As
you enter the third floor, enjoy a panoramic view of the Piedmont and
Coastal Plain exhibits on the floor below before stepping into Mountain
Cove on this floor, the closing exhibit in the Mountains to the Sea series.
In the spectacular Terror of the South exhibit, see a prehistoric dinosaur battle. The predatory dinosaur Acrocanthosaurus— the only one of its kind displayed anywhere in the world—pursues its 50-foot-long prey, a lumbering, plant-eating sauropod. The actual 110-million-year-old bones of "Acro" are displayed stalking the huge, fleshed-out model of the sauropod. Walk over the tracks of the huge beasts, and hear the crack of lightning and the rumble of distant thunder. Winged pterosaurs fly overhead and Cretaceous plants complete the environment. The dramatic scene takes place inside the glass-enclosed dome of the new Museum, visible from the outside.
In
Prehistoric North Carolina, marvel at North Carolina's paleo-past. The
state's coastal plains are endowed with rich fossil beds that have yielded
remarkable specimens, such as the million-year-old giant ground sloth.
The
exhibit spans 4.6 billion years and re-creates six ancient habitats. Step
back in time to the Cretaceous era and see Albertosaurus attacking
Edmontosaurus as she watches over her baby dinosaurs and nest of
eggs.
See
a prehistoric predecessor to the crocodile and the complete skeleton of
Willo, the dinosaur with a heart,
still embedded in stone.
Observe trained volunteers in the Fossil Lab as they engage in the global effort to uncover the mysteries of our ancient past.
In
the Tropical Connections gallery, explore the relationships that North
Carolina shares with the tropics. Listen as people discuss environmental
concerns shared by the two regions. Track migratory butterflies and birds
on a fiber-optic globe. Discover the importance of biodiversity, at home
and in the tropics.
In
the Windows on the World Demonstration
Theater, you can enjoy live demonstrations and close encounters of
the first kind. Find out if snakes have eyelids and why they shed their
skins.
Special programs originate here and reach out into classrooms all across the state via the N.C. Information Highway.
Three state-of-the-art learning labs offer hands-on educational opportunities to school groups.
Board the escalator to the fourth floor
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