Best Museums in Raleigh, NC

“2026 Update: City of Raleigh Museum is a local history museum, and the museum is a perseverance of Mary Cates. The Museum features several exhibits and programs covering different topics about Raleigh for the public to explore. City of Raleigh Museum is a one-floor building, and the museum displays are easy to understand, presented nicely with a bit of humor, too. The museum exhibits were well-written, contextual, complex, organized, and accessible to visitors of all ages and backgrounds. City of Raleigh Museum's atmosphere is warm, festive, and inviting.”

“2026 Update: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is the oldest and largest natural history museum in the state. The museum is made up of 6 facilities, divided between 5 campuses, by combining 2 existing state-owned collections of agricultural and geologic specimens. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences features a range of collections, outreach, and education programs, and the museum's status grew over the next 60 years. The museum receives 1.2 million visitors annually. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences contains over 1.7 million specimens, including mammals, invertebrates, vertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and invertebrate fossils, plants, geology, and meteorites.”