The best museums in Durham in October 2023

These are the top 5 best museums in Durham, United States, ranked by their rating and popularity in 2023. Click a museum for more information about the museum, including visitor information, exhibitions and reviews.

For a complete overview of museums in Durham, their exhibitions and discount cards & passes, see our overview page with all museums in Durham.

Looking for the best museums in Durham? These are the best ones:

  1. Duke Lemur Center1

    Duke Lemur Center

    Durham, NC
    The Duke Lemur Center, located at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is an 85-acre sanctuary for rare and endangered strepsirrhine primates. It holds the distinction of being the largest sanctuary for these primates in the world.
  2. Museum of Life and Science2

    Museum of Life and Science

    Durham, NC
    The Museum of Life and Science, which was previously known as the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science and the NC Children's Museum, is a large science museum located in Durham, North Carolina. The museum spans an impressive 84 acres and offers a variety of exhibits and activities for visitors of all ages.
  3. Nasher Museum of Art3

    Nasher Museum of Art

    Durham, NC
    The Nasher Museum of Art (previously the Duke University Museum of Art ) is the art museum of Duke University , and is located on Duke's campus in Durham, North Carolina , United States. The Nasher, along with Dartmouth's Hood Museum of Art and Princeton's Art Museum , has been recognized as a pla
  4. Duke Homestead4

    Duke Homestead

    Durham, NC
    The Duke Homestead State Historic Site is a recognized state historic site and National Historic Landmark located in Durham, North Carolina. This site is significant as it commemorates the place where Washington Duke, a prominent figure in the American tobacco industry, founded the nation's largest early-20th-century tobacco firm, the American Tobacco Company. The site offers a glimpse into the history of the tobacco industry in the United States.
  5. Stagville State Historic Site5

    Stagville State Historic Site

    Durham, NC
    Stagville Plantation, situated in Durham County, North Carolina, holds a significant place in American history as it was part of one of the largest plantation complexes in the South. This vast complex, with buildings dating from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, provides a unique insight into the region's past.

All museums in Durham