Mission

On February 8, 1957, plans were unveiled for a nature center at Country Park, initiated by the Junior League of Greensboro. On October 5 of that same year, the Greensboro Junior Museum (now Greensboro Science Center) opened its doors for the very first time.

The Natural Science Center released expansion plans in 1970 that included an expanded zoo (housing some animals from the Country Park Zoo), a planetarium, and botanical garden. The zoo and “live animal wing” opened in 1973.

As part of the planned expansion, the Edward R. Zane Planetarium Environmental Theater opened to the public in 1976. The planetarium was the second largest in North Carolina and featured state of the art projection equipment.

Over a span of two years, the Natural Science Center relocated its small petting zoo, to the area behind the original buildings (current zoo location), and expanded it to three times the original size.

In October of 1985, the Natural Science Center was officially accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). Since the 1970s, AAM accreditation has offered high profile, peer reviewed, validation of an organization’s impact on their community. As a non-traditional museum that also housed a zoo experience (at the time), accreditation was a great achievement for the Science Center.

In 1987 members of the Board of Trustees, and Kay Pierce, one of the original Junior League founders, broke ground on a new expansion that would eventually encompass the pendulum, lower level, and traveling exhibit halls. The new addition would also serve as the new, upgraded entrance to the facility. In 1989, one of the most popular exhibits at the Science Center - the Foucault pendulum - was installed.

In 2007 the ribbon was cut for the new Animal Discovery Zoo - the upper portion of the current GSC zoo footprint. The expansion revitalized the previous farm and petting area into what is now Jeansboro Junction and Friendly Farm, and introduced new 14 animal habitats including tigers and gibbons.

With the expansion of the zoo, the Science Center applied for and received their Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation. AZA accreditation indicates a facility meets the highest standards in animal care and welfare, while offering a fun, safe, and educational experience for families. With this additional accreditation, the Science Center stands as one of only 14 facilities in the country that are dually accredited by AAM and AZA.

In June of 2013, the first in-land aquarium in North Carolina opened to the public as the Carolina SciQuarium. The SciQuarium featured state of the art exhibits, exotic fish, sharks, and rays, and a ray touch pool. In the first 11 days, the SciQuarium saw more than 30,000 visitors, and put Greensboro on the map as a top tourist destination for the state.

SKYWILD, the Greensboro Science Center’s treetop adventure course, opened to the public in 2015. The course featured 7 obstacle courses of differing difficulty, and ranged in height from 12-45 feet above the ground. SKYWILD continues today to delight and challenge guests of all ages.

In 2017, an additional 5,000 square foot expansion to the aquarium was opened to the public. The expansion featured 16 new tanks highlighting species such as lionfish, seahorses, mangrove swamps, and the Pacific reef. At that time, the aquarium was also renamed as the Wiseman Aquarium in honor of the Wiseman family, who donated generously to initiate the expansion project.

After much anticipation, the Rotary Club of Greensboro Carousel opened in 2020.The carousel was a gift from the Rotary Club of Greensboro in celebration of their 100th anniversary in 2017. The carousel features 56 hand-carved and painted figures and 2 benches, with 32 rounding boards outlining Greensboro’s history.

The first phase of the Battle Ground Parks District partnership between the GSC, Country Park, and Battleground Park opened in 2022 with the ribbon cutting for FLYWAY - a zipline stretching across Sloan Lake in Country Park. FLYWAY sends guests across the lake, 30 feet in the air, and is the first step in continued progress along the hillside between the GSC and Country Park.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Cole family, the Cole Family Monarch Conservation Center and Butterfly House opened to the public in 2022. The Butterfly House is home to up to 14 species of butterfly and moths, and at the end of each season, endangered monarch butterflies are tagged and released for their long migration south.