You’re invited to get up close with some of the more familiar creatures found in our ocean.
Our touch tank pool allows you to gently touch marine animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, whelks, horseshoe crabs, and hermit crabs. These animals live in a variety of habitats and have developed many ways to survive the waves and predators. Volunteers are on hand to assist and teach you about these incredible animals.
Did you know, when a sea urchin “hugs” your finger if you gently touch its spines, it’s actually checking you out: Are you food or predator? If you’re neither, the animal will just gradually release you.
Witness the seven ancient wonders of the world examine the theories of how these wonders were created. Explore the universe’s greatest wonders. This film is narrated by British actor Sean Bean, who played Boromir in the feature film trilogy Lord of the Rings. The film is followed by a live star show.
Follow Mike Brown and his team at CalTech as they uncover dwarf worlds like the remarkably bright Eris; Haumea, an egg-shaped object rotating incredibly fast; and Sedna, whose orbit takes it deep into the far reaches of the Solar System. Is there a new planet beyond these distant objects? Tag along on Mike Brown’s first night searching for the ninth planet at the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii. This film is followed by a live star show.
This film takes a detailed look at how Neal Armstrong made history as the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. Look back on that historic day and the events leading up to it. The film is followed by a live star show.
This is a live star show. The presenter will display the night sky on the planetarium’s dome ceiling and take you on a tour, pointing out the stars, planets, and constellations that are visible in our area. Later, as you are walking along the beach on a clear night, you will be able to recognize by name the celestial sights you see.
Come and learn about one of the most popular fish species in this family-friendly program. The museum has two species of pufferfish in its aquariums: burrfish and balloonfish. Ever wonder how pufferfish inflate or who their natural predators are? This program explores fun facts about pufferfish with a focus on the ones in the museum’s aquariums and includes a fun pufferfish craft for kids.
This program is presented by Jamie Justice, the Education Coordinator for the Museum of Coastal Carolina and Ingram Planetarium. She received her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from Bowling Green State University and her Master of Science in Environmental Science with concentrations in Marine and Coastal Education and Coastal Management from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Jamie is originally from Portsmouth, Ohio and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina for graduate school in 2017. Before coming to the Museum, she worked in a variety of educational positions at summer camps and schools.
Witness the seven ancient wonders of the world examine the theories of how these wonders were created. Explore the universe’s greatest wonders. This film is narrated by British actor Sean Bean, who played Boromir in the feature film trilogy Lord of the Rings. The film is followed by a live star show.
Follow Mike Brown and his team at CalTech as they uncover dwarf worlds like the remarkably bright Eris; Haumea, an egg-shaped object rotating incredibly fast; and Sedna, whose orbit takes it deep into the far reaches of the Solar System. Is there a new planet beyond these distant objects? Tag along on Mike Brown’s first night searching for the ninth planet at the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii. This film is followed by a live star show.