Nature Exploration Center, Raleigh

About Nature Exploration Center

The Nature Exploration Center in Raleigh showcases North Carolina's natural world through permanent exhibits on multiple floors. The Natural Treasures of North Carolina exhibit highlights rare native species like Venus Flytraps alongside extinct animals such as the Carolina Parakeet. Coastal North Carolina features detailed dioramas and aquariums displaying live fish and invertebrates from barrier islands, saltmarshes, maritime forests, and the open ocean. The Coastal NC Overlook houses one of the most impressive whale skeleton collections in the United States, including a Blue Whale, a rare True's Beaked Whale named Trouble, and a Right Whale skeleton from 1874. Mountains to the Sea presents lifelike dioramas with trees, streams, and animals that invite visitors to distinguish between living creatures and artistic creations. Underground North Carolina exhibits gemstones and minerals found nowhere else, alongside information about underground creatures and soil formation. Nature's Explorers displays historical artifacts, including items from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and a preserved Ocean Sunfish from 1937. Visit the Discovery Room to touch fossils, feel bird wings, smell tropical scents, watch the beehive, try on costumes, and play with puppets.