Museums North Carolina
Natural History

Browse Museums

Aurora Fossil Museum Foundation, Inc.
Aurora, North Carolina

Anthropology, History, Natural History, Science

Free museum with 3 buildings of fossils both from Aurora and around the world including 2 whales and shark teeth from the megalodon shark along with minerals from around the world.

Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill
Cherokee, North Carolina

Archaeology, Children's, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Natural History, Nature Centers, Park

Oconaluftee offers both a visitor center and the Mountain Farm Museum—a collection of historic log buildings gathered from throughout the Smoky Mountains and preserved on a single site. Buildings include a house, barn, applehouse, springhouse, and smokehouse.

North Carolina Museum of History
Raleigh, North Carolina

Children's, General, History, Library, Natural History

Explore more than 14,000 years of North Carolina history, from the state's earliest inhabitants through the 20th century. The major exhibition The Story of North Carolina features fascinating artifacts, multimedia presentations, and an interactive format for all ages. Other museum exhibits highlight the state's military history, sports heroes, decorative arts and more. Monthly programs include children's programs, craft demonstrations and family events with things to do for all ages. The Museum Shop, featuring North Carolina crafts, and the on-site restaurant Pharaoh?s @ the Museum are open daily.

Schiele Museum of Natural History
Gastonia, North Carolina

History, Natural History, Planetarium, Science

Located in Gastonia, North Carolina, the Schiele Museum has provided the community with exceptional educational resources and opportunities for exploration since its founding in 1961. Through the generosity of Bud and Lilly Schiele, the museum began with a collection of animals, and has expanded throughout the years to include a variety of exhibits, planetarium, nature trail, farm, and a Catawba Indian village. Accredited by the American Association of Museums and an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, The Schiele is a leading destination for students and families across the region.

Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center
Frisco, North Carolina

History, Natural History, Science

An educational facility where objects of artistic and historical interest related to Native Americans are preserved, displayed and interpreted.

North Carolina Collection Gallery
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Art, Culture, History, Library, Natural History, University

A public service of the North Carolina Collection, the Gallery is located on the second floor of the Louis Round Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Gallery, which opened in December, 1989, is part of a long history at UNC of utilizing museum objects as educational tools. Over two centuries ago, in 1795, the university's board of trustees appointed the school's first "keeper of the museum," Charles Wilson Harris. Harris was a native of Cabarrus County, N.C., and recent graduate of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton). As keeper, he began to assemble at UNC a collection of artifacts and natural-history specimens, displaying them in his "cabinet of curios" for students and visitors to the small, new campus.

Orange County Historical Museum
Hillsborough, North Carolina

Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Cemetery, Children's, Church, Culture, General, History, Historic House

The Orange County Historical Museum is located in downtown Historic Hillsborough, one of the early capital cities of North Carolina. The community is steeped in history, from the early Native Americans, the Occaneechi, to the hanging of the Regulators apprehended during the Battle of Alamance, a prelude engagement to the American Revolution. Soldiers from the British Army to Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War have marched through the streets of this quaint town. The Orange County Historical Museum captures many of these spledid stories through more than 1,500 artifacts and exhibits. The museum is located just down the street from the home of William Hooper, a signer of the Declaration of Independence for North Carolina.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Oregon Museum Association 2024 Conference

September 8, 2024 - September 10, 2025

North Bend, Oregon

Oregon Museum Association 2024 Conference

Sunday, September 8, 2024 - Wednesday, September 10, 2025

The Mill Casino

North Bend, Oregon

Hosted by: Oregon Museums Association

As we gather for the Oregon Museums Association 2024 Annual Conference in Coos Bay, the conference theme “Ebb & Flow” acknowledges the nearby coastline while providing a metaphor to reflect on the work of Oregon’s museums today

It can feel like the sands are shifting as museums face challenges and opportunities like changing patterns of visitorship, evolving technologies, revised funding strategies, and peoples’ desire for community.

The 2024 conference will explore contemporary issues facing museums, so that together we can take the helm to identify solutions and successfully steer our work forward

Whether you are an emerging professional just getting your feet wet, in the mid-career flow, or an established leader navigating the depths of museum work, we invite you to join us at The Mill Casino Hotel in Coos Bay, September 8-10, 2024.

For more information, please email connect@oregonmuseums.org.

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

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