Classified for credit

State natural sciences museum with live animals, fossils, and geology exhibits — covers biology, paleontology, ecology, and earth science.

DOE-affiliated museum in Oak Ridge covering nuclear energy science, Manhattan Project history, and atomic energy applications.

Regional science center in Hickory, NC with hands-on STEM exhibits covering physical science, life science, and technology.

Hands-on science center with interactive STEM exhibits covering physics, biology, and engineering for K–8 learners.

Guided tours through active limestone caverns in the Blue Ridge Mountains — covers speleology, karst geology, and cave ecosystem biology.

Historic working planetarium at UNC — covers astronomy, celestial navigation, and space science with live sky programs.

State aquarium on the Cape Fear coast — marine biology, coastal ecology, and sea turtle conservation with live specimens and exhibits.

Site of the first documented gold find in the US with underground mine tours — covers mineralogy, gold-rush history, and Piedmont geology.

Interactive aquarium with marine and freshwater exhibits covering ocean biology, aquatic ecosystems, and marine conservation.

Aurora Fossil Museum in Aurora, NC displays marine fossils excavated from local phosphate deposits — covers paleontology, stratigraphy, and North Carolina coastal geology.

Hands-on bear-focused natural history exhibit covering bear biology, behavior, and conservation in North Carolina.

Mineral and lapidary museum with rock, gem, and fossil specimens — covers earth science, mineralogy, and crystal formation.

Annual gem and mineral festival in North Carolina's mining region — covers mineralogy, crystallography, and regional geology through vendor exhibits and specimens.

Branch of NC Museum of Natural Sciences with exhibits on regional biology, geology, and ecology — hands-on natural science curriculum.

NC Museum of Natural Sciences satellite site on Contentnea Creek focusing on freshwater ecology, aquatic biology, and watershed conservation.

Local rock and mineral collection museum — supports earth science, mineralogy, and geology curriculum.

Former Erwin Cotton Mill site in Cooleemee documenting textile manufacturing — covers industrial machinery, fiber science, and labor history.

Small regional air museum with historic aircraft — covers aviation history, aerodynamics, and mechanical engineering from WWI through modern flight.

Working research observatory shared by three colleges — covers optics, telescope mechanics, stellar observation, and astronomical data collection.