Museum Members $40, General Public $45
Everyone’s favorite AfterHours event is back!

Explore real Apollo-era space artifacts and learn what it takes to make it to space.

6:30 – 10 pm
Prom, but make it mysterious!

An immersive experience with hundreds of tropical butterflies in a lush rainforest environment

Learn about our animal neighbors and discover ways we can live with wildlife in our communities.

Sailboats, seeds, and vapor rings—explore how people, animals, and plants move with the air.

Included with admission
Get ready to have a DINO-mite time!

Dig into another world filled with life-sized dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous period. You just might find an ancient fossil!

On Durham Community Days, Durham County residents get in free with current proof of Durham address. 

Learn how mountains rise, rocks turn to sand, and water reshapes the planet.

Learn about American black bears and get a one-of-a-kind view of their habitat.

Learn more about these endangered animals from Madagascar.

Meet our resident endangered Red Wolves, one of the rarest animals in the world.

Explore an urban wetland from our boardwalk overlook or get a closer look at water’s edge.

Play with math as you explore pattern, shape, and size.

The exhibit is focused on the future.

The first stop on your outdoors adventure—rope walks, climbing webs, and balance logs beckon the brave and curious.

Explore our two-acre, nature playscape featuring treehouses, a flowing streambed, and more!

Get an up-close view of rare and exotic insects from around the globe.

You control the mist in this one-of-a-kind playscape. Climb through tunnels and over hills, make sand sculptures, or just play it cool.

Use common materials in unexpected ways to explore the principles of flight, gravity, and airflow.

Get an up-close look at the incredible world of leafcutter ants.

Included with admission

Messtival is back and better than ever!

A fun space for kids five and under to practice new skills, flex their imaginations, and engage with others.

Discover how beautifully tuned instruments can pair with familiar materials to create a unique soundscape.

Wednesdays
Included with admission
Join us for some very special storytimes with some of our incredible community partners

Get an up-close look at traditional farm animals and say hello to your favorite farmyard friend!

The Lab is a hands-on, facilitated space where visitors can explore our shared world with rigor, compassion, and joy.

Climb aboard the Ellerbe Creek Railway for an old-time train ride through the Museum grounds.

Build contraptions, make connections, and mess around with familiar materials in surprising ways!

Explore this charming garden ramble that’s home to pollinators.

Included with admission
Our animals celebrate summer with some sweet treats