Magnificent free museum. The front desk check-in lady was incredibly flattering, she thought I was…read moreactually playing in the Charlotte FC game when she asked why I was in town, and me being in town "for the game" was delightfully read by her as me playing in the game, which was an "I wish" moment. Number of people who think I look like a MLS player that are not my mommy: we're up to one now, but men remember every compliment they receive (most don't get that many) so obviously I will remember this forever. The museum has a large footprint in the building for being an overall relatively small museum. There is a lot of empty floor space which is for vibes I guess, or the Southern deep fried ambiance that you need adequate room to maneuver yourself around the wide open walkways when Bojangles is sufficiently well-loved around these parts. The museum is very similar to the STL Gateway Arch Museum, in terms of set up, focus on limited time periods, lewks, and content depth. This free museum is an introduction to a very interesting, historically rich city that gives you a taste of the history (but isn't a dissertation on every little thing) and gets you excited about the future of the city based on some key moments in modernity. While the state government was very particular about which bathroom you used up until it was repealed in 2020, CLT had originally passed local protections that the state got threatened by and made an international spectacle of for years of high profile constitutional litigation and appeals. If you read somewhat fast you can get through the entire museum in under 30 minutes; it is closer in size to the Bechtler rather than the Mint. It is well situated on S. Tryon (the city so far has resisted the obvious name change to Trigon, for all my Teen Titans bros, bro-ettes, and non-binary brxs) to hop, skip, or frogger across the street to the Bechtler and Mint for further museum experiences nearby. They have weird hours and occasional closure days (put actually tell you about it in advance) so be sure to check their webpage to plan ahead for when you can drop in. The gift shoppe is very small but every purchase helps support the free museum so I picked up a shirt for my next volunteer shift at the food bank this week. When you visit here too I am sure you will want to contribute something (voluntarily) to help support the free museum. That is when you know you have a free museum that actually works as intended. A great place to start to realise why Charlotte is one of my favourite American cities, and it could be one of yours too.

This is a small elegant museum, free to enter. It captures the history and evolution of Charlotte…read moreand North Carolina pretty well. It's a single floor, takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much time you spend on each topic. Lots of images, maps, explanation of milestone moments for the city and the state that shaped it over centuries. The two key events I remember from visit are Charlotte's role in ending segregation and the city became the a leader in banking world. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Charlotte for the first time.

It's ok. I'll leave it at that. It's a lot smaller than I expected and there really wasn't too much…read moreto do. I think the best age for this museum is under 3. My 4 year old got bored pretty quickly. There also just wasn't a lot to do. There is a dress up area, but it only had a few items, same with the kitchen and pirate ship. I have to agree with another reviewer that the staff wasn't friendly. They were more concerned with everything getting cleaned up. iI's a children's museum - there's supposed to be a level of mess, but when a kid puts a doll at the table and then goes to the kitchen area and you put the doll back, maybe think "was that kid getting food to play feed the doll?"and not assume they were leaving it. Also, parents - there's an overpriced gift/toy section in the front that you can't avoid. Bright side - there's some fun lunch and treat spots close by.

The museum is small but cute. Best for children 2 - 4 years old. Most of the front desk staff are…read morewelcoming. But the staff in the back must not have children. I'm not sure that they even like children. When my older children were little, I used to bring them and that staff would interact with the kids and parents. Most of this staff just sits on side, ignoring children and adults. There is one lady, Miss Wendy that all of my kids love, but she's not there very much. They had an event this weekend and I am glad that we went in the afternoon. My friend got turned away in the morning only an hour after they opened. She said that staff very rudely told her that she should have gotten there earlier. Her children were heartbroken. They did have some people, mainly teenagers with volunteer name tags who were very nice. My little adored the older gentleman who played with him. They had the upstairs set up really cute with a Winnie-the-Pooh exhibit. But unfortunately, they said that it would only be there for that day. They had friendly teens in that space playing with the kids. Admission is not worth it, but their membership is a good value because it includes other museums.

As someone who almost got their degree in Linguistics, this is like an archaeological museum of the…read morewritten word and was such an incredibly pleasant surprise! Honestly, the caliber of content was fantastic and on par with the type of museum you would expect to find in a big metropolis. They do an excellent job of densely populating the small space with great displays and exhibits, each dedicated to a specific theme that is either historically/geographically based. Even though there is a lot of information to absorb, they do a wonderful job of making each section flow into one another and making sure each one is respectively distinct and specifically informational. I love the little quiz boxes they have spaced around to test your knowledge of how well you've been paying attention! There are also great pamphletsto give greater contextual information for certain displays. The 10min intro film to the Museum of the Alphabet is a must! You learn about the museum's origins and purpose and it gives you an idea of what to expect on your tour. It is a Christian-based foundation/mission, but as someone who is agnostic, I did not feel it was overtly religious at all, which I appreciated. They incorporate various relevant religions into the history and importance of certain languages, as well, and do an excellent job of perspective. I spent over an hour exploring this place and was just wowed with the massive history of the written word and the work a lot of these people do to preserve many oral-only languages of indigenous peoples who do not have a written language from becoming extinct from anthropological history! It's incredible how alphabets are still being created today. The Alphabet Tree at the entrance is so intricate and informative and traces back each language group to their origins, like ancestral genetics of languages; I was really fascinated by this one! Definitely worth checking out if you are in or near Waxhaw. It's also a great little quicktrip at 40mins or less drive from Charlotte and close enough to downtown Waxhaw to shop, eat, drink before or after. If you are a nerd (like me) and/or have an interest in linguistics, you will instantly be in heaven here. If you are just mildly curious, you will leave with a newfound and deep-seated appreciation for the written word! The staff here are great and super helpful, especially if you have any questions or need better/more in depth explanations for all or any of the exhibits. There is no admission charge, but a donation is highly encouraged with a jar by the registration logbook. Even if you donate just $5, you will easily get more than your money's worth.

I rarely give a five star rating, but in this case the Alphabet Museum is most likely the best of…read moreclass. It is simply amazingly detailed, and tied into the work that JAARS does, really stands out as something special. We have been here on at least three previous occasions, leaving with the feeling that is was just too much and we did not really understand what it was about. This visit we asked for a guide or guided tour so that our 11 year old granddaughter would appreciate it. This was the way to go, and we are so happy that we arranged for the guide. Arriving, early, we were met, saw a film on JAARS and were taken on a tour. For a small building they sure pack in a lot of displays, items and information. Am sorry that I do not remember our guide but she had done work in New Guinea and her two husbands, one deceased, were part of JAARS. So with our missionary, linguist-talented guide we spend at least two hours taking in the displays. Why a guide is important is that she gives meaning to what you are looking at as well as how it relates to JAARS. My wife and I were simply blown away, we know understood how it all pulled together and will be returning to further explore the displays. In essence, JAARS is an organization of pilots, linguists, cultural anthropologists and other supporting people who find and travel to isolated tribes around the world that do not have a written language. Tribes, traditionally, use oral history to record events and the tribe's story. JAARS linguists live with these peoples, listening to them talk and figuring out what words they use, along with how they are pronounced. Then they craft an alphabet for that language and create a dictionary. Ultimately, as this is a Christian-based organization, they translate the Bible into their language, teaching the people how to read their now written language while learning about the Bible. Fascinating! The displays are, in effect, history reports of various language groups and JAARS encounter with them. Artifacts, the language, photos bring their mission alive. Arrange a tour. Once you have an understanding of the displays, you will be back, better equipped to learn more. A must for children in school and for your adult friends and visitors.

My family and I came to the Catawba Cultural Center in a continued effort to visit as many of the…read moreculture and history of the NC/SC area. A small museum with a lot of history through interpretive displays. Its cool to see a place devoted to the indigenous people of the area rather than the usual Spanish and Anglo people who came later. I myself am not of indigenous decent but I appreciate learning about other cultures. History in this region doesn't begin 250 years ago but much further back. Perhaps we can learn something from those who were here for longer. The Catawba Cultural Center is a place that can help with that. Plus they have a good gift shop. I bought a few trinkets to take back to some friends. Also a basket kit for me. I can't just go home empty handed, can I?

What an awesome gem located just outside of Rock Hill, South Carolina. As a history freak I love…read moreto visit historical sites, museum, and cultural experiences. The Carolinas are full of history, so the choices are endless. When I found out that the Catawba Indian Reservation and Cultural Center was so close and included a museum and trails I was intrigued. We piled in the car and made the 30-minute journey from Charlotte. It was a twisty and turning drive, but we made it without any challenges. However, my phone lost signal before making it, so this is one of the few times I wish I had printed a map. It was tough getting in and even more challenging getting out. The Museum and Cultural Center are nice. They have several artifacts and reproductions on display. You get a basic understanding of the tribe just by mozying through. They don't have a brochure so you only get the basics. I wish there was someone on hand to explain more since I had lots of questions, but the only staff member was manning the gift shop. The gift shop was packed full of items from a variety of native American cultures. Lots of great items to peruse. They have books and jewelry and other items for visitors of all ages. The real treat here is the trails. They criss-cross the reservation and include informational displays, plaques telling the story of the tribe, their culture, the land, and their beliefs. It was a fun trek and there was a lot to see along the way. I also learned about the Yehasuri. They are mischievous spirits who live in the trees. They play pranks on kids and animals and kill adults with darts. You don't die immediately, but within 24-hours. I wrote this review as soon as I left just in case something happens to me. I want the Yelp world to know it was the Yehasuri who did it.

The Kings Mountain Historical Museum is located in a former post office built in 1939 and is on the…read moreNational Register of Historic Places. The museum has street parking in the front and a small lot in the back. Admission to the museum is free but they do take donations. The exhibits seem to rotate here and while I was there they had Moonshine & Motorsports. So I got to learn about NASCAR and moonshine. The museum is laid out well and the exhibits have a lot of artifacts and storyboards to tell the stories. While the rotating exhibits and building were wonderful, I wanted to learn more about Kings Mountain.

Probably the thing I like most about this place is the building itself. It is the old Kings…read moreMountain Post Office and it has been well refurbished. I want to remodel this place and live here! Huge granite steps out front, rich woodwork inside, copper light fixtures, a safe, the postmaster's office. Saw a toy and train exhibition today. A large model train set filled the main room rounding the track through a winter scene. Cases with antique toys were around the periphery. There is a gift shop with pottery, paintings, cards and other assorted gifts. Not quite sure what they display in this small museum during the year. Yes, the exhibit was small, but it was fun, free and close to home. Donations can be made if you wish. If the weather permits, check out the old cabin that they relocated to the rear of the property.

Could it have been better? I think yes, maybe…read more I worked for EAL for 11 years and Donna retired with AA and worked previously with USAir. We were both a bit disappointed with the museum overall simply for the lack of more updated displays. We went on a Saturday afternoon, wasn't crowded at all. The 'highlight' was the Cactus 1549, the USAir A320 'miracle on the Hudson. It was fascinating, a video, some sound and light special effects and very short at about 10 minutes. A rather small 'bleacher' seat viewing area. Fortunately the seats were 'padded'. As former Airline employees we got in for $20 bucks each. After viewing the entire museum, I'm not sure it was worth that much. The have a well stocked and large 'merchandise' sales area. There were many Staff members that were available to answer questions. Shout out to Rick Elias, CEO of Red Ventures and a passenger on the flight. He's responsible for contributing $1.5 Million to change the name from Carolina's Aviation Museum to the Sullenberger Aviation Museum to honor Capt Sullenberger. It will also have a focused STEM program.

One of my neighbors is always raving about how incredible the Sullenberger Museum is. The stars…read morealigned one morning and I was able to take the trip to Charlotte Douglas to check out the museum. Admission was $25 so after forking up the money, I was able to start exploring the exhibit. The recommended route begins with checking out the historic hangar, which is the oldest hangar at the airport. There are about 5 older planes in the exhibit, where you can also learn about the history of the airport. Next, you'll walk through the courtyard to check out the planes located there. About 5 larger planes are parked out there. The heat can beat down on you pretty heavy so drink water and admire quick. My favorite part of the whole museum was located in the courtyard, the airport overlook spot. One is able to watch planes land and take off, less than 100 meters away. I could spend hours just here watching the planes. Finally, the last part of the exhibit is place in the biggest hanger. Old and new, the hangar is teeming with planes and helicopters. They also have Flight 1549 located inside the hangar. There's a 10 minute documentary accompanying the plane as well, but be aware, there are a couple of jumpscares. Towards the back of this hangar, there is also a flight simulator where you can attempt to land a smaller plane. After completing the landing, I have further reinforced my delusion that I could land a plane in an emergency landing. All in all, I had a wonderful time checking out this aviation museum. Charlotte has a much bigger aviation industry than I ever realized. It's such a pleasant sight to see how rich with exhibits and history our museum gets to be.

Had my daughter's birthday party here. So fun! She said it the best birthday yet! Definitely it out!read more

They just had my detailed, FACTUAL original review (and one owners unprofessional, snooty…read moreresponses) removed for being too truthful I guess. Here's a shorter version... cute photo opps, but do NOT waste your money on their birthday packages. It's average at best, contrary to one of the owners being an "event planner". Go take your pics and celebrate your event elsewhere as it is not worth the money they charge for what you get. Is that better?

I brought my son to night at the museum at Discovery place, and it was a time! My son absolutely…read moreloves Legos and currently right now the brick masters studio is at the museum. We went through the exhibit and got to see some really incredible displays. We marveled at the displays, wondering how long they took to complete, how many people worked on the display etc. It's just so amazing to see that all the displays were made out of Lego pieces. There were some interactive displays which was nice for the kids since they were unable to touch most of the displays in the exhibit. There's a section where the kids can be master builders and time themselves on how quickly they can complete a miniature display, they ranged from easy, medium and difficult. At the end of the experience there was an entire city made of Legos, with loose lego pieces for the kids to be creative and make their own lego creations. It was a great finish to the experience. This exhibit is every lego master builders dream. It brought me back to my childhood!

What a fun place for learning we hoped this place would be! However, for the price, I left a bit…read moreunderwhelmed. We covered the entire museum and by the time my 7 year old left, she had fun but was unimpressed. The Lego exhibition was phenomenal in comparison to the science exhibits and learnings themselves. As far as the exhibits, so many were not functioning or were not being serviced by an attendant to explain what was being displayed in the creative spaces.

Great place to go anytime really! We always really enjoy the reenactments they have of the war and…read morethe other events they have. There is much to see and plenty of places to walk around. I've taken many out-of-town visitors to Historic Brattonsville to walk around throughout the year and it's always a great stop to make. You can make this stop as short or long as you like. I love that they keep things maintained so well and the history you can learn by stopping by. Not only can you learn it, but feel it as well. The shop is always a nice stop while you're there when they're open. Definitely worth the stop if you're in the area. I've always felt welcome and greeted by the kind staff at Historic Brattonsville. I feel an appreciation for as well as the importance of history now more than ever.

We recently visited for the first time during the members night Candlelight tours. It's a…read moreone-weekend thing during the holidays showing what Christmas was like in York County in the late 1700s. The tour guide led us by lantern to various scenes throughout the property. The actors were great and I learned some things I didn't know. I would recommend for older kids, my four year-old was getting a little restless towards the end but she still enjoyed it. After, there were vendors, a brass band playing Christmas carols, food (free on members night), and activities like drip candles and snowflake ornaments for the kids. And of course we met Father Christmas who was really interactive with the kids. They do have a fairly large site. Bring your walking shoes because there are trails. Restrooms are in the Visitors center. During special events watch for a posted detour. We'd like to go back on a non-event day and explore. We're also York County Cultural Heritage Museum members which includes this site and has been a great value.