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    Cam Raleigh

    3.8 (39 reviews)
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    Arvian D.

    My children took me to this art museum as part of my Mother's Day celebration yesterday. It is free admission and they accept donations. It is a walk-in, no reservations required. There are two levels to this museum. The artwork in there is deep and thought-provoking. I believe they rotate different artists at different times. There are a few areas where you can sit if needed. What I enjoyed about this art museum besides, the art of course, is that they give not only biographical information about each artist, but they also provide an overview of that artist's style and a summary of the collection of art that is being presented for that artist. The atmosphere is serene and conducive for an art museum. Everything is spaced out nicely to give room to multiple people viewing at the same time. The building is also maintained at a good temperature.

    Falan E.

    A friend has highly recommended CAM. It took me over a year to get here, and for free entry, it was well worth the visit. There is a variety of art here. I found myself drawn to a few. I enjoyed the animated digital art Your dream body - by Stella Rosalie Rosen. I loved how it told a story and expression of the animation's body changes, which deepened my understanding of the animation. Three Brothers did an awesome job giving off the beauty of brotherhood. I felt one piece was misplaced and not visible enough, as I almost missed it. Many of the first pieces I viewed in the first room seemed quite toxic and dark. Not my speed for that early in the morning. Perhaps these pieces evoking triggering negative feelings should be off in the corner somewhere, respectfully. Overall good experience. My only suggestion would be to have someone at the front desk. That person came along later, but during my entry, there wasn't anyone present to greet me or to answer questions if I had one. For me, this is an overall 30-minute walk thru maybe 45 minutes at the most, depending on the viewer. Very small space but has an enjoyable view of Contemporary Art which is a nice serotonin boost for those who enjoy Art.

    Reagan B.

    So I'll be honest, I'm not super into art but when in the big city, you do big city things. And I am so glad I stopped here. I loved the exhibits and what I learned and how they made me feel. I didn't take notes on artists or many pictures. The exhibits change every few months anyways. Which I love! I would definitely visit again in the future to see what else they've chosen to share with the world.

    Anna Julia Cooper
    Marissa M.

    I enjoyed my Sunday Funday at Raleigh's CAM. The museum doesn't get the credit it deserves for this space. We need more love and art in this world. Conveniently located Downtown off West Martin and S. Harrington sits this lil gem. I am lover of all things art, so today we were just in time for art dedicated to Women's Month. My friend and I were able to indulge in the new spring exhibits from some truly talented women of color. Beverly McIver, Aliyah Bonnette, Isabel Lu and Stella Rosalie Rosen. My favorite piece was from Raleigh native Aliyah Bonnette. Her work with textile is amazing. The beautiful quilt she pieced together to display the body of a black woman from her own scope and not the white male gaze, was captivating. I also loved the portrait of American author, educator, sociologist, speaker, Black liberation activist, and most prominent African-American scholar in United States history, Anna J. Cooper. Her biography was enlightening. Isabel Lu's exhibit shed light on the importance of food in our culture and in Asian culture. Loved her work. Artist Ransome was featured with over 40 pieces of work on the lower level. All beautiful in their own way. Beverly McIver, a native of Greensboro owned the main gallery with over 25 pieces. Each speaking to race, gender and a display of her emotions. I really took in her pain and joy. She truly painted her truth vividly. Her exhibit is a mix of oil paintings and an actual handwritten letter her sister wrote her on canvas. I enjoyed taking in all the colors and examining what each piece brought to mind for me. I appreciated how quiet and spacious the gallery was. We arrived at opening to really spend time in our own space enjoying the exhibits. I adored the history and teaching here at the museum. I truly appreciate the local artists who have brought us their work. I plan to bring my preteen and make it a regular part of my self care routine. The inclusivity here of the art and their motto of "you belong here " is exemplified in the cultural experiences, and bold, non-traditional exhibitions by talented and unique living artists.

    Art
    Carlos G.

    Contemporary art is just one of those things you have to go into with the right mindset, like jazz or mini golf. Clear your mind of expectations and remember to have fun. In any contemporary art museum, there might be pieces, or even entire exhibits, that you don't "get" or aren't your "cup of tea." And that's okay! Remember, there are 8 billion people on this overcrowded planet and some of them just have better taste than you do. I'm kidding! Relax, it's fine. It's art. You look at the art, and maybe it speaks to you, and maybe it doesn't. But either way, you've opened your brain up to new experiences and ways of looking at the world and that's a good thing. Contemporary art is cool. It's fun. Relax. And, at the end of the day, if all you want to do is stare at pretty pictures like a third grader, that's fine! Go to the Met and look at all the Rembrandts. Pretty colors! Pretty shapes! So pretty! Again, I'm kidding, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. All art is great. Relax. My point is, most things in life are better when you go into them with an open mindset. So just come here and enjoy the art, okay? It's FREE! And even if it wasn't free, who cares? Worst case, you spent a couple bucks to look at some art you didn't really like. Tragic. Such a tragedy. Tears. Endless tears. Relax! Also, this museum is right next to the train station, so if you're taking the Amtrak, it's a perfect place for a nice little stop before you catch your train! Enjoy! Relax!

    Susan Q.

    I decided that for my Birthday in Raleigh I wanted to start the day with a little culture. Visiting museums is something that I really enjoy, and when I saw that this one has ever changing exhibits, I was really into that. This is also a totally free space to come and experience art, which honestly can't be beat. We did pay for parking, but I am sure if you drive around a bit, you wouldn't have to. When you walk into the space you are on the top floor, so that can be deceiving at first, but we were told this at the front desk when we walked in. This floor is large and open with very high ceilings that show the original ductwork and elevator of the building. All exposed and white walls..it begs for interesting pieces. The exhibits here were not my taste, but we enjoyed walking around to see each one, regardless. When we turned the corner to walk down the stairs we were practically transported into the next exhibit. It was entitled The Nature of Things. Vivid colors and animals and landscapes make you want to take it all in slowly, and enjoy every single mural, painting, and vase. In a room all to itself was the exhibit that I enjoyed the most, it was called Unstable. The artist is using horses escaping a carousel to depict political upheaval that she feels in the country, and to show that the peaceful World we once lived in is no longer the norm. The bright colors are moored down by the room being dark and small. There is no fanfare, no whimsy, and it really does make you feel a bit unstable. When you walk back out into the brightly colored nature scapes, it takes a minute to readjust, and you really appreciate the stark differences between them. When we came back up from that floor, I saw there was a small seating area with couches and decided to just sit and discuss the art with Husband. He admittedly doesn't always understand art or like going to museums with me, but it was nice to take a moment there to talk about what we both liked the best. While we were sitting there, I began to notice a grouping of people gathering. The next thing I knew...a flash mob of mimes was performing right in front of us. I had the feeling that if I hadn't wanted to take that small little moment together, we would have missed it entirely. It felt like a special little bit of magic just for us. After watching for a while, I stopped into the bathroom, and we headed out. I really enjoyed my visit to CAM Raleigh, and I will keep tabs on some of the upcoming exhibits here. They also host events throughout each month to raise funds and awareness of causes. It is not to be missed if you are in the Raleigh area.

    Rebecca M.

    The Contemporary Art Museum (CAM Raleigh) is located in the Warehouse District of Downtown Raleigh. At the moment it is only open on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free but they do accept donations. Masks are required to enter and there are reminders to stay 6 feet apart. Hand Sanitizer is available throughout the museum. Restrooms are available on the main level and the basement level of the museum. The museum has stairs to get to each level but there are elevators available as well to get to the different levels. At the moment the exhibits are quite powerful. Empowering Women was created for the United Nations. It showcases women from Senegal and their strengths and perseverance. These large images are what you see when you enter. Each photo provides history of the woman. Another exhibit, Flexing/ New Realm was photographed at CAM before the pandemic. It explores blackness related to wealth, power and respect and different assumptions we make. Another exhibit, Rhetoric, is of painting and mixed media. The pieces were started before the pandemic but do cover the year we had and political narratives too. The works are quite complex and get you to think. The museum is to stroll through and the works go well together. I will be back to see some other exhibits.

    Mark L.

    Incredibly powerful museum. From the open urban design and decor to the powerful pieces of artwork and photography This is a bit of a hidden gem in an up and coming industrial part of Raleigh. The area has great shops and restaurants and CAM is a must. It is only open Friday - Sunday but worth dedicating time to stop in and absorb.

    Sample of what was on exhibit.

    I really liked the CAM. I suppose you should check to see what they have on exhibit before going, but then again, it is free. So why not just go any way. The building itself is very inviting, and they have an abundance of comfortable seating, making it a great space to take a break from the heat and enjoy some art. I was there for around a half hour, and I was happy I stopped by. I wish I had got some pictures of the interior.

    Art
    JaDee W.

    We ended up having lunch downtown and stumbled upon this place and it was actually really cool. We loved that it was free to look (though they do ask for donations if you can). It is definitely different from the Raleigh art museum. This pieces were different and most of them were newer in age (2015-2019) hence contemporary. They had a section that was really cool and dealt with auditory stuff. It was showing the beauty in how many people were actually deaf compared to "hearing" people. The deaf ears had gold accents to make them different and beautiful and I really loved that exhibit. If you're visiting the Videri chocolate factory or eating at the pit, you should definitely take the 3-4 min walk down the street to stop by!

    Contemporary Art Museum in downtown Raleigh
    Bruce K.

    A stunning gallery with beautiful vaulted ceilings and plenty of light, the Contemporary Art Museum is a terrific spot for art. But it's a far cry from the free North Carolina Museum of Art that is also in Raleigh. Where NCMA is more classical and modern artworks from the masters including sculptures, portraits and furniture, CAM is contemporary art where you're going to be scratching your head at the "art." Which is fine. It's always useful to see different things and view other perspectives. During today's visit, there were two exhibits. The first, "The Ease of Fiction", "is intended to challenge and test the notion of s single historical truth in order to reveal the tendency of the 'powerful' to construct historical accounts in ways that perpectuate their political and economic dominance." That's way above my pay grade, but what I did see were interesting pictures from artists. Some I liked, some I didn't like. That's art - it's different for everyone. The second exhiit was "Failure of the American Dream", a mixed media display of the artists time spent among the homeless and how easy it is for Americans to become homeless. Included in the exhibit were film loops of homeless camps, the artist's actual tent and handouts of facts on homelessness and do's and don't, such as 3.5 million AMericans will experience homelessness in a given year, do respect others and don't snitch. Very depressing. But it was interesting and I enjoyed the visit. It was $5, which I thought was a reasonable price to pay for art even if it wasn't art that I understood.

    Ron W.

    Art is in the eye of the beholder and the same holds true for art museums. I anticipated the opening of the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh given its location and the need for more, edgy and interesting art. From the outside, CAM has a distinctive, angled roofline with circular cut-outs, pretty cool. And inside, you've got a light, airy space with plenty of space for exhibits. Architecture is clean and ascetic. So things are looking pretty good, eh? They had a large installation of plastic trash, that was fused into a walk-in/out display, sorta cool. Enjoyed the display of branches, broken into multiple bottles. And there were some nice pieces on the wall and a multi-media show downstairs. But in all reality, you can go through the space in about 30 minutes or so, maybe less. Now here's where I have a bit of a challenge with CAM. When you can get into the NC Museum of Natural Science or NCMA for free and spend hours there, why would you spend money at CAM? I'd like to support the new space and I think they recently dropped the price to $5 (which is where it should be) but it just wasn't that impressive. Yet. Here's to CAM working out the kinks in its presentation. It's only been open a short while so I've got my fingers crossed that they'll pick up their game...

    Teresa S.

    We stopped here during our day of visiting museums in Raleigh, NC and this was our least favorite. The staff were real sweet and helpful but the museum lacked the ooh and ahh factor. It was a lot smaller than we expected and there was a small admission fee. We were the only visitors in the museum which allowed us to take our time and browse at the exhibits that were mostly of a baseball field and pictures of visitors watching baseball games. The main space consisted of a cool looking colorful string exhibition. Its a place to check out if youre in the area especially since it wont take up a lot of your time.

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    14 years ago

    Thought this was a pretty cool place. Enjoyed everything that I could touch and see, especially the part that pixellated me.

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    14 years ago

    Total waste of time and money. There's no there there. Nice girl at reception though. Go to NC muesum of,art, awesome and free.

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    Review Highlights - Cam Raleigh

    The Contemporary Art Museum (CAM Raleigh) is located in the Warehouse District of Downtown Raleigh.

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    North Carolina Museum of Art - Michael Richards used his body as this mold for the art. He died when working at his studio at the World Trade Center on September 11th.

    North Carolina Museum of Art

    4.6(359 reviews)
    3.9 mi

    During my weekend visit in Raleigh, I could not waste the opportunity to go to the museum. I don't…read moreever get tired of looking at their fine art collection and exhibits. Numerous people with their friends and family came out this past weekend to also enjoy the greenway and outdoor art. There's also a café and small museum shop inside. We had a great time.

    Summary: 4.0 - Free and art go hand-in-hand here. If you like both, NC MoA is worth your time…read more Free admission to the NCMA to see art and history is a gift. If one doesn't mind the West Building (although new, it felt old to me), the different galleries containing historical art pieces (new and old, and very old) organized by continents are educational and surprisingly full of variety. The East Building (original one) hosts both permanent and limited-time collections. I've enjoyed a car exhibit, but my favorite limited-time exhibit featured Academy Award winner Ruth E. Carter's costumes for the movies "Black Panther", "Selma", "Amistad", and others. Her showcase exhibit was well worth the price of admission. A huge museum park provides miles of trails and places for picnics. If one plans accordingly, a series of trails connects all the way from the museum to downtown Raleigh! MISC Opened in 1956. Has pieces that originate from about 5,000 years ago (but thankfully it doesn't take that long to go through the museum). The museum is accessibility-friendly. A museum store and café are onsite. Tours are available. Outdoor concerts are on hiatus at the time of this review for "facility improvements." Be sure to check the museum's website for updates.

    Photos
    North Carolina Museum of Art - North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina.

    North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina.

    North Carolina Museum of Art
    North Carolina Museum of Art - Wakanda Forever Queen Ramonda

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    Wakanda Forever Queen Ramonda

    Elsewhere - The Martyrdom of Saint Elsewhere, Dorothy Melander-Dayton (Detroit, MI) February 2017. Wedding dress, yarn, ribbons, toys, spray paint

    Elsewhere

    3.9(16 reviews)
    67.1 miDowntown
    $

    I met Mrs. Gray years ago through one of her sons. She was a real gem. I don't like the term…read more"character", but she was one of those things. And a good mother. I wish I had gotten to know her. Years ago, I went back to her shop. Mrs. Gray had died years before. Her shop was now a kind of exhibit place, and it was still filled with an incredible collection of "stuff" - toys, lunchboxes, wigs, figurines, buttons, everything you can think of - and lots of it in bins classified by color like a big bin of red toy cars. It was overwhelming and a lot of fun. I think the grand daughter or niece of Mrs. Gray was my friendly hostess in the store. I was allowed to roam the store freely - alone, stunned and amazed. They had named the place Elsewhere and there was some sort of organized group connected to the place. I got on their mailing list and sent them a contribution. Some years later, in 2014, I returned to my beloved hometown, Greensboro, for a visit. An old friend of mine and I walked the length of Elm Street, starting at the few blocks leading up to the Jefferson Standard Building - heading toward Lee Street. I relived many memories of my youth, my "hippie days" (circa 1967) and my working class hero days on that walk. We stopped in a lot of shops and the clerks and customers were friendly and seemed to like us. We supported those shops by making some purchases. It was quite a pleasant stroll. We reached Elsewhere. I hadn't been back there for decades. The people there were very full of themselves. They seemed suspicious of us, two traditional looking white old guys. I guess that was it. I've been around and I can recognize people who are too hip for their own good. They were entirely unwelcoming. I got the feeling that they wondered what we were doing there. They treated us like we were shoplifters or CIA. We wordlessly left the place. It was very disappointing to me. I did not send another donation.

    Not a favorite of mine, but others may find it enjoyable. There are tons of toys and gadgets to see…read morethere. For me it was messy and overwhelming. I had to leave. But others may find it interesting. The place is unique in that it's organized but it's got so much stuff, it looks messy. Personally, I avoid the place. Others may find it a fun place to take a date.

    Photos
    Elsewhere - Walking the "Boardwalk", a 2012 installation by Philadelphia-based artist, Aislinn Pentecost-Farren.

    Walking the "Boardwalk", a 2012 installation by Philadelphia-based artist, Aislinn Pentecost-Farren.

    Elsewhere
    Elsewhere - The front window!

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    The front window!

    North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

    North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

    4.7(311 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $

    The NC Museum of Natural Sciences was the perfect way to spend a very cold, wet, afternoon in…read moreRaleigh. It was a few miles from our AirBNB, so while we had to drive, there's a large parking lot right across the street. I'm not sure if parking is normally free, but it was on this particular Saturday. No one was monitoring the gate or could figure out how to pay, so we didn't. I *think* the sign said it was normally $5 on days they do charge or monitor. VERY reasonable. The museum itself is FREE unless you want to see an IMAX movie, which is reasonably priced. If you're into dinosaurs, plants, geology, or natural science in general, you'll enjoy yourself here, but the museum definitely adds a local flare and incorporates NC history and geography. While the museum is kid-friendly, it is not kid-focused. It is family focused and for all ages. My husband and I are child-free and had a great time. Of course, we are nerds and had science classes together in college. I do think this is a great museum for kids who are school aged and able to read well and ask questions. It is probably not the best option for toddlers or preschoolers when it comes to museums. The museum hosts birthday parties, and a group was there for that- what a fun idea! If you visit, plan to spend a morning or afternoon here- it definitely takes a few hours to see everything but not the full day.

    I've lived in NC for almost 4 years and this was the first time I visited NCMNS! My friend had won…read more4 tickets to the whale exhibit and invited my husband and me to join. We met at 10am right when they opened. We easily found street parking and since it was on a Sunday, it was free to park. The museum is huge! I was so surprised by how large and open it was. All of the staff were friendly and knowledgeable here. We interacted with an employee in the whale exhibit and he was fantastic. The museum is incredibly clean and well maintained. There's so much to see and do. You can easily spend over 2 hours here. I especially loved the geology section, taxidermy/skulls room, and my favorite...the dueling dinosaurs!! It was SO incredible watching paleontologists work on this massive fossil. This part of the museum absolutely made it to be a wonderful experience. This is a great museum and it's free! I donated a little to the museum and also made a few purchases, one being a magnet and another being a beautiful $75 sulfite mineral. This was definitely worth our time and I'm so happy we finally visited!

    Photos
    North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences - Exterior of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, focused on the SECU Daily Planet, with the NEC to the left and NRC to the right.

    Exterior of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, focused on the SECU Daily Planet, with the NEC to the left and NRC to the right.

    North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
    North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

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    Cam Raleigh - artmuseums - Updated May 2026

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