Annual Open House
The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine looks forward to celebrating its annual Open House on Saturday, March 28, 2026, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (This event will take place, rain or shine.)
This extremely popular free event invites the community to explore our College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Hospital to learn more about how we are a driving force in veterinary research, training and medical care.
Learn more about the operations and facilities at our Veterinary Hospital and bring your budding veterinarians to check out what the classrooms and laboratories in a state-of-the-art college of veterinary medicine are like. Then stop by demonstrations to see how our veterinarians work with animals. Make sure to leave time to participate in one of our many events.
Open House Activities
Just some of the things to do!
- Get your favorite stuffed animal repaired in our Teddy Bear Clinic.
- Milk a cow!
- Learn how our veterinarians and students care for farm animals.
- Hear from a current veterinary student on what it’s really like to study at the College of Veterinary Medicine.
- See how our researchers are improving animal and human health.
- Engage with local animal organizations.
- Get your face painted.
- Grab a snack at a food truck.
What is the Teddy Bear Clinic?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Open House at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine?
Open House is an annual event hosted by the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Hospital. The college and hospital open their doors to the public for tours, activities and learning experiences. Itβs an excellent activity for all ages, from families looking for fun to students interested in learning about a career in veterinary medicine!
When is the NC State College of Veterinary Medicineβs 2026 Annual Open House?
The event will be Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and visitors are invited to drop in for as long as they can within that window. Open House will be held rain or shine.
Do I need tickets?
No, the event is free! Registration is not required, but visitors are highly encouraged to RSVP via the Facebook event.
Where can I park?
Parking is free and available a short walk from the collegeβs main building. Visitors entering campus will follow William Moore Drive until they reach the parking deck across from the collegeβs main entrance, marked by a long brick path. Parking attendants will be on-site to help direct guests to the deck.
Should the parking deck become full, additional parking will be available at Gate 9 at the NC State Fairgrounds. Shuttles will be available for those parking at Gate 9.
Limited accessible parking is available in select spots in the parking deck and in the collegeβs West Lot.
What kinds of activities should I expect?
Open House boasts a multitude of activities for all age groups. The event includes a self-guided tour with more than 20 stops where guests can get a taste of student life, hear more about admissions and clubs, learn from presentations and panels and participate in hands-on activities simulating several aspects of veterinary medicine. There will also be a multitude of educational demonstrations across campus!
Where do I find directions to NC Stateβs veterinary campus?
The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine is located off Hillsborough Street near the NC State Fairgrounds. For additional directions on getting to campus, click here.
How can visitors with mobility aids or strollers navigate campus?
The College of Veterinary Medicineβs campus is equipped with elevators that will be accessible to guests during Open House. Please note that the campus tour spans multiple floors and buildings, and guests with accessibility concerns are encouraged to contact a volunteer on-site day-of to address their needs.
Can I bring my personal pet to the event?
Personal pets are not permitted at Open House. Please leave your furry friends at home.
Will food be available on campus?
Food trucks will be parked on property for visitors to buy meals and snacks.
Additionally, our campus coffee shop, Creature Comforts CafΓ©, will be open. In addition to beverages, they offer a lineup of breakfast sandwiches, fresh bakery items, bottled beverages, grab nβ go sandwiches, wraps, pastas, salads and snacks.
Explore last year’s Open House
Follow Along on Social Media
Follow the fun on Facebook and Instagram. We will be posting additional information leading up to Open House. Share your experiences with us during the event using the #NCStateVetMed hashtag!
Four days until Oath and Hooding, five days of insightful essays from the Class of 2026!
First, Mara Paula Ramos Cabrera: I loved my time at NC State. I learned so much, I had fun, I made amazing friendships that will last a lifetime, and I got to let go (and am still working on letting go) of some of that constant internal pressure. I learned that there is room for everyone to shine and excel and that I want to do my part to help others get there, too.
Read the rest of her essay at the link in our profile.
#vetschool #oathandhooding #classof2026 #veterinarians #thrivingCVMcommunity #NCStateVetMed
Behind every white coat is a story, and the people who shaped it. Today, 112 members of the Class of 2027 were cloaked by the parents, mentors, friends and faculty who got them this far. A 26 year tradition at the CVM, and one weβll never get tired of. π€πΊβ€οΈ #WhiteCoatCeremony
π The #NCStateVetMed community gathered Thursday to celebrate students for their outstanding achievements over the past year β whether the most proficient student in primary care or the Mat Gerard Award for Excellence in Equine Dentistry winner.
Dr. Greg Lewbart, professor of Aquatic Animal Medicine, was master of ceremonies at the Annual Awards Dinner, held at Talley Student Center.
β€οΈ Dr. Devorah Stoweβ€οΈ was honored with the Zoetis Distinguished Teaching Award as voted on by students. β€οΈFourth year Meg Mulderβ€οΈreceived the Sarah Watson Brown Award from her fellow students. β€οΈRachel Sternβ€οΈ won the Phyllis Edwards Service Award given to a CVM staff member who has supported students in an exemplary fashion.
Find more winners and photos at the link in our profile! #vetschool #thrivingcommunity #studentawards #amazingfaculty
When your solar panel sheep need checkups, who you gonna call? π
For SAS, a world leader in data analytics software born at NC State and headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, the answer was the mobile ruminant team at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. πͺ
This week, Dr. Danielle Mzyk, Dr. Siena Mitman and several veterinary students paid a visit to the SAS campus, which includes a solar farm because the company is committed to showing the world that successful businesses and earth friendliness can exist together. π #EarthDay
The South African sheep arrived in Cary when the company wanted a creative way to maintain the land under the solar panels without disturbing the technology.
The sheep, all female, are always eager to make the grass and clover disappear, and we`re always happy to help keep animals healthy.
#impactfulpartnerships #ruminantteam #sas #solarfarms #earthday
β
Ability to communicate the thinking behind research projects.
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Present data theyβve collected.
β
Draw conclusions from their findings.
β
Understand how their work has real-world applications.
That was the criteria for competition at the CVM`s first Undergraduate Research Symposium where 19 @ncstate undergraduate students presented the research they have been working on in the labs of Centennial Biomedical Campus faculty members.
Creating opportunities to expand student horizons in research is an important mission of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Find a list of winners and more about the event at the link in our profile.
#studentresearch #thrivingcommunity #researchsymposium
Less debt for veterinary students means a wider choice among careers, so donors who so generously create scholarships don`t change just the lives of students but also the world. When pay doesn`t have to be their top concern, new veterinarians can choose lower-paying but critical public-service jobs.
That was the message at our recent Annual Scholarship Dinner, which brought together donors and the very grateful students they`ve helped over the past year to celebrate expanded horizons.
At the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, 191 veterinary students received $1.8 million in scholarships for the 2025-26 school year. About 20% of NC State veterinary students graduate with no debt, with the average debt across the United States being about $175,000 per student.
βA scholarship is like a sigh of relief," student speaker Aaron Tang said. "It is a dream supported, hope renewed and purpose rekindled. For me and many of my peers, it is proof that our dreams can go beyond our circumstances.β
Read more about the evening and find a link to a photo gallery at the link in our profile.
#scholarships #studentscholarships #vetschool #generousdonors
And the ππ½ most prestigious teaching award ππ½ in the entire UNC System goes to ...
Dr. Katie Sheats! π₯³ πππΌ Join us in congratulating our professor of equine primary care and associate dean and director of professional education and admissions for being recognized as the best of the best in educating our veterinary students.
Sheats, a native North Carolinian, is a Wolfpacker wonder, having received her bachelorβs and DVM and completed an equine internal medicine residency training and Ph.D. in comparative biomedical sciences all at NC State.
"My life has been changed by all that I have learned from NC State over the years," Sheats says. "I feel honored and privileged to lead the educational mission here at the CVM, which I consider home.β
Read more about Sheats and her teaching expertise at the π link in our profile. #outstandingteacher #lifechangers #vetmed
Congratulations to Dr. Duncan Lascelles, who has received the 2026 AAVMC Excellence in Research Award for his revolutionary work in advancing our understanding of pain.
Lascelles, professor of Translational Research in Pain and Surgery, and his team study the underlying neurobiology of pain and also develop methods to measure it and control it in companion animals. The work also could lead to developing better analgesics for people`s pain.
"Pain kills," Lascelles says. "It kills who we are as individuals, and, in companion animals, pain has the same effect. Pain that is not managed in companion animals disrupts that beautiful and wonderful human animal bond."
Find out more about his work and the award at the link in our profile.
#painresearch #AAVMC #researchpioneer #ncstatevetmed
"This gift will change everything."
`The π`: an endowment from Amos Cader to create the Vladimir Cader Feline Health Research Distinguished Chair at @NCState .
The `π`: research into feline cardiac diseases, including the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that took Cader`s beloved cat away from him.
In a ceremony last week, Dr. Joshua Stern, our associate dean of research and graduate studies, became the first recipient of the chair β a position that will live on and fund feline research forever, thanks to Cader`s generosity.
Get all of the details of this amazing gift that could turbo-charge feline health at the link in our profile. #generosity #felinehealth #felineresearch #ncstatevetmed #HCM #distinguishedchair
