RALEIGH – Museums and other institutions throughout North Carolina are gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon.

The festivities kicked off over the weekend with the three-week engagement of “First Man,” screening at the Marbles IMAX Theater in Raleigh, a panel discussion about the role of training at the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill played, and continue throughout 2019.

A day-long festival is planned on the plaza between the North Carolina Museums of History and Natural Sciences on July 20, the date Armstrong took that “one small step.”

While a full list of events will be released in January, here’s a run-down on space-themed events currently planned for the Triangle.

Representatives of Triangle museums and other organizations gather to announce the year-long Lift Off NC events. Photo by Renee Wright copyright Capital Broadcasting A.R.R.

Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond

  • Space Documentaries on IMAX: “Hubble 3D,” “In Saturn’s Rings” and “Journey To Space 3D” at the Marbles IMAX, Raleigh. Ongoing.
  • Astronomy Days at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh. Sat.-Sun. Jan. 26-27, 2019.
  • An Evening with Astronaut Mae C. Jemison: Exploring the Frontiers of Science and Human Potential, presented by the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Carolina Theatre, Durham. Wed. March 13, 2019.
  • Model Rocket Workshop, Museum of Life and Science, Durham. Sat. March 16 (Build Day) and Sat. March 23 (Launch Day).
  • Moon Madness, Museum of Life and Science, Durham. Tue. March 26 – Sun. March 31.
  • NC Space Grant Space Symposium, The StateView Hotel, Raleigh. Thurs. – Fri. Apr. 4-5.
  • Standing on the Shoulders of Apollo: The US Space Program – Past, Present, Future, with speaker Gerald D. Griffin, former Flight Director, Project Apollo, NC Museum of History, Raleigh. Thurs. Apr. 4.
  • Exhibit Opening: One Giant Leap: North Carolina and the Space Race, NC Museum of History, Raleigh. Fri. Apr. 5, 2019 – Jan. 5, 2020.
  • One Giant Leap: North Carolina to the Moon [and Back], speakers Gerald D. Griffin, former Director. Johnson Space Center, and Jessica Bandel, guest curator, NC Museum of History, Raleigh. Apr. 5.
  • Workshop: Lunar Science for All Learners, NC Space Grant, The StateView Hotel, Raleigh. Sat. Apr. 6.
  • 2019 Statewide Star Party, presented by the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, NC Space Grant and the NC Science Festival. Fri. – Sat. Apr. 12-13.

Liftoff NC logo

  • Adult Space Camp, Museum of Life and Science, Durham. Thurs. Apr. 25.
  • Tinkering Family Workshops: Hardwired Code – Apollo and the Invention of Software, Museum of Life and Science, Durham. Fri. – Sat. Apr. 26-27.
  • Film Screening: “Earthrise” presented by the Museum of Life and Science, Carolina Theatre, Durham. Wed. May 15.
  • A Space Spectacular! NC Symphony plays music from “Star Wars,” Holdt’s “The Planets” and more, Booth Amphitheatre, Cary. Sat. June 1.
  • Countdown To Launch, Museum of Life and Science, Durham. Sat. June 8.
  • One Giant Leap Festival, NC Museum of History Plaza, Raleigh. Sat. July 20.
  • Apollo Astronaut Exhibit, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Chapel Hill. July – December, 2019.

Other events will be added throughout the anniversary year. Visit www.liftoffnc.org to sign up for updates and follow #LiftOffNC on social media.