North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

A state-run natural history museum in downtown Raleigh with live animal displays and rotating exhibitions.

11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 · Raleigh, NC

Plan your visit

Price: No admission fee
Public transit nearby: Salisbury St at W Edenton StBus 1, 2, 3, 10, 12 · 300 ft away
N Salisbury St at W Edenton StBus Route CRX, Route DRX, Route WRX, Route ZWX · 330 ft away
Edenton St at Salisbury St (WB)Bus 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 16 and 4 more · 410 ft away
Stops and lines from the USDOT National Transit Map. Check times with the agency before you go.
Flying in: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is about 11 miles away.
See everything near RDU

Get directions

Go with Uber Go with Lyft

Get there by Public Transportation

Official site More to do in North Carolina Piedmont

Confirm details on the official site.

Is this your business?

Tell us what to change on this page, or ask how to manage it yourself.

Loading map…

See area map

About North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

The museum is a natural history institution in Raleigh that operates as a state agency. Its downtown site offers exhibits, live animal areas such as an arthropod zoo, a fish and invertebrate collection, a living conservatory, and reptile and amphibian displays. Visitors can also find special exhibitions, virtual tours, and planetarium-style film programming listed on its calendar. The museum runs additional locations at Prairie Ridge and Whiteville, with Prairie Ridge open only for registered programs.

#natural history
#science
#live animals
#family-friendly
#state museum

What's around here?

The closest stops to North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sports & Outdoors
Family Favorite
Pullen Park
Check prices
Ride a 1912 Dentzel carousel and a miniature train, rent a pedal boat on Lake Howell and picnic in North Carolina's oldest public park.
1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors
Museums
Rainy-Day Pick
North Carolina Museum of Art
No admission fee
See 5,000 years of art in two gallery buildings, then walk trails past outdoor sculpture in the 164-acre Museum Park.
Transit: reachable by public transit
4.0 mi awayMore like this
Shopping
Rainy-Day Pick
Crabtree
No admission fee
Shop nearly 200 stores, including Apple, Belk, Macy's and Dick's House of Sport, at Raleigh's big enclosed mall.
4.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping
Shopping
Triangle Town Center
Check prices
Shopping mall in north Raleigh, North Carolina, anchored by department and bookstore chains.
6.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping
Museums
Nasher Museum of Art
No admission fee
University art museum on the Duke campus in Durham offering free general admission.
Transit: reachable by public transit
22 mi awayMore like this
Museums
Rainy-Day Pick
Ackland Art Museum
No admission fee
Walk free galleries of Asian art, European old masters and North Carolina pottery at the University of North Carolina's art museum off Franklin Street.
25 mi awayMore like this