so much to do!

Museums

Museums

ACKLAND ART MUSEUM ackland.org

101 S. Columbia St, Chapel Hill, UNC Campus 919.966.5736

Wed-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 1pm-5pm; 10am–9pm, second Friday of each month.

Your local museum with a global outlook, situated at the corner of campus and community with a permanent collection of 20,000 works of art spanning all cultures and time periods. FREE.

CAROLINA BASKETBALL MUSEUM goheels.com

Ernie Williamson Athletic Center

450 Skipper Bowles Dr, Chapel Hill, UNC Campus

919.962.6000

Mon-Fri,10am-4pm; Sat, 9am-1pm; And on selected game days.

This 8,000-sq. ft. museum features new technology, artifacts, updated historical panels and videos, plus years of team memorabilia and championship trophies. Call for group visits of 25 or more. Free.

KENAN FOOTBALL CENTER AND CHARLIE JUSTICE HALL OF HONOR goheels.com

Bell Tower Dr, Chapel Hill, UNC Campus 919.966.2575

Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm.

See the wall of Jordan brand sneakers and UNC football highlights. See the large Ram statue and Charlie Justice statue outside. FREE.

KIDZU CHILDREN’S MUSEUM kidzuchildrensmuseum.org

201 S. Estes Dr, Chapel Hill, University Place 919.933.1455

Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 12:30pm-5:30pm.

Hands-on museum dedicated to inspiring infants to tweens and the adults in their lives to learn through creative, purposeful play.

$8.50 (all ages). Annual memberships available.

MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM & SCIENCE CENTER moreheadplanetarium.org

250 E. Franklin St, Chapel Hill, UNC Campus 919.962.1236

Check website for days and hours open as well as calendar of events.

View award-winning planetarium shows, live science demonstrations, explore interactive exhibits, wander the Gift Shop, or participate in a special program.

Admission + planetarium show: Adults $15.95; Seniors, military/veterans, students & children $13.95; UNC Students $5; Children under three free with parent. (Plus tax). Visit website for General Admission costs.

North Carolina Collection Gallery

library.unc.edu/wilson/gallery

South Rd, Chapel Hill, Wilson Library, UNC Campus | 919.962.0104

Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm; closed major holidays. With over 35,000 objects in its care, the North Carolina Collection Gallery provides an immersive experience of North Carolina’s history and culture through historic rooms, changing exhibitions, and permanent displays. Library also has Rare Book, Southern Folklife and Southern Historical Collections. FREE.

Orange County Historical Museum

orangehistorync.org

201 N. Churton St, Hillsborough 919.732.2201

Mon-Sun, 11am-4pm; Wed by appointment. Permanent exhibit looks at Orange County from indigenous settlements through the twentieth century. Events and changing exhibits. Second floor Kids’ Space, a hands-on gallery for Kids ages 3+, has been re-imagined to resemble life in downtown Hillsborough in 1823. FREE, but donations are accepted.

Gardens

COKER ARBORETUM ncbg.unc.edu/coker-arboretum

399 E. Cameron Ave

UNC Campus, Chapel Hill | 919.962.0522

Open daily, dawn to dusk. This five-acre garden was created on the UNC campus in 1903. It contains more than 500 species of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. See new 300-ft. native vine arbor and replanted landscape in 2024.

MONTROSE GARDEN montrosegarden.org

320 St Mary’s Rd, Hillsborough 919.732.7787

Open Sept-May. Guided tours by appointment — 10am, Tue, Thu & Sat. 24 hour notice required.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the grounds include 19th century buildings, a rock garden, scree garden, extensive woodland plantings, and sunny gardens with unique color and planting schemes. $20 per person. Group tours of 6 or more available at other times.

NORTH CAROLINA BOTANICAL GARDEN ncbg.unc.edu

100 Old Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill 919.962.0522

Open year-round Tue-Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun, 1pm-5pm.

One of the largest native plant botanical gardens in the Southeast. See regional display gardens, herbs, native habitats, diverse carnivorous plant collection, children’s wonder garden, nature trails, nature art (indoor gallery), plant sales and gift shop. Education center with exhibits, reference library, auditorium and classrooms. FREE.