Need plans for Labor Day? Check out the NC Museum of History for a day full of discovery! Galleries are open all weekend with an array of fascinating, and free, hands-on exhibits.
Catch the newest exhibits, QuiltSpeak: Uncovering Women’s Voices Through Quilts, One Giant Leap: North Carolina and the Space Race, and Collecting Carolina.
Open through March 8, 2020, QuiltSpeak: Uncovering Women’s Voices Through Quilts explores how quilts can weave stories of racial oppression and gender inequity. Listen to the experiences of real North Carolinian women and watch as quilts come to life through feature films and hands-on activities. Visitors will learn how to “speak quilt” with the museum’s quilting glossary and become quilt sleuths, uncovering clues about fabrics and patterns through interactive stations.
Make sure to visit One Giant Leap: North Carolina and the Space Race, the lobby exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, now open through Jan. 5, 2020. From flight test engineers, military bases, training centers, and even housing the first chimpanzee that went into space, North Carolina was a large contributor to the space race. Learn about the state’s connections to space exploration through featured artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and discover what it takes to become an astronaut with an interactive Gemini training module. The new exhibit is part of Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond, a yearlong collaboration between museums and organization across the state to mark half a century since the first human stepped foot on the moon.
Looking to learn about some of our unique and more rarely seen artifacts? Check out the newest installation of their lobby-case, Collecting Carolina, including a handmade chest used by North Carolina’s first female legislator; a dance outfit worn by Chuck Davis; a woman’s swimsuit from the 1890s; and a sampling of puppets and props used for teaching dental hygiene. Try the new “virtual” labeling and interpretation system to see them all and learn what makes each story special.
What did Reconstruction in North Carolina really look like? Don’t miss your chance to see Freedom! A Promise Disrupted: North Carolina, 1862-1901, on display until Oct. 27, 2019. Step through time and confront the struggles for freedoms experienced by over a quarter-million newly emancipated Black people in the post-Civil War Tar Heel State. Learn about the triumphs and downfalls of the Reconstruction era with artifacts such as the George Henry White Ceremonial Sword, photographs, artwork, and music.
Labor Day weekend also marks this year’s end of the museum’s annual association with Blue Star Museums. As a member of this national collaboration (which runs promotions and specials annually from Memorial Day through Labor Day), we offer active and retired military personnel (with ID) discounted memberships, along with an occasional 20 percent discount in the Museum Shop. Sign up for the museum e-newsletter or follow their social media outlets for notifications.
For information about the NC Museum of History, a Smithsonian Affiliate museum, call 919-814-7000 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org or follow the museum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ or YouTube.
About the NC Museum of History
The North Carolina Museum of History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, fosters a passion for North Carolina history. This museum collects and preserves artifacts of state history and educates the public on the history of the state and the nation through exhibits and educational programs. Admission is free. Last year, more than 465,000 people visited the museum to see some of the 150,000 artifacts in the museum collection. The Museum of History, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
About the Smithsonian Affiliations Network
Since 2006, the North Carolina Museum of History has been a Smithsonian Affiliate, part of a select group of museums, cultural, educational, and arts organizations that share Smithsonian resources with the nation. The Smithsonian Affiliations network is a national outreach program that develops long-term collaborative partnerships with museums, educational, and cultural organizations to enrich communities with Smithsonian resources. More information is available at affiliations.si.edu.
About the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational, and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries, and natural assets in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums, and Jennette’s Pier, as well as 39 state parks and recreation areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported symphonic orchestra, the State Library of North Carolina, the State Archives of North Carolina, the North Carolina Arts Council, the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, and the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, along with the state Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, call 919-814-6800 or visit DNCR.nc.gov.
