NC Museum of Natural Sciences is tops for visitors

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is the most popular museum or historic site to visit in the state, toppling the Biltmore House from the ranking it's held for eight years.

Attendance numbers from 2012 show more than 1.2 million people visited the museum in Raleigh in 2012, compared to more than 1.2 million visitors to Biltmore. Carolina Publishing Associates, based in Matthews, conducts the annual survey of attendance at North Carolina's museums and historic attractions.

The Museum of Natural Sciences expanded last year, opening its 80,000-square-foot Nature Research Center in April.

Spokesman Mark Hemphill says Biltmore officials are happy to be part of the list.

The other top-five sites are Discovery Place in Charlotte, the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach.