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50th anniversary of Apollo lunar landing is Saturday; here are 8 family-friendly ways to celebrate

The 50th anniversary of the Apollo lunar landing is this Saturday, July 20. And there are celebrations around the country to celebrating, including many right here in the Triangle.

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By
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
, Go Ask Mom editor

The 50th anniversary of the Apollo lunar landing is this Saturday, July 20. And there are celebrations around the country to celebrating, including many right here in the Triangle.

Here are 8 ways to mark the Apollo anniversary.

Raleigh

The N.C. Museum of History will host the One Giant Leap Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 20. It's free. The indoor and outdoor celebration, according to the museum's website, will feature hands-on crafts, demonstrations, and activities—including a virtual-reality lab where you can “travel” to space and be on the moon and a bungee-jumping station where you can experience weightlessness.
Marbles Kids Museum will host multiple screenings of the new "Apollo 11: First Steps Edition," at its IMAX theater. According to the description, the documentary reconstructs the final moments of preparation, liftoff, landing and return. It includes a newly-discovered trove of never-before-seen 70mm footagle and audio recordings. Showtimes on Saturday, July 20, are 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 3:40 p.m. And it's shown at least daily this week as well. Tickets are $5 for kids under 12, $6 for seniors and $7 for adults.
The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences will host an Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Lab open house from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 20, to mark the 50th anniversary. There will be interactive tours, demos and more. It's free.
The N.C. Museum of Art will screen "First Man," at 8:30 p.m., Saturday, July 20. The PG-13-rated movie is a biopic about the career of Neil Armstrong. The movie starts at 8:30 p.m. Gates open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 and free for kids 6 and under.

Chapel Hill

This summer, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is hosting a special lunar landing edition of its popular planetarium show, "Carolina Skies." It features some highlights of the mission and how astronauts from the Apollo program trained in celestial navigation at Morehead. Shows run daily except on Mondays when Morehead is closed. Tickets are $8.25 for adults and $7.25 for kids.
The Chapel Hill Public Library's Sunday STEAM program for kids in kindergarten to fifth grade is 3 p.m., Sunday, July 21, and will feature a historian sharing stories of the astronaut training program at Morehead. It's free.

Durham

The Museum of Life and Science is celebrating Apollo Days from Tuesday, July 16, to July 24. Visitors can explore the Mercury and Apollo-era artifacts and Aerospace exhibit with a special scavenger hunt. They can "zoom around the moon" on the new Science in the Sphere exhibit. And they can visit the temporary exhibit, "Sun, Earth, Universe," created by NASA and the National Informal STEM Education Network. Tickets, which get you into the entire museum and includes all of the indoor and outdoor exhibits, is $21 for adults, $16 for kids ages 3 to 12 and free for kids ages 2 and under.
Morgan Imports will host a Man on the Moon Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 20. Step inside a replica of Neil Armstrong;s space suit, make a craft, enjoy some moonberry pancakes, plays some games and more.

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