Visiting Museums

We drove into Raleigh with Janet for a look at the city and to visit some museums.

First on our trip was the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences—a beautiful natural history museum. It featured exhibits on North Carolina wildlife with walk through dioramas, live insects and reptiles, and a few very fine dinosaur and mammal fossils. We had a couple of nice salads in the cafeteria.

Across the street was the North Carolina Museum of History—featuring furnishings, crafts, and photography illustrating North Carolina's history and people. A special feature in the museum was the recreation of an early 20th century apothecary. It had an extensive collection of various late 19th and early 20th century patent medicines for whatever ailed you (or didn't). An old time soda fountain was part of the exhibit.

On the ground floor was a horse drawn carriage built by the Brewster Carriage Company, predecessor of the Brewster Aircraft Company which built planes during the World Wars. My maternal grandfather worked for both companies, first hand building automobile bodies, then helping build aircraft. He worked there most of his life. Barbara's father worked there with him before World War II.

Both museums were quite extensive and recently constructed. North Carolina spends a lot of money to attract tourists and it shows in their museums.

We went back to Janet's to enjoy more of the Easter Dinner from the day before.