Museum of Life and Science

The Museum of Life and Science is a science museum and outdoor nature park in Durham, North Carolina, combining indoor interactive galleries with extensive outdoor habitats. The institution is aimed at family audiences, school groups and the public for informal science education.

Indoor exhibits present hands-on science activities and interpretive displays while outdoor areas include living habitats, a farmyard with domestic animals, a butterfly conservatory and trails for nature observation. The site also operates a narrow-gauge visitor train that runs through parts of the outdoor campus.

The museum grew from a mid-20th-century children’s museum into a larger regional science center through successive expansions of both indoor galleries and outdoor programming.

It is located in Durham, North Carolina, within the city and approximately a 20- to 30-minute drive northwest of Raleigh depending on route and traffic.

• Large campus: The site comprises a substantial indoor-outdoor campus, with natural habitats, farm areas and trails alongside indoor science galleries.
• Seasonal highlights: The museum runs seasonal programs and outdoor nature experiences such as a butterfly house and live-animal exhibits that are especially active in spring and summer.

What to See #

• Butterfly conservatory: A butterfly conservatory and living habitat exhibits that display local and exotic species alongside interpretive panels about life cycles and ecology.
• Heritage train: A small-gauge visitor train that runs through outdoor habitat areas, used seasonally for access and interpretation of the museum grounds.