North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. This museum is the oldest established museum in North Carolina and the largest museum of its kind in the Southeastern United States. With about 1.2 million visitors annually, as of 2013 it was the state's most popular museum or historic destination among visitors.

The museum has four facilities on three campuses: the Nature Exploration Center and Nature Research Center on Jones Street in downtown Raleigh, the Prairie Ridge Ecostation satellite facility and outdoor classroom in northwest Raleigh near William B. Umstead State Park, and the former North Carolina Museum of Forestry in Whiteville. NCMNS is a division of the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.