  We review the current status and present open challenges of large $N_c$ QCD
baryon spectroscopy. After introducing the $1/N_c$ expansion method we first
shortly revisit the latest achievements for the ground state properties. Next
we discuss the applicability of this method to excited states, presenting two
different approaches with their advantages and disadvantages. Selected results
for the spectrum and strong and electromagnetic decays are described. We also
show further developments supported by the qualitative compatibility between
the quark excitation picture and the meson-nucleon scattering picture. We give
a quantitative comparison between results obtained from the mass formula of the
$1/N_c$ expansion method and quark models and shortly discuss the implications
of different large $N_c$ limits.
