A storied past and growing future.
In 1951, Charlotte Nature Museum opened as one of the first facilities in the southeast focused on bringing families and nature together. The success of the Museum along with growing concerns about a post-Sputnick Soviet Union, spurred a growing demand in the community for quality science education. In response, the community approved funding and plans for a comprehensive hands-on science and technology center and, in 1981, Discovery Place opened its doors with 72,000 square feet of space.
As the needs of the community grew, the facility expanded. In 1986, exhibition space was added to accommodate traveling exhibitions and in 1991 the Charlotte Observer IMAX® Theatre opened as the first giant-screen motion picture theatre in the Carolinas. The Carol Grotnes Belk Education and Parking Complex was completed in 1996. Today Discovery Place encompasses over 160,000 square feet offering educational, exhibit, meeting and support spaces. Together,Discovery Place and Charlotte Nature Museum served more than three quarters of a million people in fiscal year 2008.
Now, Discovery Place is again making changes to meet the community's educational needs. Discovery Place is currently undergoing a $31.6 million renovation that will fill the Museum with all new interactive science and technology exhibits and activities that will present contemporary science in an engaging and informative way. The renovation is scheduled to be completed by June 2010.
