Bladen Journal

Summer Series: Museums of all types are just a day trip away in Raleigh and surrounding area

RALEIGH — School is returning.

And while some family trips in late July and early August intend to get in the last amusements, there is something to be said for seeing the unique and setting the tone for education. Museums in the Triangle are plentiful and are just a day trip away from Bladen County.

Among the most visited are the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and the N.C. Museum of Art. Both are in Raleigh, and each is easily accessible.

But don’t forget Chapel Hill’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center or Durham’s Museum of Life and Science. In Raleigh alone, there is also the Marbles Kids Museum, the Museum of History, and the Contemporary Art Museum.

The Museum of Natural Sciences is typically a big hit just from the outside, when wide-eyed youngsters approach to see a globe some four stories or so high pertruding to the sidewalk.

This is the state’s oldest museum and includes two buildings: the Nature Research Center, and the Nature Exploration Center. In seven floors of exhibits, there are several large dinosaur and whale skeletons, a collection of gems and minerals from North Carolina, and even live snakes of every species found in the state.

Starting Aug. 13, the refurbished theater opens with short 3-D nature films Friday through Sunday. There’s no fee for admission to the museum, but there is a nominal fee for the nature films.

At the Museum of Art, go indoors or outdoors to view works from around the world. There are more than a dozen galleries with American, European, African, Egyptian and Jewish art.

Outside, the 164 acres has monumental public art installations. There are picnic tables, recreational activities and wooded trails to explore, too. Scavenger hunts and a Citrix Cycle bike rental station are available on the campus.