The North Carolina Museum of Natural Science is located in downtown Raleigh and is free! It's huge, with four floors in each of its two buildings. We went because we wanted to let R see the dinosaurs, but turns out- he is scared of them! Of course, Jessica and I putting our heads in the mouth of one of them probably didn't help. You live, you learn.
The big hits were the living collections, which include lots of fish, arthropods, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and a huge walk in butterfly exhibit which also had a two toed sloth. I'd recommend hitting the sloth and butterflies around snack time so you see the sloth coming down.
This is one of those museums that you could spend days at and not see everything. There are more exhibits tucked into back corners and down hallways and corridors. We looked more at the Nature Exploration Center and less in the Research Center because we thought it would be better for R, but I look forward to checking out the other side too.
I'd say if you hit anywhere in the museum, be sure to check out the Discovery Room, which is perfect for toddlers. In this room there are boxes that adults can pull out to explore with their kids. We picked the Hungry, Hungry, Caterpillar which had the book, some replica butterflies, a memory game, and several other little odds and ends. There were also puzzles, blocks, and several hands on science items for toddlers. The room opens at one to the public, but has morning programing. Each Tuesday there is a drop in class Nature Playscape and on Thursdays they offer Nature Stories. Check the website for the venue for each.
This museum is a lot like the one in DC in the content that they offer, but unlike that one, there was NO line to get in, and it wasn't overly crowded. One reason I don't like the museums in DC is that it's so packed you have to fight to see things. I wouldn't feel safe letting R walk around there either. But here I felt totally fine! We ate lunch at the cafe before coming in and everyone enjoyed their food. Add this to your list if you're in the area!
This is part three of our trip to Raleigh. Check out parts
one and two!
As always, if you're interested in writing a Far Away Friday, please contact me!
