This North Carolina Science Museum Is A Hands-On Adventure For All Ages
Charlotte’s downtown holds a treasure that transforms ordinary weekends into extraordinary adventures of discovery and wonder. Walking through those doors feels like stepping into a world where curiosity rules and every corner begs to be explored with eager hands.
Discovery Place Science at 168 W 6th St, Charlotte, stands as North Carolina’s premier interactive science destination, welcoming families and curious minds since its founding. From touching live creatures to building your own inventions, this isn’t your typical look-but-don’t-touch museum experience.
Three floors packed with interactive exhibits, an urban rainforest, and the largest IMAX Dome Theatre in the Carolinas create memories that stick with visitors long after they leave.
1. Living Planet Lab Explores Biodiversity
Fresh off its February 2025 opening, this reimagined laboratory space brings Earth’s incredible diversity to life through touchable experiences. Research meets reality as visitors explore current environmental studies alongside scientists working to protect our planet’s future.
The lab transforms complex ecological concepts into understandable adventures that make sense to everyone who walks through.
Hands-on learning stations let you examine real specimens and participate in ongoing research projects. Sustainability becomes more than just a buzzword when you’re actively discovering how ecosystems function together.
Young scientists especially love seeing how their actions connect to the bigger picture of planetary health.
Interactive displays showcase biodiversity from microscopic organisms to massive ecosystems spanning continents. You’ll understand why protecting variety in nature matters so much for our collective survival.
The experience stays with you, changing how you see the natural world outside the museum’s walls at Discovery Place Science.
2. KidScience Creates Early Learning Magic
Designed specifically for the tiniest explorers aged zero through seven, this exhibition proves learning starts earlier than most people think. Bright colors and safe spaces invite toddlers to touch, climb, and discover without parents constantly saying “be careful.” Every corner sparks questions that lead to those beautiful lightbulb moments kids experience when understanding clicks.
Interactive play areas encourage movement while sneaking in lessons about physics, biology, and problem-solving skills. Discovery Place Science at 168 W 6th St, Charlotte, created this space knowing young brains absorb information differently.
Soft materials and age-appropriate challenges mean everyone from crawlers to first-graders finds something perfectly suited to their developmental stage.
Parents appreciate watching their children engage with concepts they’ll build upon for years to come. The exhibition removes pressure while maximizing fun, proving education doesn’t require sitting still or staying quiet.
Families often spend hours here, with kids reluctant to leave their favorite stations behind.
3. Indoor Rainforest Brings Tropics Downtown
Charlotte’s only urban rainforest thrives year-round regardless of what’s happening outside those climate-controlled walls. Stepping inside feels like teleporting to a distant jungle where humidity kisses your skin and exotic sounds fill the air.
Real plants climb toward artificial sunlight while genuine tropical creatures make this ecosystem their permanent home.
Birds fly freely overhead, sometimes landing close enough to study their brilliant feathers and curious behaviors. The environment teaches visitors about interdependent relationships between species without requiring a single textbook or lecture.
Kids especially love spotting animals camouflaged among leaves and branches throughout the multi-level space.
Walking bridges let you experience the rainforest from different heights, mimicking how scientists study these environments in nature. Discovery Place Science maintains this delicate ecosystem with incredible attention to detail and care.
The experience proves you don’t need a passport to understand why protecting Earth’s rainforests matters so desperately for our planet’s future and health.
4. Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theatre
Sitting inside the Carolinas’ largest IMAX Dome Theatre feels like being wrapped in whatever story unfolds across that massive curved screen. Your peripheral vision catches action from every angle, creating immersion that regular theaters simply cannot match.
From nature documentaries to blockbuster films, the programming varies enough to bring visitors back repeatedly throughout the year.
Recent upgrades brought digital projection technology that makes every image pop with stunning clarity and vibrant color. Discovery Place Science invested heavily in creating an unforgettable viewing experience.
Planetarium shows transform the dome into a window to distant galaxies and astronomical phenomena beyond our everyday comprehension.
Comfortable seating tilts back so your neck doesn’t strain during those skyward-focused presentations about space exploration. Sound systems surround you with audio that matches the visual spectacle perfectly.
Whether you’re five or fifty-five, leaving without feeling amazed proves nearly impossible after experiencing films in this incredible format and setting.
5. Thinker Space Unleashes Creative Engineering
Imagination becomes reality inside this hands-on workshop where building, designing, and creating take center stage. Real tools and materials await visitors ready to prototype ideas they’ve been dreaming up or invent something completely new.
The space encourages experimentation without fear of failure, teaching that mistakes often lead to better solutions than initial plans.
Kids design everything from simple machines to complex contraptions using cardboard, tape, wheels, and countless other supplies. Discovery Place Science staff members circulate offering guidance without taking over projects or stifling individual creativity.
Watching young engineers solve problems independently builds confidence that extends far beyond these museum walls into everyday life.
Technologies available include both low-tech materials and more advanced equipment for older visitors with bigger ambitions. The makerspace philosophy celebrates process over perfection, valuing learning through doing above creating flawless finished products.
Families often collaborate here, with parents and children working together to bring shared visions to three-dimensional life using available resources and tools.
6. Explore More Collections Connects Nature
Natural history comes alive when you’re actively finding, identifying, and connecting objects rather than passively observing behind glass barriers. This unique environment treats visitors like junior scientists building their understanding through careful examination and classification.
Drawers full of specimens invite exploration, with each discovery leading to questions about origins, purposes, and relationships.
Magnifying tools help reveal details invisible to naked eyes, transforming ordinary-looking objects into extraordinary examples of nature’s craftsmanship. The collections span geological samples, biological specimens, and artifacts that tell stories about Earth’s history.
Discovery Place Science designed this space knowing that touching and handling creates deeper connections than simply reading informational plaques.
Kids develop observation skills while learning proper techniques for studying delicate materials without causing damage. The experience mimics real scientific fieldwork, where identifying unknown objects requires patience, reference materials, and systematic thinking.
Many young visitors discover passionate interests here that influence their academic paths and career choices years down the road.
7. Science At The Stage Demonstrates Wonder
Live demonstrations transform abstract scientific principles into spectacular shows that captivate audiences of all ages simultaneously. Educators combine entertainment with education, proving science doesn’t have to be boring or intimidating to understand.
Explosions, color changes, and unexpected reactions keep eyes glued to the stage while brains absorb lessons about chemistry, physics, and biology.
Audience participation turns spectators into active contributors, with volunteers helping conduct experiments they’ll remember forever. The shows vary throughout the day and across different visits, giving repeat guests new experiences each time.
Discovery Place Science schedules these performances strategically so families can plan their visits around favorite presentations.
Presenters explain what’s happening in language accessible to younger children while including details that keep adults equally engaged. The theatrical approach removes the stuffiness sometimes associated with scientific learning, replacing it with genuine excitement.
Many visitors cite these live shows as their favorite part of the entire museum experience and request show schedules before planning visits.
8. Animal Ambassadors Bring Wildlife Close
Meeting live animals face-to-face creates connections that pictures and videos simply cannot replicate in any meaningful way. From slithering snakes to shelled tortoises, these resident creatures serve as ambassadors for their wild relatives.
Trained staff share fascinating facts while letting visitors observe behaviors, textures, and characteristics that make each species uniquely adapted.
Touching a snake’s smooth scales challenges common misconceptions and reduces fear through direct, supervised experience. The museum houses various species representing different animal groups, highlighting both similarities and remarkable differences across the animal kingdom.
Discovery Place Science prioritizes animal welfare, ensuring every creature receives proper care and appropriate interaction levels.
Kids often remember these encounters more vividly than any other museum experience, describing them in detail months or years later. The program builds empathy and respect for wildlife while teaching proper handling techniques and conservation importance.
Seeing Tank the red-footed tortoise navigate his enclosure teaches patience and appreciation for creatures that move through life differently than humans.
9. Being Me Explores Human Biology
Your body becomes the subject of an incredible journey through biological systems that keep you alive every single moment. Real anatomical specimens provide authentic looks at organs and structures usually hidden beneath skin and muscle.
The exhibit balances educational value with appropriate presentation, making complex biology understandable without becoming overwhelming or uncomfortable.
Virtual reality experiences let you shrink down and travel through bloodstreams or explore how neurons fire in the brain. Interactive displays demonstrate how senses work together, how muscles contract, and why certain foods fuel bodies better than others.
Discovery Place Science presents this information with respect for diverse bodies while celebrating what makes human biology universally amazing.
Kids discover that learning about themselves proves endlessly fascinating when presented through engaging, hands-on activities rather than textbook diagrams. The exhibit encourages healthy habits by showing exactly what happens inside bodies when we make different choices.
Understanding your own biology creates appreciation for the incredible machine you inhabit and motivation to care for it properly throughout life.
10. Tyrannosaurs Meet The Family Exhibit
Over ten full-size skeletons tower above visitors in this immersive exhibition showcasing tyrannosaurs beyond just the famous T. rex. Distant relatives reveal how this family of predators evolved across millions of years and different continents.
The exhibit arrived perfectly timed to give families indoor adventures during Charlotte’s sweltering summer months when outdoor activities become less appealing.
Standing beneath these massive reconstructions provides perspective on just how dominant these creatures were in their prehistoric ecosystems. Educational panels explain current research findings that continue changing our understanding of how tyrannosaurs lived, hunted, and raised young.
Discovery Place Science brings cutting-edge paleontology to audiences who might never visit fossil dig sites.
Kids obsessed with dinosaurs find this exhibition particularly thrilling, spending extended time examining teeth, claws, and skeletal structures. The presentation balances scientific accuracy with accessibility, ensuring visitors leave with correct information rather than outdated myths.
Comparing different tyrannosaur species side-by-side highlights evolutionary adaptations that made each uniquely suited to their specific environments and time periods.
11. Towers Of Tomorrow LEGO Skyscrapers
Twenty of the world’s tallest skyscrapers stand recreated in meticulous LEGO detail, offering unique perspectives on architectural achievement. Each to-scale replica required thousands of bricks and countless hours of careful construction to achieve accuracy.
The exhibit transforms familiar toys into serious artistic and engineering statements about human ambition reaching toward the sky.
Studying these models reveals design elements and structural solutions that photographs alone cannot adequately convey or explain. Kids who build with LEGOs at home gain newfound appreciation for what’s possible with patience and planning.
The exhibition celebrates both the original architects’ visions and the builders who translated those massive structures into miniature perfection.
Informational displays explain engineering challenges faced when constructing buildings that tall in real life, from wind resistance to foundation requirements. Discovery Place Science chose this exhibit knowing Charlotte’s own growing skyline makes architecture particularly relevant to local visitors.
Comparing different skyscrapers side-by-side highlights how design aesthetics evolved across decades and different cultures worldwide, making architecture accessible and interesting to audiences of all ages.
12. Lab Workshops Demonstrate Science Live
Chemistry, physics, and biology unfold before your eyes in interactive workshops that make scientific principles tangible and understandable. Watching reactions happen in real-time creates stronger comprehension than reading about them in textbooks ever could.
The workshops vary in complexity, ensuring both younger children and older students find appropriately challenging content that matches their understanding.
Educators guide participants through experiments while explaining the science behind what they’re observing and experiencing together. Safety remains paramount, with proper equipment and supervision ensuring everyone learns without risk of injury or accident.
Discovery Place Science designs these workshops to inspire future scientists by showing how exciting laboratory work can genuinely be.
Participants often leave with renewed interest in school science classes, having seen practical applications of concepts they previously found abstract. The hands-on nature removes barriers between students and scientific understanding, proving anyone can engage with these subjects successfully.
Many young visitors specifically request workshop schedules when planning return trips, eager to experience different experiments and demonstrations each time they visit the museum.
13. IMAX Films Offer Varied Programming
Digital content ranges from nature documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters, all enhanced by that spectacular dome format. Recent technology upgrades ensure every screening delivers crystal-clear images that showcase modern filmmaking at its absolute finest.
Planetarium programming transforms the theater into a portal to distant galaxies, teaching astronomy through stunning visualizations of cosmic phenomena.
The variety means there’s almost always something playing that matches different interests and age groups perfectly. Discovery Place Science rotates films regularly, giving locals reasons to return throughout the year.
Experiencing familiar movies in this format reveals details and perspectives that standard theaters simply cannot provide or replicate.
Educational films make learning feel like entertainment, with subjects ranging from ocean exploration to space missions. The immersive nature holds attention spans better than traditional presentation formats, even for younger viewers prone to distraction.
Checking the current schedule before visiting ensures you don’t miss special screenings or limited-run films that might perfectly align with your family’s interests and preferences.
14. Membership Benefits Unlock Year-Round Access
Unlimited visits throughout the year transform occasional tourists into regular explorers who watch exhibits change and grow over time. Members skip ticket lines and save money after just a few visits, making the investment worthwhile for local families.
Free admission removes the pressure to see everything in one exhausting day, allowing relaxed visits focused on whatever interests you most.
Special member events, early access to new exhibitions, and discounts on IMAX tickets add value beyond basic entry privileges. Discovery Place Science designed membership tiers to accommodate different family sizes and budgets without excluding anyone from participation.
The program builds community among regular visitors who recognize each other during repeat trips throughout the seasons.
Kids with memberships develop deeper relationships with favorite exhibits, returning to beloved stations and discovering new details with each visit. Parents appreciate the flexibility to leave when children tire rather than feeling obligated to maximize expensive single-day tickets.
The membership essentially makes Discovery Place Science an extension of your family’s regular routine, providing educational entertainment whenever you need indoor activities or weekend adventures close to home.
