First time coming here, and I would give 5 stars if not for the exorbitant pricing. Adults costing…read moremore than kids at that, for a kids museum has always rubbed me wrong. But this place is quite expansive with several areas including wildlife, butterfly and insect garden, a train tour that takes 2 laps around (might as well get it for the $6 a ticket), and several outdoor play areas including a tree house and mist/water areas. Place was crowded, but there were still plenty of spaces available at 10:30 in the garage. If I lived closer, I might consider a membership to save costs, but I live too far currently to justify that. The cafe food was mid, and again too expensive. The pricing for me knocks a star off, but if you've never been and are prepared to spend a couple hundred bucks for the day on a family of 4, you'll probably enjoy!

We spent a day at this location while visiting family in North Carolina. We had a lovely experience…read moreand found the location to be quite expansive. There is a lovely wildlife area, butterfly garden, fun little train tour, an outdoor treehouse, and more. The price was quite high, but I imagine based on the number of staff and the animals that this location is quite expensive to maintain. The little gift shop was also great with lots of children's games, clothing items, toys, and more. If I was in the area I would definitely consider an annual pass. All of the staff were lovely from the train driver to the ticket takers. Fun location!

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!

Always a fun interactive experience when you visit Kidzu. They have lots of places to explore and a…read moregreat craft room. Today we are a 3D dinosaur and cute puppets. They are expanding and will have a new location in a few years. This is always a fun afternoon.

As a family new to the area, we were on a mission to find kid-friendly spots that could help my…read morelittle ones burn off their endless energy (because let's be honest, parents understand the struggle! ). This place is like a magical wonderland for kids! They have the largest art room I've ever seen--seriously, it's big enough to host a small art heist! And guess what? Everything in there is free to use with the cost of admission! I felt like I hit the jackpot! Plus, there's a rock climbing wall, which is a nice touch. Nothing says "family fun" like watching your kids scale a wall while you sip your coffee and contemplate your life choices! The place is decked out with fun artwork and quirky characters that make it feel like a playground straight out of a storybook. And they even have a treehouse! I half-expected to find a squirrel in a top hat serving snacks up there! Located in a shopping plaza, this spot is perfect for hitting up before or after errands. Who knew you could combine grocery shopping with a mini adventure? I highly recommend taking your kiddos here for a day filled with fun and laughter. It's a win-win for parents and kids alike--because a tired child is a happy child!

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.

As on campus art museums go, this was a nice one, both in the classic construction and in the…read morevariety of the collection. Only one floor was open covering half a dozen rooms or so. I did get the sense occasionally of "hey, didn't I see that at the North Carolina museum in Raleigh?" having stopped there just before coming here (it was a rainy day), but that's not a terrible thing as both are solid museums in their own right and there were plenty of historically intriguing and unique pieces here. The building complexes with an art library that was closed for the holidays when I was here. There is no charge to get in, and a small amount of museum parking was hidden behind the building.

My family decided to check out the museum while visiting Chapel Hill. We had a great time. It is a…read morefree museum, which is nice. They had a large variety of paintings and artifacts throughout the museum. The staff was nice. I would check out the museum again while visiting Chapel Hill.

I love the Nasha. I've never really wanted to eat there, but I love all of their art exhibits…read moreindoor and out. This is a perfect place to take kids to know how to keep their hands to themselves... They like to have events keep your eyes peeled for them. Those are fun too!

The Nasher is a must visit museum in Durham! They always have such amazing, well-curated art…read moreexhibits. I haven't been able to try the Nasher Cafe yet, but have heard great things. There's a paid parking lot. 10/10 would recommend!

Lots of great displays and information…read more Also, has a cafe with great food. We had a blast when we visited a few weeks ago. Don't miss it. Visit when you can.

Based on from what i gathered, the museum will close in October 2024 for a renovation to be…read morecompleted in 2027? Considering the 2nd floor was closed the day I went plus admission was free, this was definitely worthwhile to check out. So much history going back to the Indian tribes and the Confederecy to the Wright Brothers, albeit some of it not so pretty, but it's the truth and it needs to be remembered and not hidden. Museum row here is on the smaller side. Metered parking on the street. Will definitely be back after the renovation!

Knowledgable staff. Well arranged and interesting displays. A great assortment of lectures…read morethroughtout the year.

We were greeted by Courtney and asked if we'd like a tour or just a suggestion of what to see, but…read morewe opted for the (free) tour by Courtney. She was so entertaining and combined the history of the area with great details and stories. She made history really interesting! If you're in the area, I'd definitely recommend stopping by. It's not a huge museum and the permanent collection is well documented if you're unable to get a tour.

Very interesting and extensive museum! We were in there for 2 hours and still didn't feel we…read morecovered everything. Definitely worth the stop.

I took my Family to visit this museum a couple months ago and they loved it. My brother-in-law was…read morein the Army, and my nephew is in school to be a pilot, so i thought it would be right up their alley. We all walked around and looked at exhibits for several hours. It is put together really well, and all the immersive parts are really great. I think that anyone coming to Fayetteville would enjoy this museum. It is free, but they take small donations to keep up with all the maintenance ect. The gift shop is really impressive as well and you can find something neat for anyone!

I always have a good time at the Museum of Life and Science's "adult after hours events". They…read moreusually have the events set up through the two stories of the main building, with local vendors, museum volunteers and employees at different booths and tables throughout. The Science of Sour event had everything from pickle tasting tables to local restaurants [Mixed Korean Bistro] passing out kimchee/sauerkraut samples to sourdough versus rye bread tastings [Boulted Bread] to build you own pickle derby cars. While full drinks are available for purchase, they also had a handful of beer/liquor vendors passing out samples: Haw River Farmhouse Ales, Bull City Burger & Brewery passing out a Golden Pickle ale, Mystic and Fair Game Beverage Co. handing out liquor samples and even a couple business with kombucha samplings. Joe Van Gogh was also passing out some iced coffee upstairs! In addition to the local business, there were lots of "science" stations: make your own sauerkraut workshop, a hands on station to see dough with gluten versus no gluten, and the Fermentophone was awesome! A multi-sensory installation in which an algorithmically generated musical composition is performed by LIVING cultures of bacteria and yeast! The after hours events are always laid out with lots of space for the large crowd that gathers. I do think the tickets for these events are a little steep for what you get [$25/non-members & $20/members]. It's convenient because you get a lot of information, but you also might find yourself trying to be sold products by some of the local vendors. Also, make sure you "plan" out your evening when you get to the event and check the handout they give you. They usually have special Q&A's or sign-up required activities, so you'll have to make sure you're on top of that. Overall, the after hours events remind me of a pop-up shop that you have to pay to get into BUT get the benefit of being guaranteed a tasting/testing of products. AND in addition to the local pop-up shops, you also get science "how-to" lessons on the subject being discussed. If this is your idea of a good night, then you'll love these events.