Important Parking Update

The UNC-owned Morehead parking lot is currently under reconstruction. Visitors must now pay using ParkMobile (Zone Code 4468). Find more updated parking information on our Plan A Visit page.

Schedule Update

Due to UNC’s Spring Holiday, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will be closed on Friday, March 29.

UNC Science Expo

UNC Science Expo

Saturday, April 6, 2024 | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Join us for one of the biggest celebrations of science in the state!

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, in partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, students, and staff, will host a day of science learning and fun for our community. This year, Morehead will also celebrate its 75th anniversary by bringing even more excitement to the UNC Science Expo, including food trucks, stage performances, prizes, and more.

The UNC Science Expo is a signature event of the annual North Carolina Science Festival and one of the biggest celebrations of science in the state. More than 100 booths staffed by UNC-Chapel Hill students, researchers, practitioners, and community volunteers fill the quads surrounding Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. From hands-on activities and games to science demonstrations and behind-the-scenes lab tours, the UNC Science Expo makes learning about science fun and engaging for people of all ages.

The 2024 exhibitor sign-up is now CLOSED!

Spot, an agile mobile robot from Boston Dynamics, wows the crowd at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center as part of the UNC Science Expo on Saturday, April 9, 2022.

Learn More

Join us to celebrate the amazing research, teaching, and learning that happens on campus every day.

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 or 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.

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

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 (Historic Airport Road). 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.

Deadline to Sign Up: March 1st, 2024 @ 11:59 P.M. EST

For ideas, comments, and questions, please contact Will Freund.

Educators can encourage their students to attend the UNC Science Expo and enter to win an outreach visit for their classroom.

Download our educator flyer here to learn more about how you can support the UNC Science Expo.

Download our promotional flyer here to share information about the UNC Science Expo with your students and their families.

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.

Share your enthusiasm for STEM as a UNC Science Expo volunteer. Please contact Whit McMillan.

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