We had the chance to visit the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences' new wing, the Nature Research Center, while it was being built. Those hard hat tours were a great way to see how the museum was coming together.

Here are some of the photos of the museum as it progressed. For the finished product, check out the 24-hour grand opening on Friday. If you can't wait until then, get a sneak peek at the museum through our interactive.

Check out our pics from the past month of the museum.