Museum of Life + Science
Museum of Life + Science
4.5
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
Full view
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
368 within 5 kms
Attractions
104 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- SteelCity13Austin, Texas902 contributionsThis place is amazing for kidsThis 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!!!Visited November 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 17 November 2023
- Jennifer MMatthews, North Carolina94 contributionsGood way to spend the dayWe enjoyed all the hands on items in the main building. The exhibits were interesting and let the you play and explore the ideas with engaging activities. We also like the animals in Explore the Wild. The enclosures are spacious and good at modeling the natural environment. The staff helped us find the hiding animals and answered questions. The Sprout Cafe has a good selection of lunch and snack items and the prices are reasonable. We especially enjoyed the Butterfly House. There were lots of insects and the butterfly area is really nice.Visited June 2024Travelled with familyWritten 25 June 2024
- James HSierra Vista, Arizona10 contributionsNo lions, no tigers, bit Dinosaurs oh my!!A delightful paradise for young children to play, experience and explore. It has it all. Building wood play, a caboose to hide in, a miniature zoo and lots and lots of interactive exhibits. Even dinosaurs!! The restaurant service leaves much to be desired though and waiting times are long.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 4 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
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 waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
923 reviews
Excellent
742
Very good
149
Average
17
Poor
12
Terrible
3
Joanie and Jenni B
Crestview, FL659 contributions
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.
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 25 September 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
185 contributions
Sept 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 19 September 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
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 7 March 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
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!
Make sure you check out the inside educational exhibits as well!
Written 9 August 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, CA1,119 contributions
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 29 September 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.
Jennifer M
Matthews, NC94 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
We enjoyed all the hands on items in the main building. The exhibits were interesting and let the you play and explore the ideas with engaging activities. We also like the animals in Explore the Wild. The enclosures are spacious and good at modeling the natural environment. The staff helped us find the hiding animals and answered questions. The Sprout Cafe has a good selection of lunch and snack items and the prices are reasonable. We especially enjoyed the Butterfly House. There were lots of insects and the butterfly area is really nice.
Written 25 June 2024
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
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 18 November 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
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 12 August 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.
James H
Sierra Vista, AZ10 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
A delightful paradise for young children to play, experience and explore. It has it all. Building wood play, a caboose to hide in, a miniature zoo and lots and lots of interactive exhibits. Even dinosaurs!! The restaurant service leaves much to be desired though and waiting times are long.
Written 4 July 2024
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, NC506 contributions
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 23 October 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.
Me gustaria saber como puedo obtener una membresia del museo de vida y ciencia
Written 28 June 2019
Hola! Gracias por tu pregunta Puede encontrar información de membresía en el sitio web del Museo. También puede hablar con alguien al 919-220-5429.
Written 28 June 2019
Is it super crowded on Durham residents free days?
Written 3 July 2018
Does this Museum have enough to do to keep a preschooler (4-5 years old) entertained for 2-3 hours?
Written 8 August 2017
MLS_Marketing_Dept
Durham, North Carolina
Good morning! We have 84-acres of outdoor exhibits as well as a two-story science center, and a cafe and train! I would say that there's plenty to do for children of all ages and abilities!
Written 6 September 2017
has anyone tried the Santa train at this museum? is it fun, worth the price?
Written 10 November 2016
We took a 9, 7 & 4 year old. All had fun & kept busy. There is a lot to see & do both indoors & outdoors. I recommend going on a nice day so you can do the outdoor activities. Otherwise 2-3 hours might be the max amount of time young kids could handle indoors.
Written 8 August 2017
Would this attraction be good for teens? And are the outdoor areas shady and cool enough for in Summer? Is there food for purchase? How expensive?
Written 4 July 2016
I don't really think teens would be that interested in this place unless they are really into science and nature.
Some of the outdoor areas are shaded but its still hot .
The butterfly conservatory is like a tropical jungle ... hot and steamy . But that was worth it to me because I love butterflies.
The outdoor activities are geared more to children .
I would not advise going in this hot weather .
There is an indoor area with exhibits that is air conditioned.
There is food available but its at the end of the trail .
Its priced like most places at attractions like this .
Written 10 July 2016
if you plan to go frequently, yes. There are many activities and events that make it worth visiting multiple times.
Written 3 April 2016
No idea. Calling the museum would be best.
Written 15 March 2016
Showing results 1-10 of 12
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