Rare and unique artifacts & specimens comprise the museum's holdings of Archaeology, Paleontology, Natural History, & Early Americana. One of the best Native American artifact collections in the state. Animal mounts from all over the world, including a life size polar bear, Kodiak bear, American bison, mountain lion, and a 14 ft. alligator. The animal mounts share billing with an enormous fossil collection which spans 500 million years;from the Cambrian Period to the Pleistocene. Early Americana exhibits contain representations of 19th century life in North Carolina. Antique farm tools, an operable loom, early musical instruments, and possibly the only 500 gallon turpentine still in the East are but a few of the many items on display.