07/09/08

Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit excludes Jewish perspective on scrolls, misleads public

by ViewFromHere

The museum is a nice place, but one must question the ethical conduct of its directors in putting on a biased and misleading exhibit, in which the current state of research has been carefully distorted to cater to influential members of the old Dead Sea Scrolls monopoly group, one of whose members (John Strugnell) had a series of famous antisemitic outbursts some fifteen years ago.

In a word, the museum (which, incidentally, is run by the N. C. Department of the Environment) agreed to downplay and conceal the evidence brought to light by Jewish researchers who have rejected the old "Qumran-Essene" theory of scroll origins, and to physically exclude them from participating in the lecture series accompanying the exhibit.

See, e.g., University of Chicago historian Norman Golb's editorial, "Take Claims about DSS with a Grain of Salt" (it is easily googled).

Since the museum is a state-run institution, the role of government officials in displaying religiously controversial artifacts must also be addressed. Is it appropriate for a N. C. government agency to take sides in an acrimonious scholarly dispute while entertaining people with a religiously oriented exhibit in, of all places, a natural sciences museum?

Is there any accounting of how this exhibit was funded, and of where the profits ($22 per ticket) will be going?

This is, of course, a serious issue that should be carefully examined by the media. Instead, we have silence, viciously implied innuendo about Jewish culture coming from N. C. authorities (including an antisemitic insinuation on the museum's website), mendacious claims about a fabricated "consensus" that no longer exists, and a continuing pattern of catering to vested interests.

For further information on this propaganda masquerading as an exhibit, previously dished out to the public in various private "science" museums around the country, see, e.g., R. Dworkin's article on "The Ethics of Exhibition" (this is also easily googled).

07/09/08

great staff, great exhibits, well run

by durhamresident

I could not be more impressed with this museum. I attended the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, and was quite impressed by both the number of staff members & how knowledgable they were! The exhibit was quite popular, but the staff did a great job of making sure that no one area was too crowded to enjoy the displays. The exhibit itself is thorough & well-planned... a must see!

I was also impressed with the permanent exhibits, which educated visitors on NC geography & animals. There's also a wonderful dinosaur exhibit that kids love. I thought that most people would be visiting with small children, but I saw a good number of young adults there w/ friends, & they seemed to be fully immersed in the exhibits. This museum is well attended, so go during the week if you can!

11/15/07

Great place ....we had our company's fall luncheon at the Museum

by pl1

We had our company's fall employee appreciation luncheon at the Museum, and it was the absolute best place to have it! Caffe Luna catered it and we LOVED their shrimp and seafood. GREAT job Caffe Luna! My favorite part of the museum was seeing the cute live seahorses in the coastal section, but it was all great! I could see my office building halfway across Raleigh from inside the glass dome! There was a neat dinosaur exhibit with a walking and moving T-Rex.

We all loved the coastal section because although it is now fall, the sand beach area and seagrass made us feel as if we were at the beach!

If you want something different and fun, and totally unique, for your company's party or luncheon, definitely come here! It was great!

• Pros: Great and unique place to have a luncheon or meeting

07/06/07

Rent the Museum of Natural Sciences for your evening event or day meeting!

by raleigh12

One very cool thing to do at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh is to "rent the museum" for a corporate party or day meeting. Our company had a day training seminar there following by an evening reception, and it was fantastic! They have a 20 foot waterfall and a huge glass dome overlooking the city.

Everyone at our company meeting loved taking breaks on the outdoor terrace, seeing the dinosaurs, and exploring the hands-on exhibits......going through the Living Conservatory with live butterflies and hummingbirds was great!

The Museum also holds wedding receptions and legislative receptions there so it is a very cool place for many types of events. Check it out!

03/16/07

Best free outing for kids in town...

by natesmom

The Museum of Science has been our 5 year old son's favorite place since he was about 18 months old.

Dinosaurs, insects, snakes....what could be better! Be sure to check times for the story times, meet the animals etc....the staff is great and kids love it! Check out the Discovery Room, especially for preschoolers and toddlers that may find the rest of the Museum "too much". Our 2 year old loves it! Unbelievable that such a nice Museum is FREE! PS...we recently had a "Dino Detective" birthday party here also, and it was worth every penny!

• Pros: FREE!; great educational outing; good for birthday parties
• Cons: none

10/28/06

Great museum

by smithfielder

A fantastic museum with something for every age group. Fossils, live fish, reptiles, and a butterfly room, a running waterfall. This is a longtime family favorite. The fact that it is free is just mind-boggling - it would be worth any reasonable admission.

• Pros: Variety and quality of exhibits
• Cons: occasional crowds (for good reason)

Dinosaurs and Venus flytraps. There's nothing boring about North Carolina's natural history.

by Contributor

In Short
Showcasing North Carolina's rich natural history and its global connections, the $70.5 million building features the world's only Acrocanthosaurus skeleton ("Acro"), an Arthropod Zoo, three whale skeletons suspended from the ceiling and nearly 3,500 live animals--enough to be classified as a small zoo. Unlike its previous home, this downtown Raleigh museum is spacious and airy with light wood, white walls, easy-to-navigate exhibits and plenty of eucators, curators and researchers available to explain things.

05/28/03

NCMNS

by jlavargas

My wife,myself, and our 6 yr old child enjoyed the four floor levels of exhibits. We attended a 15 minute childrens show on alligators (live presentor who taught on subject matter and had a baby alligator for everyone to pet) on the third floor that was the highlight of our visit. Tips: Wear confortable shoes and call ahead of time to inquire about third floor Children show times. Come in before four-Some exhibits close at four

• Pros: Show(3rd floor), Exhibits, Clean bathroom
• Cons: Museum shop, High prices at cafe, Parking is a chore

01/03/03

Regular Visitor...

by cindy919

I love this museum ... I've gone so many times and never get bored. There is so much to see, I always notice something I missed on previous visits. I love the coastal, mountain, and butterfly exhibits. The bug exhibit upstairs is great for young kids. The workers/volunteers are all so friendly and helpful.

08/21/02

One of a Kind

by Laurieliz

It is a great museum with many things you can't find anywhere else in the world. There are things that both adults and children will find interesting. Do your homework before going and you will enjoy it even more but the people there are more then happy to give you info on all the exhibits.

• Pros: Free, Interesting, Educational
• Cons: Hard to get downtown, Parking