Museum of Life + Science
Museum of Life + Science
5
Speciality MuseumsScience MuseumsChildren's Museums
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Located just blocks from downtown Durham, the Museum of Life and Science is one of North Carolina’s top family destinations. Situated on 84-acres, our interactive science park includes a two-story science center, one of the largest butterfly conservatories on the East Coast, and beautifully landscaped outdoor exhibits which are safe havens for rescued black bears, lemurs, and endangered red wolves. Other popular attractions include over 60 species of live animals, Dinosaur Trail, Ellerbe Creek Railway, Into the Mist, Hideaway Woods, and Earth Moves. The Museum of Life and Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles919 reviews
Excellent
739
Very good
149
Average
17
Poor
11
Terrible
3

Joanie and Jenni B
Crestview, FL665 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
On a recent trip to Durham, NC we had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Life & Science- what a treat. Our visit was during COVID, so we were not able to visit the inside portion, however the outside portion kept us busy for hours.
The outside part of the museum is a life & science wonderland for all ages. I loved watching the children exploring the different hand on exhibits. The parents all seemed happy and relaxed, which says a lot.
They had life size dinosaurs area, which was really well done.
I enjoyed the Farm area, where you could walk around and see all of the farm animals.
Now, as an adult with no young children in tow, I enjoyed leisurely walking around checking out each exhibit. It was a very nice place to just hanging out and enjoy nature.
Written September 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bambi12345
181 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021 • Couples
The museum is quite small, but contains good exhibits. Most seem for children, but this results in many interactive ones. If you are visiting adults only, I recommend focusing mostly on the animals part. Do not miss the butterflies room, with many colorful and beautiful butterflies flying around you.
Written September 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wesley S
9 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Family
The science exhibit should adopt a new policy that recognizes people with disabilities and medical conditions. When visiting with the family, we were confronted by staff and management regarding one of our family members having a condition that prevented them from wearing a mask. Instead of recognizing that there are indeed people with circumstances that would prevent them from wearing a mask, they were berating, and inconsiderate. Even when we attempted to meet the policy in a way that was comfortable for our family member, the staff including management asked us to leave the premises. Leadership should train their staff on recognizing and respecting people with disabilities.
Written March 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lisa C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
This was an amazing experience! We were visiting from out of town and used a reciprocate membership from our science center. They also honor a discount for zoo memberships. We had a group of college, high school, and elementary school age kiddos and everyone enjoyed their time here. There was so much to do! Everything was hands on. The sections outside were all so different, that it made it exciting to see what came next. It was a very hot day, so the mist area and the water play was a welcome sight. We took others' advice and brought a change of clothes. The butterfly house was full and all of the different species were available to see. There was also a zoo area, a barnyard, a dinosaur trail, and building area. We did not get to the treetop area, but it looked like a lot of fun.
Make sure you check out the inside educational exhibits as well!
Written August 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ransom007
Anaheim, CA1,206 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
The museum has free parking. The museum has an indoor area that is more like a discovery center than a museum. There are many hands on exhibits. There is a NASA section which includes actual size rocket engines and a lunar lander. There is an ant farm that looks like something that would be built to live on the moon. The gift shop and dining are available inside as well. There is a vast outdoor area which includes life sized dinosaur models, fossils, and zoo exhibits.
Written September 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Donna M
Durham, NC8 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
So many wonderful things have been added since I last was here . The outdoor exhibits are varied and have something wonderful for every age! The second floor exhibits were not as interesting as in the past. Prices aren't cheap. We had three adults, one 9 yr. old and a 2 yr. old. Even with the dad's military discount for all of us, we paid $109 (included the train ride) The train ride was disappointing. Perhaps the gentlemen "engineering" were volunteers, but there was no interaction with the children and I was even beginning to wonder if they would toot the horn - but they finally did. Because we passed dinosaurs and other animals, it would have been nice if they had pointed them out and got a little excited, for the kids sake.
Written November 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Erin S
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
From Greensboro and wanted to do something new and different. MLS was worth the drive; our 3 year old loved it. The inside was mostly designed for older kids, but she found plenty to keep her entertained. The outside was phenomenal and I wish we had gone on a cooler day when we could have stayed outside longer (it was high 90s and "feels like 105" that afternoon). It got too hot to stay outside so we missed several parts. We will definitely visit again when its in the 70s or 80s so we can spend most of the day outside.
Written August 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ken T
Raleigh, NC519 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
Took our grandsons (2 & 4 years old) here for the day and they had a blast. They loved the dinosaur trail, butterfly house and interactive displays. But their favorite was the tree houses! It was very disappointing not to be able to ride the train, as there was some sort of 'Pumpkin Patch' event going on, but we will catch that the next time we go!
Written October 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SteelCity13
Austin, TX921 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Friends
This place is incredible for families! I mean you could spend 8 hours there and still not get through everything. The place was so diverse from space travel to play areas to dinosaurs to live animals to boat races to building damns or playing with magnets and weights to weather! Honestly this place has it all and its so hands on for kids. I wish i lived in the area cause it would be a place I would want to frequent like all the time!!!
Written November 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Allison R
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
My favorite part about this visit would was without a doubt the butterfly sanctuary and insect room. I was with my boyfriend and he has an insane fear of spiders. As soon as we entered the insect room I immediately looked for enclosures with spiders to freak him out. I’m looking around and suddenly I see a display that appears to have no glass or wire around it and nothing in it. Both my boyfriend and I being curious walk over to it and begin to look for insects that might be hiding but we can’t find any so I turn to the sign and it says “Giant Orb Weavers” with a picture of a huge spider on it. Now I’m even more curious and I start searching even more. As we are about to walk away I look up and see these huge spiders sitting in their webbing above us in the small trees planted in the exhibit. I’m blown away! This case has no glass and the spiders were just there sitting above us! Just as I point at them and start to say “babe look” my hand is suddenly grabbed and I’m dragged out of the room, out of the building, and up the stairs to the rest of the park before I can even realize what’s happening. I have never seen my boyfriend move that fast. It was the most hilarious experience I’d ever seen and I died laughing for so long that my face started to hurt. Such a cool display! And very safe! I did my research! Orb Weavers have little to no reason at all to leave their webs and get all their nutrients they need from their web. So cool! So creepy! I’ll definitely be going back... although I can’t say the same for my boyfriend.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 907
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Museum of Life + Science - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Museum of Life + Science

Museum of Life + Science is open:
  • Tue - Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM


Restaurants near Museum of Life + Science: View all restaurants near Museum of Life + Science on Tripadvisor