City Services
Schiele Museum of Natural History
General Information
The Schiele Museum of Natural History, an administrative and financial department of the City of Gastonia, is a public institution created to promote awareness and appreciation for nature. To instill a sense of individual and social responsibility for the diversity of the natural world and the role of humanity in it, the Museum collects, studies, and preserves natural specimens and cultural artifacts. These objects, their history, and their environmental and social contexts are communicated to all possible audiences through the Museum's educational programs, exhibits, and publications.
A Brief History
After retiring as an Executive with the Boy Scouts of America, Bud Schiele and his wife Lily donated their services and collections for a county museum. The Schiele Museum Board of Directors was established in 1960 to set basic policies, provide long-range objectives, and promote the Museum within the community. With their efforts, a 1,400 square foot building on 2.2 acres was dedicated in 1961 as the Gaston County Museum of Natural History. The Schiele's original collections stimulated considerable community interest. Private citizens donated a number of significant mineralogical, ornithological, ethnographical, and paleontological collections and specimens to the intuition. In June, 1964 the Museum transferred to the City of Gastonia and was renamed the SCHIELE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.
The Schiele Museum Today
Today, the Schiele Museum houses over 350,000 specimens. A 56,000+ square foot building includes two galleries for temporary and traveling exhibitions and five permanent exhibit halls:
- Saturdays 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm year round
- Sundays 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm year round
- Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30 pm (September - May)
- Mondays - Fridays 3:00 pm (June - August)
- Nature Trail - pine forest, mixed hardwood forest, and pond communities typical of Piedmont North Carolina are all found along the .7 mile Trail For All Seasons.
- Memorial Wildlife Garden - planted with species native to the Carolina Piedmont, the Memorial Wildlife Garden provides food and shelter for wildlife and a contemplative setting enjoyed by Trail users.
- Catawba Indian Village - interprets 400 years of Catawba Indian history through the use of replicated and simulated structures
- 18th-Century Backcountry Farm - interprets life ways of the early settlers of this region through living history presentations in period and reconstructed buildings.
- Stone Age Heritage Site - Standing stone, Stone Circle, Rock Carin, and Petroglypls created by Aboriginal Studies Workshop participants illustrates a shared human heritage.
Hours, Fees, Location
The Schiele Museum is open 9 AM - 5 PM Monday-Saturday and 1-5 PM Sundays. The Museum is open year-round except Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, Easter, and Thanksgiving.
Admission to the Schiele Museum is $4 adults, $2 seniors and students. City of Gastonia residents, Museum members, and children under three are admitted free. Admission, programs, and exhibits are free to all visitors from 4-8 PM the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
Planetarium tickets are $3 adults, $2 students, and seniors plus Museum Admission. Temporary exhibits may also require additional fee.
The Museum is located at 1500 East Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, NC (28054-5199).
Contact Information
For information on the Schiele Museum of Natural History or for information about current and upcoming nature or history programs, planetarium shows, and exhibits visit our website, email us, or call.
General Information: 704.866.6900
Group Appointments, Reservations: 704.854.6676
Receptionist: 704.866.6908
Administration Fax: 704.866.6041
Education Division, Group Appointments Fax: 704.836.0034
Questions or comments about this site? Email the webmaster.
Back