ImaginOn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center |
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| Seventh Street Entrance | |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Partnership of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Children's Theatre of Charlotte |
| Established | 2005 |
| Location | 300 East Seventh Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 Mecklenburg County |
| Coordinates | 35°13′38.00″N 80°50′15.85″W / 35.2272222°N 80.8377361°W |
| Branch of | Charlotte Mecklenburg Library |
| Other information | |
| Director | Marcellus "MT" Turner (Library) Adam Burke & Nao Tsurumaki (Theater) |
| Website | ImaginOn |
| Phone number | 704.416.4600 |
ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center is a super cool place in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's a special partnership between the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Children's Theatre of Charlotte. This huge learning center, about 102,000 square feet, first opened its doors on October 8, 2005. It was designed by Gantt Huberman Architects and Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library owns it.
ImaginOn is packed with awesome stuff for kids and teens! It has the Spangler Children's Library and the Teen Loft, which is a library just for teens. You can also find Time Warner Tech Central, the Story Lab, and Studio I, which is a recording and animation studio. Plus, there are two theaters: the Hugh McColl Family Theatre (with 570 seats) and the Wells Fargo Playhouse (with 250 seats).
ImaginOn is also special because it was the first building in Mecklenburg County to get a LEED certification. This means it's a 'green' building, certified at the silver level by the U.S. Green Building Council. It's designed to be good for the environment!
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Cool Spaces for Teens
ImaginOn has some amazing areas made just for teenagers.
The Loft: A Teen Hangout
The Loft is a large space, about 4,000 square feet, on the third floor of ImaginOn. It's a library and hangout spot dedicated to teens in Mecklenburg County. Here, you can find the newest DVDs, books, graphic novels, and music CDs that teens love. It also has spaces where you can work with friends on school projects or other creative ideas.
Studio I: Create Your Own Media
Also on the third floor is Studio I. This is an animation and sound studio where teens can make their own stop-motion videos or computer-generated animations. You can even create sound tracks to go with your projects! Teens using Studio I have won national awards, like the 2007 and 2008 Young Adult Public Service Announcement contests.
Tech Central: Your Computer Lab
Tech Central is a computer lab designed for visitors under 19 years old. It has over thirty computers and lots of different activities. Adults are welcome too, but only if they come with a child.
Spangler Children's Library
The Spangler Children's Library is located on the first floor of ImaginOn. It has a huge collection of books and materials perfect for children from babies up to fifth graders. This library also has special collections for teachers, parents, and anyone who takes care of children.
Awesome Theaters
ImaginOn is home to two fantastic theaters where you can watch amazing performances.
McColl Family Theatre
The McColl Family Theatre is a large theater with 570 seats. It has 420 seats on the main level and another 150 seats on the balcony. The Children's Theatre of Charlotte uses this theater to put on a full season of professional plays for families. One of the first shows performed here was "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in 2005.
Wells Fargo Playhouse
The Wells Fargo Playhouse is a smaller, more flexible theater with 250 seats. It's often full for performances by the Children's Theatre of Charlotte. The library and the theater also use this space for film series and other fun programs.
