The RDU Buzz

By Chelsea Nallenweg

NC Museum of Natural Sciences- Raleigh

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast, offering visitors interactive exhibits, hands-on learning experiences, and groundbreaking scientific research. There are seven floors of exhibit spaces with something for every age to enjoy! 

The museum has a room that is designed specifically for kids, called the Discovery Room. This room is designed for hands-on exploration just for kids and families- and it’s totally free to check out inside the museum! This family-friendly area invites kids to touch ancient fossils, feel the texture of bird wings, and smell the scents of tropical plants. A working beehive provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of real bees, while interactive play elements—such as costumes, puppets, and the dead tree critter hotel—encourage curiosity and creativity. This space is an ideal stop for families with little ones eager to experience science up close in an indoor setting.

Beyond the Discovery Room, the museum is home to multiple engaging exhibits, including the groundbreaking Dueling Dinosaurs experience. This is a must see for families, especially those with kids interested in dinosaurs! This exhibit showcases one of the most astonishing fossil discoveries ever made—a 31,000-pound specimen containing the intact skeletons of a tyrannosaur and a Triceratops, buried together in what may have been a dramatic prehistoric battle. Visitors can step inside a fully functional paleontology research lab, where scientists are actively uncovering secrets locked in the fossils. Through hands-on activities, guests can analyze fossil evidence, compare dinosaurs to modern animals, and even use CT scan data to explore how dinosaurs heard sound. The exhibit offers a multi-sensory experience, allowing visitors to see, touch, and even smell the process of paleontological discovery. 

Located on the first floor of the Nature Research Center, the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit is open to all ages, though the scientific content is particularly engaging for middle schoolers and older audiences. First unveiled in 2024, the exhibit represents a monumental milestone for the museum, which, in 2020, announced the acquisition of the fossils alongside plans to build the world’s first public-facing paleontology lab. Over the next five years, scientists will continue their meticulous work at the museum, bringing new insights into the prehistoric past.

As the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences continues to inspire visitors with world-class exhibits, hands-on learning experiences, and cutting-edge scientific research. This is a great indoor spot for families looking for a free activity in Raleigh!