ncmuseums
An occasional list of exhibits, programs, and events at North Carolina museums. Sponsored by the North Carolina Museums Council.
NCMC Events From Around the State… August 26, 2013
1). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort invites you to a Murder Mystery Dinner on August 30th at 6:00 p.m. End your
summer with a BANG at our annual Murder Mystery Dinner. Museum staff and
volunteers prepare an entertaining evening involving a murder plot, clues and
of course a twist, all while you enjoy a catered meal! Come help us solve
the Museum’s latest unfortunate “accident.” Space is
limited. Reservations: $30
2). High Point Museum invites you
to watch blacksmithing demonstrations in the Historical Park
on Saturday, September 7th, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Their costumed blacksmith will craft various iron pieces. All ages are welcome. Free. Drop-in.
3). Tryon Palace invites you to step
back in time to 1802 and watch the thrilling reenactment of the Stanly-Spaight
Duel on Saturday, August 31st at 4:00 p.m..
Watch the drama unfold as two famous North Carolina statesmen meet on the dueling
field to defend their honor. Duel will
take place on the Palace South Lawn. In
the event of rain, it will be moved into the North Carolina History
Center. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for
students and includes the reenactment, the Tryon Palace
Gardens, and a Colonial
Fife & Drum Concert at the start of the Duel.
4). Historic Edenton State Historic Site is
hosting a new traveling exhibit, Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, appearing
September 6th – October 19th. This special exhibit will be located in the
Assembly Room of the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse. A free opening reception will take place on
September 6th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and will include light refreshments
and 18th-century maritime music.
5). Bellamy Mansion announces that “Jazz at the Mansion” is back! The rained out El Jaye Johnson
& The Port City All-Stars will return to perform Thursday, September
12th at 6:30 p.m.! Bring blankets or
chairs and enjoy this summer concert on the lawn! Tickets available at gate -
$12 General admission, $10 Members, $5 Students (with ID). Questions? Please
call 910.251.3700. Weather permitting.
In event of bad weather, concert may be cancelled.
6). Museum of the Albemarle will hold “Preschooler Time: Buzzin’ to
Make Honey” on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 10:00 am. Participants must be between the ages of 3 to
5 years old and must be accompanied by an adult. Preschoolers will learn the importance of
honeybees, read a book, and participate in a honeybee activity. Free Family
Program. For More Information Call 252-335-1453
7). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher will host Deaf Awareness Day on Saturday, September 7th and will offer programs
tailored especially for individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired throughout
the day. Sign language, captioning or scripting will enhance many of the
activities of the day – animal feedings, live-animal presentations and films –
and interpreters will assist visitors at selected exhibits. The dive program, scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
and 2:30 p.m., will include an interpreter assisting with questions for the
diver swimming inside the exhibit with sharks, eels and a green sea
turtle. The aquarium presents Deaf
Awareness Day with the assistance of the Regional Resource
Center for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing to draw attention to the needs and interests of the
hearing-impaired.
8). Joel Lane Museum House presents
a “Tavern Party in the Gardens” on Thursday, September 12th from 6:30 – 8:30
p.m. Rain Date will be Friday, September
13th. The event will include a beer
tasting of delicious brews from Boylan Bridge Brew Pub. Wine will be available
for those who don’t drink beer. Light hors d’oeuvres will be compliments of
Irregardless Cafe, Mitch’s Tavern, NOFO at the Pig, and Sitti. Music on
Thursday will be provided by the Southern String Band. Some of the activities
colonial gentlemen engaged in at taverns, including table top games such as
dice and quoits, and dancing the Cumberland
and Virginia Reels will be offered. Bear baiting and wrestling will not be
permitted! Admission is $30 per person; $25 for members of the Joel Lane
Historical Society; Must be 21 years of age to attend; Advanced purchase
strongly suggested either by Credit Card 919-833-3431 or Check to PO Box 10884,
Raleigh NC 27605. No refunds. Contact Information: tel: (919) 833-3431; email: joellane@bellsouth.net.
9). Hands On!, the children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, invites
you to make a card for Nation Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 9th. Craft activity will run from Tuesday,
September 3rd to Friday, September 6th.
All ages welcome. Free with $5
admission/free for members.
10). The Black Mountain College Museum+ Arts Center,
located at 56 Broadway in downtown Asheville,
announces a new exhibition entitled Black
Mountain College: Shaping Craft + Design. Please join us for the opening
reception Friday, Sept. 6 from 5:00 - 8:00pm. Free.
NCMC Events From Around the State… August 19, 2013
1). Bellamy Mansion presents “Jazz at the Mansion” on Thursday, August 29th at 6:30 p.m. Come out for this year's last Jazz at the
Mansion featuring The Al Neese Project!
Bring your blankets or chairs and relax on the lawn to the sounds of America's classic songs played by the
outstanding Wilmington
artists. Beer and wine sold. Tickets
available at gate- $12 General admission, $10 Members, $5 Students (with ID).
Questions? Please call 910.251.3700.
2). Historic Edenton State Historic Site is
hosting a new traveling exhibit, Blackbeard’s
Queen Anne’s Revenge, appearing September 6th – October 19th. This special
exhibit will be located in the Assembly Room of the 1767 Chowan County
Courthouse. A free opening reception
will take place on September 6th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and will include
light refreshments and 18th-century maritime music.
3). High Point Museum invites you
to make Battledores at the Historic
Park on Saturday, August
24th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Battledores were one of the earliest forms of printed material used to
teach young children their letters in early America. Let our historical
interpreters help you make your own to take home. All ages welcome. $1 per
person. Free for High Point Historical Society members. Drop-in.
4). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort invites you to explore the Rachel Carson Reserve on Thursday, August 29th from
8:45 – 11:30 a.m. Get up close and
personal with some of the plants and animals of the Rachel Carson Reserve. A
guided hike will take you through the different habitats found on Town Marsh
and Bird Shoal. Reservations $15*
5). SECCA,
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, invites you to “Collecting
Conversations: Photography” on
Wednesday, August 28th at 12:00 p.m.
Regional collectors of fine art photography with meet with individuals
who are interested in collecting over lunch. This event will also include a
gallery tour of the exhibition reGeneration2: Tomorrow’s Photographers Today.
Admission is $20 per person.
6). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher
invites you for canoeing in the Salt Marsh on Saturday, August 24th and 31st at
9:00 a.m. A 3-hour exploration of the
Zeke’s Island Estuarine Research Reserve by canoe. Activities may include
crabbing, seining, or birding. Participants should be able to swim and be
capable of sustained physical exertion. Ages 8 and up. Ages 8-12 must be
accompanied by two adults. Participants should wear closed-toe shoes. Fee: $25
per participant. Admission to Aquarium is not included. PRE-REGISTRATION
REQUIRED.
7). The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources invites
you to participate in a live webcast from the N.C. Museum of History September
10 from 6 to 7 p.m. Get a behind-the-scenes look at a working textile
conservation lab and see some of techniques the museum uses to conserve Civil
War uniforms. The webcast will include demonstrations of conservation
techniques, a look at some of the Civil War uniforms in the museum’s collection
and the chance to ask the museum’s textiles conservator questions. Register
online at http://www.ncdcr.gov/CivilWarTextiles.
8). Discovery Place invites you to take a closer peek at the dogfish
shark by attending a shark dissection. One of their educators will perform a
dissection every Saturday in August at 11:00 a.m.
9). New Winston Museum invites you to their Salon Series
discussion with Margaret Savoca of the Wake Forest Translational Science
Institute and the evolving Foodways & Roadways initiative. A
short documentary will be shown, followed by a discussion on the history and
future of food availability and equitability in Winston-Salem's underserved
African-American communities. Thursday, August 22nd at 5:30 p.m. Free
admission.
10). Museum of the Albemarle
will host a History for Lunch on September 4 at 12:15 p.m. Woodrow W. Grizzle III, Planetarium Educator
in the Department of Chemistry, Geology & Physics at Elizabeth City
State University
will speak on Divine Coincidence: When the Wandering Planets Meet. Bring your lunch to the lecture and MOA will
provide the beverages.
NCMC Events From Around the State… August 5, 2013
1). Bellamy Mansion
invites you to a special lecture “Southern Cooking, High and Low: A Short
History of the Cuisine of the South” on Thursday, August 15th at 6:30 p.m. Join
the Bellamy in welcoming historian, author, and professor Dr. John Beck as he
presents his history of Southern food. Free lecture open to the public. This lecture is part of the Bellamy Mansion’s
lecture series which runs one Thursday night a month and will feature a
different guest speaker each night.
2). High Point Museum invites you
to “Fun with Water”, on Saturday, August 10th, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Compete in a water bucket relay with our
junior interpreters and try out an old fashioned thumb waterer while learning
how early American settlers watered their plants without a garden hose. FREE. Drop-in.
3). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort invites you to “Ahoy, Pirates!” on Saturday, August 10th from 11 a.m. –3:00
p.m. Coinciding with the annual Beaufort
Pirate Invasion, the Museum prepares for a scourge of scurvy dogs and the
pirates that accompany them. Children can get their own pirate tattoos, hats
and prizes with a number of pirate-themed games. Take part in a scavenger hunt
to identify the rapscallions around town and collect your own booty as a
reward. Bring your children to our annual luncheon where they can dine
alongside pirates and hear a few sea stories of life on the high seas.
4). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher
invites you to “Salt Marsh and Crabbing” on Friday, August 9th at 8:00
a.m. Join us for this hands-on program
that introduces participants to the challenge of catching blue crabs. Lessons
in crab biology and crabbing equipment prepare participants for an exciting
expedition outdoors to catch (and release) crabs. All bait and equipment is
provided. Ages 7 and up. Ages 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Fee: $16 for ages 13 and up, $14 for ages 7-12. Aquarium admission included.
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
5). Wrightsville Beach
Museum of History invites families to
“Shell, Shell, Who has the Shell?” on Thursday, August 15th from 10:00 – 11:30
a.m. Come to the museum housed in the quaint 1909 cottage for a project and
activities about one of our favorite things at the beach, Shells! Explore their
colors and shapes. Learn about the animals that once used these shells as their
home. Find the many places we use shells in the museum in the I Spy activity.
Light refreshments will be provided. We will have shells here, but feel free to
bring your own shells to use. Designed
for ages 5 – 10. Reservations required.
Maximum 12 students. For more
information and to reserve your space please call (910) 256-2569.
6). NC Transportation
Museum along with Thomas and
Friends have planned a
Day Out with Thomas for September 20-22 and September 27-29! Each day
will be filled with lots of exciting activities such as a 25-minute train
ride with a full size Thomas the Tank Engine, meeting Sir Topham Hatt,
Storytelling, Live Music, Build with Mega Bloks® and much, much more! Ticket
prices for ages 2 and up are: $22 on the Fridays, $24 on the
Weekends, and $30 All
Day Pass and Unlimited Rides available only on Fridays. It is recommended that
you purchase tickets in advance by going to http://www.ticketweb.com/dowt or by
calling 1-866-468-7630. Tickets are going fast! Make sure to get yours today! If you have any questions about this event or about
the NC Transportation Museum please call 704-636-2889.
7). The Museum of the Albemarle continues
the state-wide program 2nd Saturdays with a double header beginning with the
anticipated showing of the feature film Gone with the Wind. There will be two viewings of the film, 10
a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Visitors will be
given one complimentary ticket per person at the reception desk one hour before
each show time. Two hundred tickets will
be available for each showing of the film.
Remaining seats will be filled with those waiting. The film is free but donations are
accepted. While here visit the
extraordinary exhibit Real to Reel: The Making of Gone with the Wind, which
showcases authentic memorabilia—costumes, screen tests, props, Vivien Leigh’s
Academy Award, and other items—from the James Tumblin Collection. Special to the exhibit today will be curator
tours by Katie Edwards who curated the exhibit at the Museum
of History in Raleigh, North Carolina. Free exhibit admission is offered for today
only. Outside the exhibit, enjoy games
and crafts of the 19th century. You can
also experience Discover the Civil War through Photography in the Discovery
Room and take pictures of your own little Scarlett or Rhett dressed in period
costumes. MOA’s Junior Docents (sponsored by the Nucor Plate Mill in Winton)
will be leading children’s activities.
Enjoy pony rides ($3 per child, Circle S Stables), and a carriage ride
($5 per person, Carolina Carriages).
Shop the Museum Gift Shop for Gone with the Wind–related items at a 10 percent
discount–today only!
8). Do You Need Help With the Care and Handling of Family Papers?
The State Archives of North
Carolina and the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) will create
tutorials for the general public about the care and handling of family papers.
These tutorials will be available on our YouTube channel. By completing this
brief questionnaire,
you will help us shape the content of these tutorials. Please take a few
moments to complete this questionnaire by August 12, 2013. Thanks for your
participation.
9). Fort Fisher State Historic Site to host ‘Information Technology:
Communications in the Civil War’ on Saturday, August 10th from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Have you ever wondered how Civil War soldiers communicated without such
modern marvels as cell phones, satellite phones, and sophisticated wireless
networks? Come find out and explore the movement of vital information through
the use of signal flags, cipher disks, and other 19th century code systems. The
program will feature walking tours, kid’s activities, and firings of the site’s
massive 32-pounder cannon. Admission is free, although donations are
appreciated. All programming is made possible by the Friends of Fort Fisher,
the nonprofit organization that supports the site.
10). New Winston Museum invites you to their
Salon Series discussion with Paula McCoy of the Winston-Salem Funders
Collaboarative. Paula will share how local community development corporations
are creating paths for social and economic vitality. Thursday, August 8th
at 5:30 p.m. Free admission.
11). Cameron Art Museum presents
a Film and Conversation of Faubourg Tremé:
The Untold Story of Black New Orleans with Filmmaker Lolis Eric Elie,
Nina Noble, executive producer of HBO’s Treme and Alonzo V. Wilson, Treme
Costume Designer on Friday, August 9th
at 6:30 p.m.
12). North Carolina
Museum of Natural Sciences invites you to a free screening of the feature-length documentary based on
Scientific illustrator and visionary artist Renaldo Kuhler’s life called
“Rocaterrania,” showing in the Museum’s main auditorium on Thursday, August 8th
at 7:00 p.m. Director and former Museum Media Specialist, Brett Ingram, will be
on hand to discuss his inspiration for making the film. Shark Quest, the
eclectic Triangle-area band that provided the musical score for “Rocaterrania,”
will play a short set beginning at 6:00 p.m.