Raleigh Museums - Raleigh, North Carolina
Calling all history junkies! Raleigh, North Carolina is home to two of the states most interesting museums. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which is one of the oldest in North Carolina, and the North Carolina Museum of History. Together, these two museums are nirvana to any knowledge geek out there.
The North Carolina Museum of History dates back to the late 1800’s. Raleigh newspaper publisher Samuel A’Court Ashe began a campaign to preserve North Carolina history, so that we all could benefit from the history of our ancestors. He wanted to collect and preserve artifacts and historical materials relating to the states history and cultural heritage and display it for all of us. These items were first displayed in the state museum ( which is now the Museum of Natural Sciences) in the old agriculture building.
One of Ashe’s colleagues, city editor Fredrick Olds traveled across the state collecting pieces of the past, and documenting the stories behind them. He amassed a large collection of history and in 1902 he merged the two collections together and opened it to the public as the Hall of History, although it wasn’t until 1992 that the current building devoted to the history of North Carolina was opened. At a cost of $29 million dollars the complex houses a research library, a 315 seat auditorium, a variety of classrooms, and 55,000 square feet of large gallery spaces for items spanning over 600 years. The new building is nearly four times the previous space. The museum has a large storage area for over 250,000 items and conservation labs for preservation. A history museum is an exciting place to learn not only about past history, but who we are as a people. This museum is open Monday - Saturday, 9am - 5pm and Sunday, noon - 5pm. The admission is always free. This is a great way to learn about North Carolina and the people who helped to shape it. If you need more info here is the website: www.ncmuseumofhistory.com.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is one of the largest natural science museums in the southeast. It serves nearly 1,000,000 visitors in a year, making it one of the largest tourist attractions in North Carolina. The museum is seven floors tall and houses four floors of exhibits with more than 1,000,000 specimens, which is one of the most significant collections in the southeast. An afternoon spent here will unfold the natural treasures that North Carolina possesses. You will learn about the biodiversity that makes North Carolina so unique. Besides the permanent displays in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, it will host a traveling exhibit to add to its collection like, “Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries” which will be on display here until March 2, 2008. The museum never charges for general admission, but the traveling exhibits will have an additional cost. Of course donations to both museums are always appreciated. The hours for this museum are Monday - Saturday, 9am -5pm, Sunday, noon-5pm. Don’t miss a stop at the museum store and grab a bite at the Acro Café.
For more info try: www.naturalscience.org.
There are so many museums that call Raleigh, North Carolina home, that you might just return from your trip smarter than when you left.
Robin Gardner, Editor At Large
North Carolina Tourist Guide - Raleigh, NC
The North Carolina Museum of History dates back to the late 1800’s. Raleigh newspaper publisher Samuel A’Court Ashe began a campaign to preserve North Carolina history, so that we all could benefit from the history of our ancestors. He wanted to collect and preserve artifacts and historical materials relating to the states history and cultural heritage and display it for all of us. These items were first displayed in the state museum ( which is now the Museum of Natural Sciences) in the old agriculture building.
One of Ashe’s colleagues, city editor Fredrick Olds traveled across the state collecting pieces of the past, and documenting the stories behind them. He amassed a large collection of history and in 1902 he merged the two collections together and opened it to the public as the Hall of History, although it wasn’t until 1992 that the current building devoted to the history of North Carolina was opened. At a cost of $29 million dollars the complex houses a research library, a 315 seat auditorium, a variety of classrooms, and 55,000 square feet of large gallery spaces for items spanning over 600 years. The new building is nearly four times the previous space. The museum has a large storage area for over 250,000 items and conservation labs for preservation. A history museum is an exciting place to learn not only about past history, but who we are as a people. This museum is open Monday - Saturday, 9am - 5pm and Sunday, noon - 5pm. The admission is always free. This is a great way to learn about North Carolina and the people who helped to shape it. If you need more info here is the website: www.ncmuseumofhistory.com.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is one of the largest natural science museums in the southeast. It serves nearly 1,000,000 visitors in a year, making it one of the largest tourist attractions in North Carolina. The museum is seven floors tall and houses four floors of exhibits with more than 1,000,000 specimens, which is one of the most significant collections in the southeast. An afternoon spent here will unfold the natural treasures that North Carolina possesses. You will learn about the biodiversity that makes North Carolina so unique. Besides the permanent displays in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, it will host a traveling exhibit to add to its collection like, “Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries” which will be on display here until March 2, 2008. The museum never charges for general admission, but the traveling exhibits will have an additional cost. Of course donations to both museums are always appreciated. The hours for this museum are Monday - Saturday, 9am -5pm, Sunday, noon-5pm. Don’t miss a stop at the museum store and grab a bite at the Acro Café.
For more info try: www.naturalscience.org.
There are so many museums that call Raleigh, North Carolina home, that you might just return from your trip smarter than when you left.
Robin Gardner, Editor At Large
North Carolina Tourist Guide - Raleigh, NC
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