The Greensboro Science Center began on October 5, 1957, as the Greensboro Junior Museum, a small nature center started by the Junior League of Greensboro. Over the following decades it grew through name changes and expansions, from the Natural Science Center of Greensboro into the three-part destination it is today, combining a zoo, an aquarium, and a science museum on roughly 22 acres in Greensboro, North Carolina.
That growth culminated in facilities like the Carolina SciQuarium, a 250,000-gallon aquatic complex that opened in the summer of 2013, and SKYWILD, a treetop adventure course that opened on May 2, 2015. The center is accredited by both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (since 2008) and the American Alliance of Museums, reflecting its dual identity as a living animal collection and an interactive learning center.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
- Opened: October 5, 1957 (as Greensboro Junior Museum)
- Size: About 22 acres
- Animal count: Hundreds of animals, including 75+ aquatic species in the SciQuarium
- Annual visitors: About 600,744 (July 2022–June 2023)
- Famous for: Accreditation from both the AZA and the American Alliance of Museums
A Zoo, an Aquarium, and a Museum Together
Unlike a standalone zoo or aquarium, the Greensboro Science Center houses all three experiences under one membership and one campus. The Animal Discovery Zoological Park holds species such as red pandas, Sumatran tigers, pygmy hippos, maned wolves, and gibbons, while the Carolina SciQuarium adds African penguins, Asian small-clawed otters, southern stingrays, and a shark-filled reef tank. The museum side rounds things out with touch labs, live reptiles, and the OmniSphere full-dome theater.
The combination lets a single visit cover land animals, marine life, and hands-on science exhibits, which is part of why the center drew more than 600,000 visitors in the 2022–2023 fiscal year from the Piedmont Triad region and beyond.
Growth and Conservation Work
The center’s expansion has been steady rather than sudden: the SciQuarium opened in 2013 and SKYWILD’s treetop course followed in 2015, continuing a pattern of growth that began with the zoo’s 1973 expansion. Throughout that growth, the organization has leaned on its AZA accreditation to take part in Species Survival Plan breeding programs for animals like red pandas and clouded leopards.
That conservation focus, paired with its museum accreditation, sets the Greensboro Science Center apart from typical regional zoos, positioning it as both an animal-care facility and an educational institution for North Carolina schools and families.
Explore more: More Zoos & Aquariums.
Greensboro Science Center FAQs
Where is the Greensboro Science Center located?
It’s in Greensboro, North Carolina, on a roughly 22-acre campus that houses its zoo, aquarium, and museum sections.
Is the Greensboro Science Center a zoo or a museum?
Both. It combines the Animal Discovery Zoological Park, the Carolina SciQuarium, and a hands-on science museum in one facility, and holds accreditation as both a zoo/aquarium (AZA) and a museum (AAM).
When did the Greensboro Science Center open?
It opened on October 5, 1957, originally as the Greensboro Junior Museum, before later expanding and being renamed the Greensboro Science Center.
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Photo: DocFreeman24 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.