UNC Science Expo

UNC Science Expo Parking

If you are attending the UNC Science Expo and plan to drive, please allow extra time for parking due to limited options caused by the Expo and other events in Chapel Hill. Please note that the parking lot in front of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (250 E Franklin Street) will be closed on April 5.

For campus parking options, please visit https://maps.unc.edu/parking/. Parking is also available in town lots and on the street, but public parking fees may apply. For more information about Town of Chapel Hill parking options, visit https://parkonthehill.com/.

Accessible parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in the Old East lot, located on E Cameron Ave between the New East and Old East buildings. A drop-off zone will be available at the Morehead lot throughout the event.

Public Transportation

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is accessible via Chapel Hill Transit, PART, and GoTriangle. Please note Chapel Hill Transit offers fare-free bus service between UNC, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro.

Directions to Morehead

From Raleigh and Eastern North Carolina

Take I-40 west to Exit 270 (US 15-501). Turn left off the exit and cross over I-40 onto US 15-501 south. Travel 1.5 miles. When the road forks, take the right fork to Franklin Street. Follow Franklin Street west for 2.5 miles and look for Morehead on the left.

From Pittsboro and the Sandhills Area

Take US 15-501 north to Chapel Hill. Cross Fordham Boulevard (this is the US 15-501 Bypass) and stay on US 15-501 Business, which is Columbia Street. Travel 1.5 miles and turn right onto Franklin Street. Follow Franklin Street east for a half mile and look for Morehead on the right.

From Durham and Areas Northeast of Durham

Take I-85 south to US 15-501. Travel south and cross I-40. Travel 1.5 miles. When the road forks, take the right fork to Franklin Street. Follow Franklin Street west for 2.5 miles and look for Morehead on the left.

From Burlington, Greensboro, and Western North Carolina

Take I-40 east to Exit 266 (NC Highway 86). Turn right onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Travel north 4.1 miles and turn left onto Franklin Street. Follow Franklin Street west for a half mile and look for Morehead on the right.

• 11:00 AM UNC Science Expo Welcome Message
• 11:30 AM Morehead Mentos Explosion
• 12:00 PM Science Cheerleaders
• 12:30 PM Bouncing Bulldogs
• 1:00 PM Morehead + RTI International – Giant Thunder Cloud
• 1:30 PM Step Performance
• 2:00 PM Morehead – Vortex Cannon
• 2:30 PM MedUNCedoos
• 3:00 PM UNC Dance Girls
• 3:30 PM Morehead – Ping-Pong Eruption Finale

Join us on the Morehead Sundial for a fantastic food truck lineup including:

• Alsies Ice Cream
• Astro Dogs
• El Jefecito
• Finca Burger
• Fiori Trattoria
• Kona Ice
• Poblanos Tacos
• Sanders Southern Seafood
• Ta Contento

Each year the Expo welcomes between 5,000-10,000 visitors from the Triangle region and beyond to the UNC-CH campus. More than 100 booths staffed by students, researchers, and other science-loving volunteers fill the quads surrounding Morehead. From hands-on activities and games to science demonstrations and behind-the-scenes lab tours, the Expo makes learning about science fun and engaging for people of all ages.

If your organization is interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor at the UNC Science Expo, please contact us.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the UNC Science Expo. We are no longer recruiting for volunteers for this event.

Question? Please contact Whit McMillan.

Will Freund | Community Education Specialist
wfreund@unc.edu
919.445.8434