Featuring free admission to the public and a year-round calendar of special exhibitions and art-related activities for all ages, the Ackland Art Museum is a hub of dynamic activity. The Ackland is an extension of the classroom for thousands of students in hundreds of classes across dozens of academic disciplines each year. The heart of the Ackland is its global collection of more than 21,000 artworks spanning cultures and time periods. The museum actively commissions and teaches with new works, many of them from artists rooted in the American South.

Professional performing artists from across the globe find collaborators and audiences right here on campus thanks to Carolina Performing Arts (CPA). As one of the nation’s premier multidisciplinary arts institutions, CPA has spent two decades building a reputation for novel, mission-driven experiences. Through partnering with community members, championing students and bringing artists into classrooms, CPA prides itself on empowering audiences to explore, create and celebrate the arts.

Playing host to everything from early NASA astronaut training sessions to classic elementary school field trips, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a historic place to find innovation and discovery right in the heart of campus. Here, students, families and searchers of all ages can explore in-depth exhibits, immersive full-dome shows and a fun, interactive tinkerspace. There are more than 5,000 square feet of indoor exhibits featuring cutting-edge research happening at UNC — from astronomy to zoology and everything in between.

For more than half a century, the North Carolina Botanical Garden has been dedicated to conserving NC's unique botanical legacy. With more than 1,100 acres, it stands as one of the largest natural botanical gardens in the Southeast. Through science, engagement and conservation, Garden staff go above and beyond to cultivate connections between plants, people and place. Visitors can wander through nature trails, learn something in the education center or find the perfect gift (or plant) in the Garden's expansive gift shop.

Discover the world-class theater being created right here at PlayMakers Repertory Company, from reimagined classics to groundbreaking world premieres, from comedies to thrillers and so much more. At the very heart of the PlayMakers experience is the resident company, made up of accomplished performers, directors, designers, artisans and technicians, and supported by exceptional graduate students in UNC's Department of Dramatic Art and guest artists from all over the world.

Impressive resources and unparalleled faculty greet students who step into the classrooms of our Arts and Culture-affiliated departments. Whether just getting started in music or dramatic art or investing in long-held passions in art and art history, creative writing or communication, students will grow their practice, gain valuable discernment skills and develop long networks with peers that’ll serve them in and outside the classroom, during and long after their college years. There’ll never be a better time or place to answer the call to learn.