Senior Managing Editor Cat here. Last week, I joined Visit Raleigh for its Annual Meeting, where this year’s theme was “Museum Momentum.” Leaders from Marbles Kids Museum, the NC Museum of Art, the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and the NC Museum of History shared what’s next for some of Raleigh’s biggest attractions.

Wake County welcomed a record 19.1 million visitors in 2025, who spent $3.4 billion and generated $342 million in tax revenue. “One constant in our industry has been museums,” said Dennis Edwards, Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau president and CEO. With major projects on the horizon, Raleigh’s museums are gearing up for an even bigger role in the region’s tourism future.

Marbles Kids Museum | “Active play matters,” said Jonathan Frederick, CEO of Marbles. With more than 10 million visitors since 2007 and families sometimes turned away due to capacity, Marbles is expanding with a two-story addition featuring Futuropolis, the rooftop Skyway racetrack and a new Think Tank classroom, plus refreshed restrooms and a brighter Blount Street facade. The expansion is slated to open in winter 2027.

Lizzie Newton of NCMA speaks onstage with a “Building Bridges” slide showing a proposed connection from the East Building to Museum Park. — Lizzie Newton, director of marketing and communications at NCMA, highlighted a new upcoming connection from the East Building to Museum Park. | Photo by RALtoday

North Carolina Museum of Art | Renovations through 2028 will add new outdoor spaces, pathways and bridges, revitalize the Museum Park theater, and expand conservation facilities, while the campus remains open. Psst … check out “Please Be Seated,” one of the latest installations in Museum Park. As Director of Marketing and Communications Lizzie Newton put it, “We would love for you to come and stay a while.”

Denise Young of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences stands on the right. A whale image is displayed on the screen behind them. — Denise Young of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences stands in front of a very familiar face: Stumpy. | Photo by RALtoday

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences | “Curiosity can’t be forced; it has to be sparked,” said Dr. Denise Young, Ed.D., director and CEO. A $954,000 Welcome Hall improvement will give visitors a refreshed entry experience, with the museum hoping Stumpy — its iconic North Atlantic right whale skeleton — becomes the go-to meeting spot. “Meet me at Stumpy,” Young said to close her remarks.

Rendering of the completed project at NC Museum of History — The NC Musuem of History will look like this soon. | Photo courtesy NC Museum of History

North Carolina Museum of History | Last but certainly not least, Executive Director C.J. Roberts closed out the morning with an update on the $230 million renovation. The project will add 40,000 sqft and 25% more gallery space, along with a black box theater, demonstration kitchen, new classrooms, and an 8,000-sqft atrium for events ahead of its fall 2028 reopening.

Rendering showing a dark room with theatre-like seating and a small stage at the front. A projector is lit up behind the stage. — A planned black box theater at the museum will provide an adaptable setting for events such as lectures and films. | Photo provided by North Carolina Museum of History