Cape Fear Museum of History and Science facts for kids
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| Established | 1898 |
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| Location | Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Type | Museum |
The Cape Fear Museum of History and Science is an exciting place to explore in downtown Wilmington. It's located in southeastern North Carolina. This museum opened in 1898, making it the oldest history museum in the entire state!
Contents
Discover the Cape Fear Museum
The Cape Fear Museum was started in 1898. Its first goal was to save important items from the American Civil War. Today, New Hanover County owns and runs the museum.
The museum moved to its current spot in 1970. The building itself is pretty cool! Part of it used to be an armory built in the 1930s. An armory is a place where military weapons are stored. A new section was added in the 1990s.
What You Can See
The museum has a huge collection of over 52,000 items! Most of these are kept safe behind the scenes. The museum collects things that tell the story of the Lower Cape Fear region. This area is about 50 miles around Wilmington. It includes counties like Brunswick and Pender.
Awesome Exhibits
When you visit, you'll find lots to see and do!
- The Michael Jordan Discovery Gallery: This gallery is on the first floor. It helps you learn about the different natural areas around the Cape Fear region. You can see displays about local plants and animals. Look for deer, beavers, foxes, and even a woodpecker! You'll also learn about the amazing Venus flytrap, a plant that eats insects. The weather in the region is also explained here.
- Sports Star Display: There's a small exhibit about Michael Jordan. He is a famous basketball superstar who grew up in Wilmington.
- Local Boats and Ancient Bones: In the museum lobby, you can see a Simmons Sea-skiff. This is a type of boat built right here in the area. You can also see huge copies of bones from a Giant Ground Sloth! These were giant, ancient animals.
- Arrivals Exhibit: This exhibit in the lobby shows how different groups of people arrived in the Lower Cape Fear area over many years.
- Cape Fear Stories: This is the museum's main exhibit. It starts on the first floor.
- Land of the Longleaf Pine: This part explores the region's history. It goes from the very first people who lived here up to the time of the American Revolution.
- 19th Century History: You'll learn about the 1800s, including the American Civil War.
- Moving Upstairs: When you go upstairs, you can learn about important events from 1898. You'll also discover stories from the 1900s.
Special Exhibits
The museum often has special exhibits that change. These are called traveling exhibits or temporary exhibits. Sometimes, the museum's own staff creates these exhibits! They do all the research, design, and building themselves.
Images for kids
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The Cape Fear Museum building.
