Raleigh is a city with many interesting sites for families and individuals to explore and visit. A favorite destination for locals and visitors alike is one of several museums located in Raleigh. Visitors can pick between a museum focused on history, science, art or a museum geared towards children. Two popular museums found in Raleigh are the Museum of History and the Museum of Natural Science.
The North Carolina Museum of History is located in downtown Raleigh in an easy to get to area of town with plenty of parking, especially on weekends. According to the museum’s website, the museum was established in the early 1880s by the publisher of the Raleigh News and Observer and one of his associates. They collected artifacts and items that would help preserve and tell the story of the history of North Carolina and the state’s early beginnings. Eventually all the items were displayed in protective cases, and visitors were treated to a lesson in North Carolina history. In 1992, the museum settled into its current Raleigh location after several moves and relocation’s within the city. Today visitors can travel through time and view any one of the many permanent exhibits featuring items ranging from old artifacts like tools and clothing items to modern sports like basketball and NASCAR racing.
Located just across a walkway is the North Carolina Museum of Science. This multi-level building is packed full of large, open exhibits, topped off with a dome on the top floor which houses “flying” pterodactyls and large dinosaurs. Each floor offers a different habitat to view: one floor has an oceanic theme, one a forest setting, and another floor offers a bug exhibit complete with many live creepy-crawlies which elicits many squeals of surprise and distaste from children and adults alike. The museum offers interactive features like a large rotating earth globe, but perhaps the most favorite and popular interactive feature is the living conservatory with a butterfly room. It’s delightful to walk through this special room to see hundreds of butterflies fluttering around close-by and once in a while, a lucky visitor will experience a butterfly landing on them! Next to the conservatory is a cafeteria where you can grab a bite to eat.
Both of these museums are free to the public and offer special exhibits and showings and festivals including the increasingly popular BugFest at the Science Museum which is a tradition for many Raleigh families to experience, including real bug treats to eat!
