Sensory Friendly Night held at N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences May 24

For immediate release ‐ May 03, 2018

Contact: Jon Pishney, 919.707.8083. Images available upon request

Making yarn toys

(Raleigh, N.C.) – For families and visitors requiring special accommodations, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will stay open late to offer a quieter, sensory friendly evening Thursday, May 24, 5:30–8 p.m. Free. There will be plenty of fun activities, scientists and live animals, the featured exhibition “Mazes & Brain Games,” and much more.

“Visiting public spaces, like a museum, can at times prove challenging to people with autism or a disability that creates a sensitivity to sensory input,” says David Wood, the Museum’s Coordinator of Accessibility and Inclusion. “Large crowds and loud noises can be barriers to a number of experiences. In keeping with the Museum’s commitment to inclusion and accessibility, Sensory Friendly Night aims to remove those barriers.”

All four floors of the Museum will have fun and varied activities. Get your hands dirty in the fossil dig and learn how different fossils are made. Engage your senses by touching fossils, feeling bird wings, smelling tropical scents, watching the live beehive and more in the Discovery Room. Meet the “Acro,” the Museum’s mascot, while learning about this incredible dinosaur that once roamed the southeast. For those who like it loud, join representatives of the North Carolina Symphony and their traveling Instrument Zoo to make some noise.

Plus, visitors of all ages will find a challenge in Mazes & Brain Games. Wind your way through a maze of illusions, tricky mirrors and riddles. Readjust your senses and experiment with light, shadow, fluorescence and a music interactive in the black-lit Cosmic Games room. Conquer puzzling challenges like da Vinci’s backwards writing. Discover new ways of problem solving around every corner. While the event is free, Mazes tickets are available at a discounted rate of $3 per person (normally $5).

Registration for the event is optional, but those who register will receive a schedule of event activities and other preparatory materials, such as social stories and sensory maps, one week in advance. Optional event registration.

Questions? Contact David Wood at 919.707.9819 or david.wood@naturalsciences.org.

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