RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh closed its doors for the day on Sunday after receiving a threat on social media, officials said.
The museum, which is located on Blue Ridge Road, is usually open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. every Sunday. However, it will reopen on Wednesday, according to the museum’s website.
“Due to a threat received via social media, the North Carolina Museum of Art was closed to the public yesterday and today for an ongoing criminal investigation,” museum spokesperson Lizzie Newton said in a news release on Sunday.
CBS 17 reached out to State Capitol Police, which is looking into the threat along with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, according to N.C. Department of Public Safety spokesperson Laura Hourigan. After being communicated the threat on Saturday afternoon, authorities evacuated the nearby area close to the museum.
“The museum and surrounding park was evacuated so that law enforcement could search the area,” Hourigan said in a news release. “Out of an abundance of caution, the museum remains closed after officials determined there was no immediate danger.”
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Officials said the museum “looks forward to welcoming you back” later this week.
Newton said the Raleigh Police Department was also investigating the social media threat.
The museum’s days of operation are normally Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
