Curie exhibit highlighting women beyond Madam Curie that have made a significant impact in science. Add a stop on your itinerary & make sure to set aside some extra time as there is much to explore!

Enjoyed visiting this museum. Lots of interesting facts and dioramas. Very well organized! The staff was friendly. The butterfly room was awesome and one of the employees in there told us some fascinating facts about cashews and the butterflies.

Fantastic Museum, with the active and creative model and real creatures. Beautiful specimens and minerals. And the butterflies show at fourths floor is wonderful. Very educational.

So much to see and learn about North Carolina! There are interactive displays to see, touch, hear, and smell. Some small reptiles and fish are also available to view. We were there for about 3 hours, and didn't get a chance to view everything--which is fine, because it means we have a good excuse to go back! While you do have to pay for the 3D movies and special exhibits, general admission is FREE. There are a few steps outside of the museum, but the inside is handicap accessible, and the museum offers wheelchairs if needed. I'll be visiting again as soon as I can!

The museum was great. Clean and lot to see. The kids loved it. It's a place for the whole family. Great learning experience.

This place is really cool. Lots of dinosaur fossils, minerals/rocks/precious stones, and even a butterfly room with live butterflies and a 2 toed sloth. Very cool.

First time visiting and I couldn’t believe how much there was to see that we didn’t even get to see it all. My son enjoyed the Spider Exhibit and it was definitely worth the price. We will come here again one because it was free but two because there is still so much to learn from natural science.

What an amazing place!! Lots of natural science exhibits from reptiles to dinosaurs with great staff available to answer questions and help with the hands-on displays. Something for all ages from toddlers to adults and there is no cost to get in to see the exhibits. There are some things like movies and such that do have a charge, but with everything to see on multiple levels, we didn't have a need to see any of that. Every time I come to North Carolina, I am more impressed with the states commitment to quality of life for the residents here, and this free museum is a great example.