Discovery Place facts for kids
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| Former name | Discovery Place |
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| Established | 1981 |
| Location | 301 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States |
| Type | Science Museum |
| Visitors | 520,000 (as of 2009) |
Discovery Place Science is a super cool museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, where you can explore science and technology! It's located right in Uptown. The museum has a giant IMAX Dome Theater, called The Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theater. This is the biggest IMAX Dome in the Carolinas!
The museum first opened its doors in 1981. It got a big makeover in 2010. The huge IMAX Dome theater opened in 1991.
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What's in a Name? Discovery Place Rebranding
In 2016, the group of museums known as Discovery Place changed their names. This was done to make it clearer which museum was which. The main organization is now called Discovery Place.
- The Uptown Charlotte museum, which was just "Discovery Place," became Discovery Place Science.
- The museum near Freedom Park, which was "Charlotte Nature Museum," became Discovery Place Nature.
- The museums in Huntersville, North Carolina and Rockingham, North Carolina kept their names: Discovery Place Kids-Huntersville and Discovery Place Kids-Rockingham.
The Story of Discovery Place
The museum's history goes all the way back to 1946. A schoolteacher named Laura Owens started a small museum on Cecil Street in Charlotte. People loved it so much that a new museum was built next to Freedom Park.
Early Beginnings: Children's Nature Center
This new museum, called the Children's Nature Center, opened in 1951. It focused on helping families learn about nature together. It grew even more in 1965 when a planetarium was added. By the 1970s, it was known as the Charlotte Nature Museum.
A New Era: Science and Technology
During this time, people became very interested in science education. This was partly because of the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The community in Charlotte decided to fund a big, hands-on science and technology center. They chose to build it on North Tryon Street to help develop uptown Charlotte.
This new museum, called Discovery Place, opened in 1981. It had 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2) of space! Russell Peithman was its first director.
Growing and Expanding
The museum kept growing as the community needed more.
- In 1986, more space was added for special traveling exhibits.
- In 1991, The Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theatre opened. It was the first giant movie screen in the Carolinas!
- The Carol Grotnes Belk Education and Parking Complex was finished in 1996.
- In 2010, Discovery Place had a huge renovation. It was an 18-month project that cost $31.6 million!
The museum has continued to expand. The first Discovery Place Kids museum opened in 2010 in Huntersville, North Carolina. A second Discovery Place Kids opened in 2013 in Rockingham, North Carolina. These museums were created through special partnerships between public and private groups.
In 2014, the Discovery Place Education Studio opened. It's part of the Bank of America STEM Center for Career Development. This studio helps train teachers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education.
Discovery Place Nature
Discovery Place also runs Discovery Place Nature. This museum used to be called the Charlotte Nature Museum. It's located next to Freedom Park. At Discovery Place Nature, you can learn about:
- Interactive nature exhibits
- Live animal displays
- A butterfly pavilion
- Different kinds of insects
- Many animals native to North Carolina
Discovery Place Kids
In Fall 2010, Discovery Place opened its first Discovery Place Kids Museum in Huntersville, North Carolina. These museums are designed for families with young children. They offer fun, hands-on learning experiences through play.
The Huntersville location was a big project, costing $18.7 million. It was a partnership between Discovery Place and the City of Huntersville. A second Discovery Place Kids opened in 2013 in Rockingham, North Carolina. These locations help families in different parts of the region visit a Discovery Place museum closer to home.
Discovery Place Education Studio
The Discovery Place Education Studio opened in 2014. It's located on the museum's uptown campus. This studio helps train teachers in the Charlotte area. The goal is to inspire educators to become amazing STEM teachers. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
