April 30, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 23, 2026

Media Contact:
Ro Rode, Director of Marketing and Communications
(561) 596-1410
ro.rode@lifeandscience.org

Photos

Durham, NC — The Museum is proud to announce the opening of its newest exhibit, From Here On: Shaping Our Future, an immersive and interactive experience that invites visitors to explore the possibilities of a world we might build together. With both indoor and outdoor activations, this exhibit aims to encourage conversation and collaboration with guests of all ages.

Focused on the future of our planet, the exhibit addresses two of the most pressing challenges and opportunities of our time: climate and sustainability. In this exhibit space, the Museum builds on its trusted role in science education to help visitors better understand our changing environment while imagining pathways toward a more sustainable and equitable future.

“Climate change is an issue of great concern for our youth on local and global scales,” said Carrie Heinonen, Museum of Life and Science President and CEO. “When Durham County voters awarded the Museum bond funding to update our Weather gallery, we chose to expand the story of ‘weather’ to cover this broader topic. This exhibit is designed to give visitors a frame for understanding the climate crisis while encouraging experimentation in creating hopeful futures.”

Through a blend of immersive experiences, hands-on activities, and local stories of innovation and resilience, From Here On empowers visitors to see themselves as active participants in shaping what comes next.

At the heart of the exhibit is “Science on a Sphere®,” an updated version of the Museum’s popular global visualization tool, now featuring a more accessible interface and 16 datasets that highlight human impacts on Earth. Visitors can also engage with “En-ROADS,” a dynamic, music-driven interactive based on a climate modeling tool developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The MIT climate modeling tool is linked to a generative audio composition by Dr. Quran Karriem, a Syracuse University professor, installation artist, and former Duke University postdoc. By adjusting variables that represent human decisions, participants create different future scenarios, each reflected through musical shifts in sound, tone, and mood.

The exhibit’s “Imagine” area encourages creativity and collaboration. Visitors can contribute to a growing collective artwork through activities like the “City Builder,” which fills an evolving urban grid with visitor-designed structures, and the “Poster Maker,” where individuals share their hopes, values, and visions for the future. A “Habitat Play” corner provides a welcoming space for younger children to explore through imaginative play.

“Local Stories” highlights real efforts across North Carolina to address environmental challenges, including extreme heat, stronger storms, habitat loss, pollution, and the transition away from fossil fuels. Interactive elements like the “Story Wall,” “Matchmaker Game,” and “Love Letters” connect visitors with opportunities for positive action and invite reflection on the people working to create positive change.

Solutions Coffee Bar offers a space for conversation and collaboration, featuring multiplayer games that explore decision-making and teamwork, along with a cozy “Book Nook” for quieter engagement. An original sculpture by Alamance County metalworker Elsa Hoffman graces the space.

Extending the experience outdoors, the “Climate Patio” showcases sustainable design in action. Built with climate-friendly materials and plantings, the patio incorporates features such as a rainwater capture system, a green wall of air-cleaning plants, and a passive, green-roofed structure designed to naturally regulate temperature. These elements ask visitors to consider how thoughtful design can impact the effects of changing weather conditions.

“Ultimately, From Here On: Shaping Our Future is about possibility,” Heinonen said. “It encourages visitors to critically explore facts, imagine alternatives, and recognize their place in building a better future.”

The Museum wishes to thank its incredible donors, including the voters of Durham County, Burt’s Bees Foundation, and The Jandy Ammons Foundation, who helped bring this important exhibit to life. You can learn more about our ongoing capital campaign on our website, lifeandscience.org/building-bonds/

From Here On: Shaping Our Future is now open to the public. For more information, visit lifeandscience.org/explore/from-here-on-shaping-our-future/

About the Museum of Life and Science
Located less than five miles from downtown Durham, the Museum of Life and Science is one of North Carolina’s top family destinations. Our 84-acre campus includes a two-story science center, one of the largest butterfly conservatories on the East Coast, and beautifully landscaped outdoor exhibits. Our interactive experiences include Dinosaur Trail, Ellerbe Creek Railway, Hideaway Woods, Into the Mist, Earth Moves, and Aerospace, which features one of the largest collections of Apollo-era NASA artifacts in the state. The Museum is also an AZA-accredited zoo, home to rescued black bears, lemurs, endangered red wolves, and more than 60 species of live animals. For more than 80 years, the Museum has upheld its ongoing commitment to the communities of Durham, the Triangle, and North Carolina through programming, engagement, and research. To learn more, visit lifeandscience.org.