🌿Nature Center🏠 Homeschool ProgramsPaid admission

Museum of Life and Science

433 W. Murray Avenue

About

The Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina, offers one of the most distinctive museum experiences in the Southeast — a sprawling 84-acre campus that weaves together indoor science galleries, live animal habitats, a working farm, and an outdoor nature trail system. Founded in 1946, it has evolved far beyond a traditional science museum into a nature-immersive learning environment for all ages. Outdoors, visitors walk the Dinosaur Trail past life-size bronze dinosaur sculptures set in a forested landscape, then explore a real working farm with goats, chickens, cows, and seasonal crops. The Butterfly House offers an enclosed tropical garden where hundreds of butterflies fly freely around visitors year-round. A miniature train winds through the property, connecting exhibits and offering a playful perspective on the grounds. Indoors, the InnoWorks makerspace engages children in engineering challenges, while the earth and weather science galleries include a tornado simulator and earthquake platform. Live animals including red wolves, black bears, and lemurs live in naturalistic outdoor habitats along the walking trails. The Museum of Life and Science holds both ASTC and AZA accreditation and offers robust programming for school groups, homeschool families, and community organizations. Durham Community Days provide free admission for Durham County residents several times per year. Discounted memberships and the Museums for All program make this a genuinely accessible resource for the Triangle region.

🏠 Homeschool Programs

This institution offers dedicated programming for homeschooling families. Visit the website for details.

Subject Areas

🔬 Science🦴 Natural History🌿 Nature & Environment🐾 Animals & Wildlife🪨 Earth & Geology🔧 Making & Tinkering

Best For

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 All Ages👶 Early Childhood (0–5)🎒 Elementary (6–10)🧑 Tweens & Teens (11–17)🧑‍💼 Adults👨‍👩‍👧 Families🏫 School Groups

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Hours of Operation

Daily 10am–5pm. Members may enter at 9am.

Hours change seasonally — verify before visiting.

Admission

Paid admission

Adults $24, Seniors (65+) $22, Military $22, Children (3–15) $19, Children under 2 free. Train ride $4.50 members / $6 non-members. Durham Community Days offer free admission for Durham County residents.

ASTC

ASTC Travel Passport Program

Members of the Association of Science and Technology Centers' Travel Passport Program offer free or discounted admission to members of other participating institutions. Over 300 science centers worldwide participate.

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47 other places in our directory accept this membership:

Museum of Science

Boston, MA

Harvard Museum of Natural History

Cambridge, MA

EcoTarium

Worcester, MA

Connecticut Science Center

Hartford, CT

Yale Peabody Museum

New Haven, CT

Stepping Stones Museum for Children

Norwalk, CT

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

Burlington, VT

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

Concord, NH

The Franklin Institute

Philadelphia, PA

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

Delaware Museum of Nature and Science

Wilmington, DE

New York Hall of Science

Queens, NY

Maryland Science Center

Baltimore, MD

Liberty Science Center

Jersey City, NJ

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Houston, TX

Adventure Science Center

Nashville, TN

Science Museum of Minnesota

St. Paul, MN

COSI

Columbus, OH

Saint Louis Science Center

St. Louis, MO

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Denver, CO

Museum of the Rockies

Bozeman, MT

Pacific Science Center

Seattle, WA

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

Portland, OR

California Academy of Sciences

San Francisco, CA

Science Museum of Virginia

Richmond, VA

Exploreum Science Center

Mobile, AL

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Dallas, TX

Discovery Place Science

Charlotte, NC

Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

Chicago, IL

Milwaukee Public Museum

Milwaukee, WI

Indiana State Museum

Indianapolis, IN

Arizona Science Center

Phoenix, AZ

Exploratorium

San Francisco, CA

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

Miami, FL

McWane Science Center

Birmingham, AL

Science Center of Iowa

Des Moines, IA

The Tech Interactive

San Jose, CA

Witte Museum

San Antonio, TX

Orlando Science Center

Orlando, FL

Cincinnati Museum Center

Cincinnati, OH

Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum

Denver, CO

Space Center Houston

Houston, TX

Louisiana Children's Museum

New Orleans, LA

Great Lakes Science Center

Cleveland, OH

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Chicago, IL

Maine Discovery Museum

Bangor, ME

Virginia Museum of Natural History

Martinsville, VA

AZA

AZA Reciprocity Program

Some AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums offer reciprocal admission benefits to members of other participating institutions. Participation varies by institution.

Learn more →

32 other places in our directory accept this membership:

Museum of Science

Boston, MA