11 Best Museums In North Carolina

North Carolina has always done things its own way. It was the first of the original 13 colonies to call for independence from Britain, but the last one to ratify the U.S. Constitution. That mix of autonomy, authenticity, and grit is on perfect display in the eleven best museums in North Carolina, where you can explore everything from the Wright Brothers to Puerto Rican folk-art while digging deeper into the art of whirligigs and the paranormal.. There’s also a whole lot of art, science, and maritime lore thrown in for good measure. In true Tar Heel fashion, referring to the omnipresent tar and the steadfastness of the state’s soldiers during the Civil War, North Carolina’s museums don’t just display culture and history; they let you get stuck in and experience it.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) is the state’s most-visited museum in its capital city of Raleigh, with over one million visitors per year. Spanning two downtown city blocks, the museum’s interactive exhibits are spread over seven floors and cover a wide range of subjects, including its epic Dueling Dinosaurs display, a near-perfectly preserved pair of dinosaur fossils locked in battle. You can also see a full-sized adult skeleton of a blue whale, and watch an accompanying film in 3D, “Blue Whales.” The museum’s Living Collection includes more than 50 species of live reptiles and amphibians; the Arthropod Zoo is a self-guided gallery walk through the world of crustaceans, insects, arachnids, and myriapods; and the Fish and Invertebrates section lets you visit nine freshwater and five saltwater exhibits with native species from North Carolina.

After visiting the museum, wander over to the North Carolina State Capitol, a well-preserved Greek Revival-style building built in 1840 and a National Historic Landmark. Despite being an active Capitol, you are welcome to take self-guided tours of the building during the week or join a free guided tour offered twice daily on Saturdays.

Cryptozoology & Paranormal Museum, Littleton

A treasure trove for Bigfoot fans, ghost hunters, and lovers of the unexplained, the Cryptozoology & Paranormal Museum in Littleton is a small but impressive collection of the weird, wacky, and wonderful. The museum is owned by Stephen Barcelo, a former New York journalist and one-time mayor of Littleton, who is now a full-time cryptozoologist. Catering to a wide variety of tastes, a few items on display include a haunted Mrs. Beasley doll, an iconic talking doll with big glasses and a polka dot dress from the late 1960s sitcom, Family Affair, a Dybbuk Box used to hold evil spirits, footprint casts of Bigfoot, and so much more.

Stay around and explore the cozy town with stops at nearby shops and restaurants, like lunch at the Blue Jay Bistro, shopping for your home from the curated collections at Main Street Mercantile, and coffee at the Lake Gaston Coffee Company.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, Hatteras

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is a free museum on Hatteras Island dedicated to the thousands of shipwrecks that lie off the coast of North Carolina, in the treacherous waters of the Outer Banks, where shipping lanes were once prime targets for pirates. Inside the museum, see shipwrecks and artifacts related to warfare and piracy from the late 17th century to 1945. For real maritime history buffs, the museum is part of the North Carolina Maritime Museum System, which also includes the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport, if you want to plan an extended trip and visit all three.

After visiting the museum, spend some time walking along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and explore the two lighthouses in the area: the Bodie Island Lighthouse and the tallest lighthouse in the U.S., the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, boldly striped in black and white and rising 208 feet in the air.

Mint Museum, Charlotte

The Mint Museum is North Carolina’s oldest art museum, specializing in African, American, European, Native American, and contemporary craft + design. There are two locations of the Mint: the Mint Museum Uptown and the Mint Museum Randolph, both in Charlotte. On the day of your visit, your admission is valid for two days at both locations.

The Mint Museum Uptown is currently presenting “Across the Nation” Masterpieces on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., with works by Edgar Degas, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Alma Thomas, as part of the upcoming 250th anniversary of America in 2026. The Mint Museum Randolph’s current exhibit delves into the Puerto Rican folk-art tradition known as Santos de Palo, consisting of nearly 200 hand-carved, deeply symbolic holy figures. Admission to both museums is free every Wednesday night from 5 to 9 PM.

The Mint Museum Uptown is in the heart of downtown Charlotte, so there’s no shortage of great restaurants and bars within walking distance. But if exploring the five floors of the museum has you tired of walking, check out Mariposa, located right inside the museum, which brings together multicultural dishes from around the world.

Brady C. Jefcoat Museum of Americana, Murfreesboro

An odd museum to be sure, but the perfect place to get lost admiring the treasure trove of stuff accumulated by Brady C. Jefcoat, including the largest collections of washing machines, irons, and dairy equipment in the U.S. Despite growing up in poverty, Brady C. Jefcoat became a respected plumber, carpenter, welder, and mason in North Carolina during World War II. Still, it wasn’t until he was given a broken phonograph (a vintage record player) that his passion for collecting really took root. Over the years, his interest expanded to include radios, juke boxes, and music boxes, and his collection is widely considered to be the rarest in the world. Today, the Brady C. Jefcoat Museum of Americana has over 17,000 individual items and is housed inside a renovated high school in Murfreesboro.

During his life, Jefcoat partnered with the Murfreesboro Historical Society, which offers self-guided tours of historic homes. Consider sticking around in the small town after visiting the museum and exploring the sites by downloading a free map online.

Asheville Museum of Science, Asheville

The Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS) opened in 2016, but is the result of the lifelong passion for minerals of engineer and bank president Burnham Standish Colburn, who co-founded the Southern Appalachian Mineral Society (S.A.M.S) with his brother. Today, that small personal collection has morphed into an imaginative science museum, full of interactive, hands-on exhibits for the science lover in everyone, but particularly kids. In addition to the Colburn Hall of Minerals, there are exhibits on the world, the galaxy, and water, with interactive experiences including a Fossil Dig and an immersive playground called Climb into Forest Ecology.

Follow up a trip to the AMOS with another kid-friendly experience at the nearby WNC Nature Center, where you’ll meet 60 species of rescued wildlife from the Southern Appalachian Mountains, including pygmy goats, red wolves, black rat snakes, and two American black bears, Uno and Ursa, who live at the center.

Wright Brothers National Memorial & Museum, Kill Devil Hills

Although the Wright brothers were from Ohio, they traveled to the Outer Banks annually to conduct gliding experiments near the town of Kitty Hawk, which is how the small town of Kill Devil Hills became home to the Wright Brothers National Memorial & Museum. Start at the Visitor Center and Museum, where you’ll be able to see exhibits that celebrate the first flight, with a replica 1903 Wright Flyer in the Flight Room, artifacts, and a commemorative boulder marking the original site where history was made. Outside the museum, follow the trail to the star attraction, the 60-foot-tall Art Deco-style granite monument atop Big Kill Devil Hill, where the brothers conducted most of their early glider experiments. After visiting the museum and memorial, head about ten miles south towards the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where you can kick off your shoes and enjoy 70 miles of sandy beaches.

Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park & Museum, Wilson

The Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park & Museum is an outdoor folk-art wonderland filled with giant colorful kinetic sculptures, dedicated to the legacy of acclaimed folk artist, Vollis Michael Simpson, from Lucama, North Carolina. His work is largely considered “outsider art,” as he wasn’t formally trained, but worked instead as a machinist. His first foray into creating something out of nothing was during World War II, when he created a wind-powered machine to dry his clothes while stationed in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands.

The two-acre park features 30 of the artist’s colorful whirligigs, some of his most significant works of art, but it is also a community hub for the historic town of Wilson. There’s an amphitheater for films and music events, and the park shelter hosts the Wilson Farmers & Artisan Market on Saturday mornings from May through August, and six evening Fall Markets from September through November.

North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) is a premier must-see art museum in Raleigh, which was the first major art museum in the U.S., and whose renowned “People’s Collection” is the result of state legislation and public funding. The collection includes more than 4,000 works of art spanning over 5,000 years from ancient to modern times. The museum itself is located on the largest museum campus in the U.S.. It consists of both indoor galleries and a 164-acre outdoor sculpture garden, the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park, which expands the concept of a traditional museum by connecting art, nature, and people outside in landscaped fields, forests, and meadows. The current exhibit inside the museum is called “Then and There, Here and Now: Contemporary Visions of North Carolina,” exploring the state’s changing population, cities, and ecology.

Several other parks to explore on the vast NCMA campus include the Rodin Garden and the Cloud Chamber for Trees and Sky, a unique space that acts like a camera obscura, making you feel as if you are walking among the clouds and treetops. Admission to the museum’s exhibitions and park is free at all times.

Asheville Pinball Museum, Asheville

For serious arcade fans, this old-school pinball arcade + museum lets you play 40 vintage pinball and 40 video games all for one price for as long as you like, making it both quirky and interactive. There’s memorabilia on the walls, and snacks, soda, and beer on offer. After racking up high scores in the pinball mecca, stroll across the street to another kind of arcade, the Grove Arcade. The Grove Arcade is an indoor shopping center inside a grand historic building filled with artisan shops and cafés. In 1976, it became the first enclosed mall in the U.S. to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Stop at the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar and indulge in used books and bubbles after a day of flipping levers.

The Wheels Through Time Museum, Maggie Valley

For motorcyclists, gearheads, car lovers, road trippers, and anyone who can't get enough of fast-moving machines, the unique Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley is a must-see. Billing itself as “The Museum That Runs,” it is home to one of the world’s best collections of rare American motorcycles and memorabilia. The facility is more like a 38,000-square-foot garage than a traditional museum where you can vroom your way through the evolution of American motorcycling and automotive history. There are numerous special exhibits to explore, including “The Chopper Graveyard,” “Military Might,” which features motorcycles from both World Wars, and “The Hillclimb Hill,” which consists of the rarest Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior hill climbers made from 1928 to 1949.

When you’ve satisfied your need for speed, head to BearWaters Brewing for an upscale hand-crafted brewing and dining experience with a menu that boasts Tomahawk Ribeye, Shrimp & Grits, and Salted Caramel Bourbon Pork Chop.

Battleship North Carolina, Wilmington

Moored in downtown Wilmington, the Battleship North Carolina was part of every naval battle in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, including Guadalcanal, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and more. It earned 15 battle stars, making it one of the most decorated battleships in U.S. history. The WWII-era battleship museum and memorial is moored on the west bank of the Cape Fear River, where you can board the ship and take a self-guided tour of all nine levels of the ship, like the mess halls, gun turrets, living quarters, the sick bay, and more. You can even sit in the Captain’s chair on the Bridge. Plan on spending at least two hours at the museum, which is open 365 days a year, and take time to enjoy the SECU Memorial Walkway, which gives you a view of the ships from all sides.

There are usually food trucks on site, or pack a picnic and use one of the picnic tables on the grounds near the battleship. If not, pick up the Bizzy Bee water taxi available outside the battleship and take it across the river to the downtown Wilmington Riverwalk. Stop in at the Copper Penny, which serves award-winning chicken wings, cheese steak egg rolls, and has a kids’ menu.

North Carolina Transportation Museum, Spencer

Just like the 1987 comedy, “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer celebrates all the ways we get from here to there. In the museum, which is located at the former 60-acre Southern Railway Spencer Shops, you’ll discover historic locomotives, vintage automobiles, and even airplanes. The museum’s Visitor Center is an authentic 1898 train station called Barber Junction Depot, while the Bob Julian Roundhouse is the largest remaining roundhouse in North America. You can visit the museum alone or add on a train ride in a diesel locomotive or a caboose. Seasonal excursions add to the fun, from a Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine to a spooky Halloween Train or an imaginary Polar Express ride to the North Pole.

After spending time at the museum, slow things down over lunch at nearby Hendrix Barbeque, a classic old-fashioned diner for fans of BBQ burgers, hot dogs, and even salads.

North Carolina has so many museums, devoted to art, pinball, motorcycles, whirligigs, and just about everything in between. It’s probably only a matter of time before someone opens a Museum of Museums. But what makes it even better is that many of these unique collections are tucked into small towns, like Murfreesboro, Wilson, and Maggie Valley, where you can step outside the exhibits and find yourself wandering historic main streets, sampling local bites, or stumbling onto landmarks. Visiting the eleven best museums in North Carolina is proof that it’s not just about what’s behind the glass; it’s also the opportunity to explore the character and culture of the towns themselves.