Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston

Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston Open 6 days a week from 11am-4pm. Closed Wednesdays. Free admission, donations welcome. The gift shop accepts credit cards and Apple Pay.

Natural History Museum

The Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences is home to a Paleontology Museum that displays almost 1,000 fossils. The displays includes: dinosaur bones, crinoids, Oligocene mammals of North America, mosasaurs, cave bears, Pleistocene mammals of the Carolinas, ocean life through time and fossil plants. A favorite exhibit for many is the reconstructed jaw which hou

ses real teeth from the giant extinct shark Megalodon. The Museum is open to the public and manned by geology undergraduates who work as student docents. Groups that would like to schedule a visit to the Museum should call 843.953.3967 (Museum direct line), or email [email protected].

Our resident cave bear Beary McBearface and his son Fluffy want to let you know the museum will be open regular hours 11...
05/22/2026

Our resident cave bear Beary McBearface and his son Fluffy want to let you know the museum will be open regular hours 11 am- 4 pm on Memorial Day! 🐻🐻

Tomorrow May 2nd we will be open regular hours!Please note that parking will be limited due to both the air show and an ...
05/01/2026

Tomorrow May 2nd we will be open regular hours!

Please note that parking will be limited due to both the air show and an alumni event happening on campus.

Also, the Ravenel Bridge will be closed from 1:30–3:00 PM. If you’re planning to visit from Mount Pleasant, travel during that time will be difficult.

Thanks for planning ahead—we look forward to seeing you!

Today is world penguin day so we are saying hi to our feathered friends! 🐧
04/26/2026

Today is world penguin day so we are saying hi to our feathered friends! 🐧

🦴🐻 Name Our Cave Bear Contest! 🐻🦴Our resident Papa Cave Bear needs a name — and we want your help to choose it!This Ice ...
02/23/2026

🦴🐻 Name Our Cave Bear Contest! 🐻🦴
Our resident Papa Cave Bear needs a name — and we want your help to choose it!
This Ice Age giant is inspired by the mighty Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus), which roamed Europe during the Pleistocene. Now he’s made his home right here at the museum… but he can’t properly settle in without a name!
💬 Here’s how to enter:
Comment your best name idea below. Like your favorite suggestions. The comment with the MOST likes will become Papa Cave Bear’s official name!
Ready… set… NAME THAT BEAR! 🐾

✨Darwin Week Contest Winner✨Here is our winner from our 2026 Darwin Week contest- Ellie! Here is how Ellie described her...
02/14/2026

✨Darwin Week Contest Winner✨

Here is our winner from our 2026 Darwin Week contest- Ellie!
Here is how Ellie described her submission to us:

"This is my wreath to represent the evolution of plants. At the top right, I have included underwater plants, like green algae, evolving about 3 billion years ago. 1.5 billion years ago, some plants moved from the water onto land. The wreath is covered in moss to represent this process. Going clockwise, I have included small spore reproducing plants, like the ferns here. The bottom of the wreath shows the branch in evolution, separating the conifers and gingko, dating back about 200 million years. As we continue around the wreath, we progress to flowering plants (angiosperms). Fossil records show that some of the earliest flowering plants looked like the magnolia, which I have added here. From there, we see the multitude of flowering plants that have sprouted." 🌸🌿🌲

SKIES ARE CLEAR! Which means one thing: astronomy open house! Come out to the roof of Rita Hall tonight from 7-9 pm to s...
02/13/2026

SKIES ARE CLEAR! Which means one thing: astronomy open house! Come out to the roof of Rita Hall tonight from 7-9 pm to see some stars! ⭐⭐⭐

Keeping the Darwin Week scavenger hunt going- Find the Finch is staying for the rest of the month of February. 🐦Pick up ...
02/13/2026

Keeping the Darwin Week scavenger hunt going- Find the Finch is staying for the rest of the month of February. 🐦

Pick up a scavenger hunt at the front desk, follow the clues to find 12 hidden finches across the museum! Once you find them all, head to the front desk to claim your free prize!

🎉🦴 Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin! 🐢🌿Today we celebrate the birthday of Charles Darwin (born February 12, 1809), the nat...
02/12/2026

🎉🦴 Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin! 🐢🌿

Today we celebrate the birthday of Charles Darwin (born February 12, 1809), the naturalist who forever changed the way we understand life on Earth.

From the voyage of the HMS Beagle to the groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection, Darwin helped us see the incredible connections between all living things — past and present. 🌎✨

Every fossil, finch, and fascinating species reminds us that life is constantly changing and adapting.

Here’s to curiosity, discovery, and the power of asking big questions. Happy Birthday, Darwin! 🎂📚

Loved having everyone out at Night at the Museum last night for Darwin Week (despite the rain- nothing stops Charles Dar...
02/12/2026

Loved having everyone out at Night at the Museum last night for Darwin Week (despite the rain- nothing stops Charles Darwin)

Tonight we have Dr. Greg Gbur presenting today from 4:00-5:00 pm in Rita 101 about physics! 🐈

Darwin Week is going great so far! Don't forget tomorrow we have our keynote speaker Dr. Bloch at 5:00 pm followed by Ni...
02/10/2026

Darwin Week is going great so far! Don't forget tomorrow we have our keynote speaker Dr. Bloch at 5:00 pm followed by Night at the Museum tomorrow night!

Address

202 Calhoun Street
Charleston, SC
29424

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 4pm
Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

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