Our Exhibits | Indoor Exhibits

The Museum offers engaging hands-on exhibits in nearly 60,000 square feet of public space indoors. What will you discover?

Aerospace

Our neighboring town of Chapel Hill was the site of some of the United States’ first astronaut training. To honor this scientific contribution and continue the legacy of aerospace in the Triangle, the Museum is pleased to be able to provide visitors with access to authentic space travel gear and natural objects from outer space – among the collection we have an Apollo command module test vehicle, a meteorite, and Mercury mission space suits.

Data Earth

Analyzing computer data and visual models help us understand the world around us in new and profound ways. The museum’s data and visualization exhibits include an exploration of global communications, models of climate trends, a simulation of an earthquake, virtual reality installation that uses video and computer graphics to create an out of body experience.

Life’s Devices

By observing live animals and skeletons and using mechanical tools you can explore the concepts of physics that make it possible for people and animals to chew, walk, swim and fly.

Play to Learn

Thanks to a generous gift from the Michael and Laura Brader-Araje Foundation and other contributors, the Museum has created Play to Learn. The new space features an area for toddlers and for children up to 6 years old with stations for hands-on, minds-on exploration.

Carolina Wildlife

See the best collection of native North Carolina wildlife in the area.

Geology

Investigate the surprising properties of rocks and minerals. Create an “earthquake” on a seismograph.

WTVD ABC 11 Accu-Weather

Walk through a 15-foot-high tornado and play in the clouds. Make a sand dune or an ocean current. View live national satellite imagery.

Investigate Health! Opening Soon

Experiment with the science behind health issues, and discover how individual lifestyle choices impact your wellbeing. You can also perform hands-on learning experiments and learn about health-related careers.

The complete Investigate Health! exhibit will open soon, but The Lab in Investigate Health! is open now. In The Lab, six to eight visitors at a time can sit down at a counter and, with the help of the Lab facilitator, complete short experiments or explorations relating to health.

Currently The Lab is open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10:30-12:30 and 1:30-3:30.
Click here for more information on The Lab and activities.