The Museum of Life and Science strives to create a place of lifelong learning where people of all ages embrace science as a way of knowing about themselves, their community, and their world.

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.

Learn more about our vision and mission and our approach to learning and education.

The Museum of Life and Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Museum earns over 83% of our annual operating budget through membership, admission, fees, and contributions. Thank you for your patronage and support!

We are also grateful for ongoing public support from Durham County. Through this public/private partnership, the Museum will continue to serve our region and our State with distinctive and dynamic learning experiences.

Carrie Heinonen | President and CEO
Roy Griffiths | Vice President for Exhibits and Planning
Betsy Hall | Vice President for Guest Experiences
Lisa Ruth | Vice President for People and Culture
Kate Senner | Vice President for Advancement
Caroline Durham | Vice President for Finance
Matt Pusateri | Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

Melissa Rhodes | Chair | Chief Development Officer– Kriya Therapeutics
James Erlinger | Vice-Chair | Retired – Former EVP – Quintiles, Inc., and NC Chamber Board Member
Jordan Clark | Immediate Past Chair | Market President – Truist Bank
Sanyin Siang | Secretary | Executive Director of the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership Ethics – Duke University
Nick DiColandrea | Treasurer | Climate Strategies Officer – Conservation Trust

Luis Alvarez, Vice President of Operations – Mante Masonry
Lilith Anderson, Senior Manager – Strategy& – a PwC company
Rashid Beyah, Director, Gardasil Drug Substance Operations – Merck
Bernice Bond, Senior Director, Technology Risk and Data Center Continuity – RTI International
Nimasheena Burns, Commissioner – Durham County
Nevin Daryani, Director of Operations – Armstrong McGuire & Associates
Jenny Gidley, Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations – Parexel International
Nakia Hardy, Deputy Superintendent – Durham Public Schools
Beverly Harris, Senior Director for Strategic Business Analytics – Duke Alumni Engagement & Development
Tasha Johnson, Assistant Director of Public Works – City of Durham
Geoff Keegan, Vice President of Finance – Murphy’s Naturals
Scott McGeary, Retired – Pediatrician & Innovator of Urgent Care
Gudrun Parmer, Interim General Manager for Safe Community — Durham County
Laura Robinette, Partner – PricewaterhouseCoopers
Neely Shah, Principal Legal Counsel – SAS Institute
Brian Tajlili, Vice President and Chief Actuary – Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
Leonardo Williams, Ward 3 Councilman – City of Durham
Maggie Woods, Policy and Program Manager – The Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State University