The NC Museum of Natural Sciences was the perfect way to spend a very cold, wet, afternoon in…read moreRaleigh. It was a few miles from our AirBNB, so while we had to drive, there's a large parking lot right across the street. I'm not sure if parking is normally free, but it was on this particular Saturday. No one was monitoring the gate or could figure out how to pay, so we didn't. I *think* the sign said it was normally $5 on days they do charge or monitor. VERY reasonable. The museum itself is FREE unless you want to see an IMAX movie, which is reasonably priced. If you're into dinosaurs, plants, geology, or natural science in general, you'll enjoy yourself here, but the museum definitely adds a local flare and incorporates NC history and geography. While the museum is kid-friendly, it is not kid-focused. It is family focused and for all ages. My husband and I are child-free and had a great time. Of course, we are nerds and had science classes together in college. I do think this is a great museum for kids who are school aged and able to read well and ask questions. It is probably not the best option for toddlers or preschoolers when it comes to museums. The museum hosts birthday parties, and a group was there for that- what a fun idea! If you visit, plan to spend a morning or afternoon here- it definitely takes a few hours to see everything but not the full day.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has a number of exhibits in 2 buildings connected by…read morea skywalk (1 open, 1 enclosed). It's technically a free museum although donations are appreciated, and for a "free" museum it really exceeded our expectations. There is literally something from everyone, including a room where you can explore drawers of items. Loved the fish feeding at the aquarium too. The whale skeletons are definitely impressive. We spent 3 hours, but could have spent another 2. Definitely a great spot for kids and adults alike!

Very interesting for all ages. Great use of the natural landscape for animal enclosures and…read morehabitats. My personal favorite was the butterfly house. Especially loved the pollinator garden outside the insect building. Climbing feature was well loved by the little in our group. The digging for artifacts and fossils was appreciated by the teen in our group. Red wolf exhibit was awesome once we spotted the mom dad and baby on video. Also appreciated the sensory room.

Museum was pretty big but not fit for children above the age of 10-11. Cool activities but the kids…read morethere hog all of the main games and the parents dont really care. Overall not bad and costed 40$ for 2 people adults pay 24 and 5-15 year olds pay 19$ the quality of the museum was cool but they dont let you pet the animals outside . Paper airplane launches but train wasnt there. Overall kinda pricey for what it is but the space section was pretty cool. Avoid the kids,as a kid myself they were pretty rude and even stole the activity i was in the middle of doing,shame on the parents for letting that happen.

The General William C. Lee Airborne Museum is in the Lee House built in 1903 in Dunn, NC. The Lees…read morebought the foreclosed three story Brownstone house in 1935. In 1984, the Lee Commission purchased and reconditioned the house with a new heating and air conditioning system. The museum is three stories, the first two levels are about General Lee and Airborne History and the renovated third floor is about WWII. It is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places. The museum is free to visit but does accept donations. The museum is a short drive from I-95 and has its own parking lot as well. The museum is self guided so you can go at your own pace reading the displays. So who was General Lee? Lee was in WWI and stayed in the Army in Germany. After watching Hitler and the Germans developing airborne troops and through President Franklin Roosevelt , he organized the first airborne unit and became the "Father of the American Airborne". Lee became the first Commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Louisiana in 1942. He organized the D-Day air invasion and was going to be one of the jumpers but he had a heart attack so was sent back to Dunn. I really enjoyed visiting this museum and only stopped as it was on my way back from Fayetteville. I was not aware of General Lee and his contributions to history. I was impressed by the displays about the parachutes and how they evolved from the idea of Da Vinchi. I am glad the museum exists so that we can learn of this important individual. The historic house was a bonus.

The house itself is a magnificent thing. Huge, well laid out and with the creaky wood floors and…read morestairs expected in a turn of the last century home. What is inside is equally impressive. I walked in, greeted by a friendly tour guide who offered the story of how the museum came to be, and then left me to explore. It's a self-guiding tour, there's explanations accompanying the displays, so I could take all the time I needed. It's not a typical museum in that it was actually Lee's home and it still maintains the feel of a home. Because it's a nearly mid-twentieth century topic, the events and displays are not so old that it feels impersonal. It's kind of like being in your grandparents or great-grandparents home. The first floor is the personal story of Lee and his wife. The second floor contains the history of the airborne and the third floor has artifacts of the era. It's a fascinating museum and a low-key way to spend some time learning the origins of the Army Airborne.

The Averasboro Battlefield Museum is a smaller museum but has detailed exhibits with Civil War…read moreartifacts. You will learn about the battle that occurred on the grounds. It is part of the North Carolina Civil War trail. You can see the battlefield for yourself rather than just reading about it. Outside on the barn, are quilt patterns used by escaped slaves to follow safe trails to freedom. There are 18 quilt patterns displayed as well as what each meant. The museum has restrooms outside that are cleaned and well maintained. Chicora Civil War Cemetery is down the road and is part of the museum. If you are in the area and enjoy history, make sure to check out this free museum.

The tour guide/owner was nice and full of information. Not a very large area, but is full of…read moreinteresting information.

Truly a special opportunity to have had walk through this museum in Fort Bragg. Laura and Robyn are…read moresuperstars and the kindest women you will ever meet. They bring so much support and knowledge to the table, they deserve a shout out. Lots of freebies at the front desk, booklets, playing cards, pins, pamphlets and decals. I truly enjoyed learning about special operations and resonated with the incredible stories all throughout the facility.

If you're a military history nerd this museum is a must see. Excellent displays with well written…read morestoryboards.

Summary: 4.0 - Free and art go hand-in-hand here. If you like both, NC MoA is worth your time…read more Free admission to the NCMA to see art and history is a gift. If one doesn't mind the West Building (although new, it felt old to me), the different galleries containing historical art pieces (new and old, and very old) organized by continents are educational and surprisingly full of variety. The East Building (original one) hosts both permanent and limited-time collections. I've enjoyed a car exhibit, but my favorite limited-time exhibit featured Academy Award winner Ruth E. Carter's costumes for the movies "Black Panther", "Selma", "Amistad", and others. Her showcase exhibit was well worth the price of admission. A huge museum park provides miles of trails and places for picnics. If one plans accordingly, a series of trails connects all the way from the museum to downtown Raleigh! MISC Opened in 1956. Has pieces that originate from about 5,000 years ago (but thankfully it doesn't take that long to go through the museum). The museum is accessibility-friendly. A museum store and café are onsite. Tours are available. Outdoor concerts are on hiatus at the time of this review for "facility improvements." Be sure to check the museum's website for updates.

The North Carolina Museum of Art is free to visit, although special exhibits may have a fee. The…read moremuseum is divided into two buildings. The East Building is the original museum, and the West Building is the newer building. There are galleries in both that you can view. The East Building is on multiple levels and there is a glass elevator available with views to the letters outside that spell a message. I like that the museum has a variety of artwork to view, so you can see your favorites or explore and discover new pieces. With the redesigned building, some of the exhibits were made more interactive. I am still learning where my favorite pieces were moved, but I do enjoy finding new favorites as they try to showcase more of the collection.

It was pretty, great lights for the holiday season. 20 per…read moreadult wasn't a bad price, felt it was reasonable. However, it was rather disappointing. The Grinch sat there ringing a bell. Not at all what the kids thought the Grinch would be. Added costs with the pictures with Santa, after you realized you can't take your own, having to go through and pay again with shipping. Overpriced candy and small gifts But they had small little things for kids to do like snowball fights and a little baggy of smelly goods

This was a cute botanical garden. They decorated nicely for the holidays. Would have been nice to…read moresee the lights at night but regardless, nice grounds to walk around.

I popped into this place for a teacher workday with my two sons who are under a year and just under…read more6 years. They really liked it. My younger son played in his area while the older one pretended to be a construction worker and a fire fighter and a race car driver. It was a lot of fun. I would love them to have more food options for kids but I loved my latte. We enjoyed our time - Well spent.

The place is alright. They did a nice job decorating for Halloween and the workers did the best…read morethey could cleaning up but it's a bit sparse with toys. The back room with darker lighting doesn't have much equipment and some of the toys seemed dated and needed to be replaced. And for $15 per kid, no free coffee or tea for parents seems a bit cheap. I did like all of the seating for parents though.