Overview

Discovery Place is one of the nation’s leading science centers, dedicated to exposing young people to and fostering enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It consists of three museum brands: Discovery Place Science in Uptown Charlotte, Discovery Place Nature in Freedom Park and Discovery Place Kids in Huntersville and Rockingham.

History

Discovery Place was founded in 1946 as the first science education center in the Southeast. Laura Owens, a school teacher, first opened a facility on Cecil Street in Charlotte which later became what is known today as Discovery Place. With help from the Junior League of Charlotte and the Lions Club, Owens opened a new Children’s Nature Center in 1951. The Museum added a planetarium in 1965. With increased interest in science education, the community approved funding for a comprehensive hands-on science and technology center in the 1970s. In 1981, the new museum known as Discovery Place opened at its current location on North Tryon Street.

The facility had expansions done in 1986, 1991 and 1996 before a complete renovation in 2010, which lasted 18 months and cost $31.6 million.

Discovery Place has added satellite museums Discovery Place Kids in Huntersville and Rockingham in 2010 and 2013, respectively, and a Discovery Place Education Studio in 2014 at the facility’s main campus.

Recent Additions

The facility renovated its third floor in 2017, funded by the City of Charlotte. Lowe’s sponsored two new hands-on innovation exhibits which debuted Aug. 26, 2017.

Activities and Events

Discovery Place launched its Year of the Engineer campaign on Aug. 26, 2017 in response to the growing interest in STEM. The campaign involves partnering with 250 engineers to provide 2,500 STEM-related activities throughout the 2017-2018 school year. As part of this initiative, the facility dedicated its third floor to exhibits that encourage out-of-the-box thinking.

The museum also regularly hosts timely science-related events for the public. Discovery Place hosted an eclipse viewing party on its rooftop during the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017. The event celebrating the 98 percent partial eclipse in Charlotte was one of the largest in the city.