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    Discovery Place Nature

    3.5 (36 reviews)

    Discovery Place Nature Photos

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    Butterfly habitat
    Kenchika W.

    I am a full-time Nanny in the Charlotte area. Every family that I've worked with has been members of Discovery Place Nature. If you're looking for a grand-scaled type of museum, then this one is not for you. It's literally for children to enjoy. They have multiple shows such as; puppet, planetarium, and animal shows happening throughout different intervals of the day. The children I've taken seemed to like story time best. As well as climbing on the rocks to watch the turtles swim in their habitats. Check it out!

    Snake Encounter on the back deck
    Amy K.

    Great for an hour or two as an afternoon outing without spending a ton of money. $8/person or so or buy online tickets for 10% off with a code.

    American Alligator.
    Julie P.

    This is actually a neat, slightly hidden gem right off of freedom park. $8 to get in (everyone over 2 pays the same price) or it part of the discovery place if you have a membership. It has a lot of local to Mecklenburg "wildlife", which is a lot of turtles and snakes, but there are also some flying squirrels, skunks, and a hedgehog. There's also a fun outdoor explore/play area. It's definitely geared to young children/elementary age, but a nice place to spend a few hours (then you can picnic in the park).

    Sleepy Barred Owl. They're nocturnal, so don't pester them.
    Natasha C.

    This place is totally cute! Went here with nephew and brother today as a kid-friendly activity; the nature center is a mixture of taxidermy animals and live animals on display, hands-on activities, and a nature walk that leads to a park. Most of the displays are in good working order, but a couple could use some repair. Tips: 1) Kids over 2 years have to pay admission, which is currently $6. Not bad for what you get. 2) The live animals are really neat, but many of them get startled by loud noises and banging on the displays. Please make sure your kids are respectful of their space. 3) There is a space for kids' parties; why not plan a Birthday party for your animal-loving kids there? 4) if you don't want your kids to get dirty, don't take them on the nature trail/park. The park is great and has lots of fun activities, but is a mulch-and-dirt based area with wood chips and other forms of nature. :-) I personally thought the teepee and chimes play areas were cool, and my nephew loved the child-sized wheelbarrows. 5) If your kids love this place, get a membership. They last for a year and will pay off in three or four visits, depending on family size.

    Vic C.

    Very small and simple museum. A little outdated, but the staff informed me that they will be going through renovation and begin updating their exhibits. It's definitely focused on outdoor life which we enjoyed. The museum offers a nice walking trail out back, probably 1/4 of a mile. Many things for the kids to jump on and play with. The entire museum could be seen in under an hour easily, but we spent a little extra time waiting for the shows/ feedings/ exploratorium etc. Would recommend for the outdoor family.

    Playing indoors at Discovery Place Nature
    Emily B.

    We have 2 toddlers under three and this place keeps them busy and interested for hours-both indoors and out. They love the puppet shows, the opportunity to see and pet live animals, the outdoor trail, etc. etc. etc. take a snack and enjoy the day here. You can even leave and walk into Freedom Park from the greenway and go feed the ducks, enjoy the Play60 park....so much to do.

    A visitor enjoys the friendly butterflies!

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    5 years ago

    lame! half the exhibits are closed and most of the inside insects are dead and behind glass. Pretty much a waste.

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    Ask the Community - Discovery Place Nature

    Review Highlights - Discovery Place Nature

    They love the puppet shows, the opportunity to see and pet live animals, the outdoor trail, etc.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Discovery Place Science

    4.1(255 reviews)
    2.9 miFourth Ward, Uptown
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    Wheelchair accessible

    Fabulous kid friendly museum! We like visiting and checking…read moreout the new exhibits and the permanent ones are wonderful. Hot tip is to park on the roof and walk in upstairs where you can pay and get your parking validated.

    To the Discovery Place Management Team,…read more I am writing to formally express our deep disappointment regarding the experience our second-grade team had during our field trip on April 28. While we chose Discovery Place for its reputation as an educational leader, the lack of professional communication and logistical support we received was unacceptable. Our primary concerns include: Total Lack of Communication: Leading up to our visit, we reached out multiple times via phone and email seeking guidance and logistics. We received no response until after our trip was already completed. For an educator planning a trip for over 80 children, this silence is incredibly stressful and unprofessional. Inadequate Logistics and Materials: For the price paid per student, we expected a baseline level of organization. We were not provided with maps, a detailed itinerary, room numbers, or specific class times. We spent a significant portion of our day navigating blindly rather than focusing on the educational exhibits. Safety and Departure Issues: Most concerning was the lack of staff assistance during our departure. Because no direction was provided regarding exits, we were forced to lead 83 second graders out onto a busy city block to walk to our waiting buses. This created an entirely avoidable safety risk that could have been mitigated had a staff member simply directed us to a proper exit or bus loading zone. As a result of this experience, we will not be recommending Discovery Place to our coworkers or other schools in our district. We expected a partnership in education, but instead, we felt ignored and unsupported. We hope you take this feedback seriously to ensure that future student groups do not face the same disorganized and potentially unsafe conditions. Sincerely, Nicole Roberts

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    The Light Factory

    The Light Factory

    4.4(12 reviews)
    3.1 miFirst Ward, Uptown
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    A photography gallery in Uptown, right next to the 7th Street LYNX Station. When I arrived, the…read moreplace was quite desolate. The security guard had me wait in the lobby while he went in to the gallery to turn the lights on. I got the impression that there wasn't a whole lot going on here. It's a good thing that it's free, because 30 minutes of looking at pictures wouldn't have been worth much. And even at 30 minutes, I was still moving pretty slow. When I visited, the exhibit was "Streetwise", a collection of pictures of America's troubled 60's. Capturing images of not just our troubled times, including Boston's "Combat Zone" and close-ups of the Black Panthers, there were also shots of just regular people and places. All in black and white, which gave it a feel of being very like a documentary. Pictures of the pictures are not permitted, but I took that as meaning not taking a picture of the individual pictures. Instead, my wide shot of the gallery doesn't give away the detail but helps you see what you're going to see there. I might come back for the next exhibit, but I think this is a "See it once" kind of thing.

    I had never been to The Light Factory and saw there was a very interesting reception called A…read moreShared Elegy. I was so happy I made it out to see what it was all about since I live so close by. Great intimate space, the artist were so insightful and the crowd genuinely appreciated the artist panel and the photography. It was very well curated. Great space, seasoned artists. Well done.

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    ImaginOn - The Joe and Joan Martin Center - Story time

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    4.7(56 reviews)
    2.7 miFirst Ward, Uptown

    The Charlotte-Mecklenburg library district offers a number of very nice regional and special…read morelibrary settings: the South Park Regional, South County Regional, and the library collaboration with the Children's Theatre of Charlotte ... ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center on Seventh Street downtown to name just three. Each has specialties that make them individuals. The ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center collaboration between the library district and the Children's Theatre is a hands down wonder. While some libraries specialize in library things (games and toys) to engage kids and others specialize in library materials (books and puzzles), ImaginOn has it all ... including plays and story times. The library itself is free to enter, multi-story, newish, clean and easy to get to, with available parking that is free for 90 minutes with a stamped ticket. This facility absolutely had everything to stimulate kids of all ages ... probably 2 to 12 being the sweet spot. Do make a point of finding your way here for a visit someday ... you'll be glad you did. Highly recommended.

    I love that the Mecklenburg libraries have story times for various ages throughout the week…read more We've been coming here since February and my toddler loves it. There is always some sort of craft, legos, toys and computers for her to play with/use. They also usually have monthly events and a theater. I prefer to download the CMLibrary app to keep up with events. We prefer to come here on the Saturday's but it's definitely more packed. It's about 40ish families at every session. They have a parking garage (under the library) which you can take the elevator directly into the library. They validate for 90 minutes. The issue is when it's full or days they have events parking can really be a pain. They may direct you to park at 7th street parking garage but they only validate after 5pm on weekdays or anytime on weekends.

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    Discovery Place Nature - museums - Updated May 2026

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