Sumter Museum Competitors

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast. Through our exhibits, programs and field experiences, we provide visitors with opportunities to get up close and personal with science and nature. Featuring an array of permanent and special exhibits, live programs and educational films that appeal to audiences of all ages, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences encourages visitors to explore the natural world and their connections to it. With state-of-the-art laboratories, research opportunities, interactive exhibits and live presentations given by top scientists, the museum makes science a tangible and enjoyable experience and helps visitors understand the practical applications of science in their daily lives.

There is always something new happening at the Museum of Discovery and Science. Spend a day of discovery exploring hundreds of interactive exhibits including an outdoor Science Park. Visitors can take a ride on the Everglades Airboat Adventure, experience hurricane force winds in the Storm Center, dig for fossils alongside a giant prehistoric megalodon, get close to a confrontation between a saber-toothed cat and an Imperial mammoth, and enjoy the playful antics of North American river otters in their two-story indoor/outdoor habitat. See exciting science demonstrations and presentations by community experts. Discover the amazing Everglades in the Florida EcoScapes exhibit. Hang out with bats, turtles and sharks. Meet an alligator and be charmed by a 6-foot-long snake. Take a ride to Mars or soar through the skies in an FA-18 cockpit simulator. And immerse yourself in a six-story-high film adventure at the AutoNation® IMAX 3D Theater, home of the BIGGEST screen in South Florida featuring IMAX with Laser. Whether you’re two or 82 visit the Museum of Discovery and Science and enjoy a full day of family fun.

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. ENJOY. Make connections with the natural world at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Feel the smooth skin of a gliding stingray. Climb along Adventure Reef. Talk with a diver swimming the depths with eels and sharks. Look an albino alligator in the eye. Wonder at baby sea turtles. Go under the sea at free daily dive programs and animal encounters. Explore more with behind-the-scenes tours, outdoor adventures and kid friendly camps. The N. C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher is dedicated to animals in our care and those in the wild. We recognize the challenges threatening species locally and globally. Our team commits resources and time to learning more and taking action through research, fieldwork, education, and the daily efforts of our team members. The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher connects nearly 500,000 visitors a year with nature and animals. Open Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. year round The Aquarium is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Aquarium is wheelchair accessible.