You may have read our previous post about the Museum of Life and Science Outdoor Exhibits. Now it’s time to highlight those indoor exhibits! It’s a great place to explore when the weather is poor, and there’s even an indoor playground so the kids can burn some energy while they learn about the world around them!
Sound Scape Exhibit
Sound Scape is one of the first exhibits you’ll see when entering the building from the outside exhibits. It’s a large room where the projector changes the images on the wall as you run around and make noise. My kids always have lots of fun running in circles and making the lights and shapes change. There’s also an interactive projection board where you can actually move the shapes using the shadows of your body.
Weather Exhibits
Once you make your way past the main check in area and back towards the exhibits, you’ll first encounter the weather section. The most impressive feature is the large indoor tornado! My kids also enjoy touching a cloud and making their own hurricane behind glass.
Math Exhibits
The math section has lots of different exhibits related to ratios, size, and frequency. There’s a lot of little things you can tinker and play with, and your kids are learning about math concepts the whole time!
Animal Exhibits
One of our favorite spots is the indoor Carolina Wildlife section. Here you can see local reptiles, birds, and mammals up close and personal. We enjoy watching the snakes sunbathe and the muskrat swim around his pond.
see the birds 
skunk 
peek at the snake 
amazing ant colony
Right outside of the exhibit you’ll also find a giant ant colony. There are cameras inside the clear tubes so you can get an even closer look at the queen ant.
Space and Launching Area
The space section has a hands-on launching area where you can send different materials flying into the sky! My 3 year old loves sending the parachute men up in the wind tunnel! My girls enjoy shooting the pom poms up into the sky. There’s also an area where you can make your own paper airplane and send it through a machine that will make it soar!
There are lots of artifacts and information posted about the Mercury capsule that carried the first U.S. animal into orbit. There’s even a prototype of the Apollo 15 Lunar Lander and a real moon rock! You used to be able to climb into a command module prototype, but it’s been closed throughout the pandemic and I don’t know if or when it will reopen.
Light Board
Move over light bright, the Museum of Life and Science has the coolest light board in town. Instead of putting pegs into a board, these lights can be rotated to change colors. You can use the different colors to make whatever shape you wish! My kids always spend lots of time here changing the colors and making patterns.
Indoor Play Area
Our most frequented indoor attraction is the gated play area. There’s a separate section for crawling babies, which was a lifesaver when all three of my kids were all under the age of 4.
The bigger kids have a climbing wall and ramps to test gravity with balls. The treehouse structure has been closed throughout the pandemic, but we hope it will open again soon!
The baby section has lots of soft play mats, which is perfect for those early walkers and crawlers! It’s also completely gated so you don’t have to worry about your toddler toddling away!
big kid play section 
separate baby play area
Upstairs Exhibits
Don’t miss the upstairs exhibits! We had been to The Museum of Life and Science multiple times before we realized there was more to do upstairs! This has become my 6 year old’s favorite spot. There’s an area where you can film your own stop-motion movie, learn origami, experience a car crash simulation (closed during the pandemic), learn more about washing your hands, and test your stress levels.
The stress test cracks me up, because I can be as calm as can be until one of my kids comes over and starts whining about things. Then you can watch those stress levels shoot right up! 😂
making their own stop-motion movie 
folding origami shapes
Gift Shop
If you like to shop, don’t miss the gift shop back at the entrance. There’s coffee and snacks available, plus you can purchase a wide variety of science toys and kits to take home. We try to avoid this area since it can get expensive fast, but I have been very impressed with the selection. You can find lots of toys you can’t find elsewhere. I’d say its a great place to check if you’re specifically looking for science kits, but you could also try Tic Tac Toys at Crabtree Valley Mall as well since they had a similar selection.
Membership
In my opinion, the Museum of Life and Science is extremely expensive unless you purchase an annual membership. Even then, the memberships are the most expensive I’ve seen, although I do think you get the most bang for your buck! Memberships give you unlimited visits for a year, and there are different levels based on how many people are included in your membership. The good thing is that your membership is not limited only to your family. It gives you a set number of admissions that day, and you can use those for whoever you want to take with you! It’s great for playdates and out of town guests! Get more information here.
Explore Durham
While you’re out at the museum, check out a few other tot spots in Durham! You can find the hidden dinosaur nearby, walk over to the misting station at Rock Quarry Park, learn some history at Duke Homestead, or play at Northgate Park playground or Old North Durham Park. Use our Tot Spot map for even more exploring!