Natural Science Center of Greensboro
Encyclopedia
The Natural Science Center of Greensboro (originally the Greensboro Junior Museum) is a science museum and zoological park
established in 1957 and located in Greensboro, North Carolina
, USA. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA) since 2008, and is a member of the American Association of Museums
(AAM).
The current executive director, Glenn Dobrogosz, was hired in 2004
The facility received accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
in 2008.
As part of a $20 million makeover, the zoo opened Time Warner Cable's Extreme Weather Gallery in May 2011, and the HealthQuest exhibit in June 2011.
, coati
, meerkat
s, howler monkey
s, crocodile
s, and is designed to showcase the "Science of Survival." Attractions within the zoo include Friendly Farm, Kavanagh Discovery House. and the Davis Kelly Fountain of Youth and Discovery.
The Museum includes a dinosaur gallery with a roaring Tyrannosaurus rex model, a Gem and Mineral Gallery, Kid's Alley, Time Warner Cable's Extreme Weather Gallery, HealthQuest, and touch labs that include live snakes, amphibians, and sea animals.
The OmniSphere Theater is a full dome theater where visitors experience everything from the stars to coral reefs in 3D.
and Moser-Mayer Phoenix & Associates, and phase 1 (the Carolina SciQuarium) is scheduled to open late in 2012. Phase 2 will include updates to the current museum, and phase 3 will include new animals in an exhibit called "Endangered Species Village."
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
established in 1957 and located in Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, USA. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
(AZA) since 2008, and is a member of the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
(AAM).
History
The center was established in 1957 as the Greensboro Junior Museum. By its 40th anniversary in 1997, it was attracting some 200,000 visitors each year.The current executive director, Glenn Dobrogosz, was hired in 2004
The facility received accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
in 2008.
As part of a $20 million makeover, the zoo opened Time Warner Cable's Extreme Weather Gallery in May 2011, and the HealthQuest exhibit in June 2011.
Exhibits
The Animal Discovery Zoological Park is home to animals including tigers, wallabiesWallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
, coati
Coati
Coatis, genera Nasua and Nasuella, also known as the Brazilian aardvark, Mexican tejón, hog-nosed coon, pizotes, crackoons and snookum bears, are members of the raccoon family . They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, and south-western North America...
, meerkat
Meerkat
The meerkat or suricate, Suricata suricatta, is a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan"...
s, howler monkey
Howler monkey
Howler monkeys are among the largest of the New World monkeys. Fifteen species are currently recognised. Previously classified in the family Cebidae, they are now placed in the family Atelidae. These monkeys are native to South and Central American forests...
s, crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, and is designed to showcase the "Science of Survival." Attractions within the zoo include Friendly Farm, Kavanagh Discovery House. and the Davis Kelly Fountain of Youth and Discovery.
The Museum includes a dinosaur gallery with a roaring Tyrannosaurus rex model, a Gem and Mineral Gallery, Kid's Alley, Time Warner Cable's Extreme Weather Gallery, HealthQuest, and touch labs that include live snakes, amphibians, and sea animals.
The OmniSphere Theater is a full dome theater where visitors experience everything from the stars to coral reefs in 3D.
The future
In 2009, Greensboro voters considered a $20 million bond referendum for the Natural Science Center. $10 million is planned for SciQuarium, a 250,000 gallon aquarium, more than 75 species of animals, and a stingray touch tank. $10 million is planned for renovations and expansions of existing parts of the center. The master plan for this renovation was developed with the help of Cambridge Seven AssociatesCambridge Seven Associates
Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc. is an American architecture firm founded in 1962 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The firm was founded upon the idea that the collaborative efforts of a varied group of designers and architects would be far more effective than those of any one individual...
and Moser-Mayer Phoenix & Associates, and phase 1 (the Carolina SciQuarium) is scheduled to open late in 2012. Phase 2 will include updates to the current museum, and phase 3 will include new animals in an exhibit called "Endangered Species Village."