The earliest history museums had little actual history to draw on, and instead padded exhibits with wildly speculative displays about how dinosaurs would be elected to Congress by the year 2000. See how far we’ve come with today’s Groupon to the North Carolina Museum of the Coastal Plain, located on the third floor of the Imagination Station Science Museum in Wilson. Choose between the following options:

• For $5, you get admission for two (up to a $10 value). Children 3 and younger are admitted free.
• For $40, you get a one-year Family Plus membership (a $100 value).<p>

Located on the third floor of the former federal post office and courthouse, the North Carolina Museum of the Coastal Plain offers exhibits and a permanent collection highlighting the history and culture of the area. Featuring photos lauded on Martha Stewart’s blog, the Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens exhibit showcases Vaughn Sills’ photographic look at floral havens in the South. The collection examines both gardeners and their perennial playground in a series of stunning shots. Admission also grants access to the Imagination Station Science Museum–located on the first and second floors–which offers exhibits such as the electricity-centric_Human Dynamo_, and a collection of small creatures such as pythons, frogs, and spiders, which ignites an interest in zoology and biology and inspires superhero-costume themes.

Family Plus memberships allow one-year unlimited admission for two adults and any minors from the same household, plus four one-time passes for four friends or physicists interested in continuing their education. A reciprocal membership to 300 science museums, a 10% discount on purchases of $5 or more at the Wilmagine Gift Shop, and a subscription to the museum’s newsletter, Lab Notes, sweeten the already sugar-slathered deal. Members also enjoy discounts on experiential amenities such as summer camps, birthday parties, and sleepovers in the iguana cage.