Discovery Place Science image

Discovery Place Science

Tourist attraction Movie theater Aquarium Indoor playground Science museum Planetarium

Kids' science & tech museum with interactive exhibits, an aquarium, rain forest & IMAX theater. People often mention kids, time, exhibits, exhibit, loved, science, ages, stuff, children, experience,


Address

301 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202, United States

Website

discoveryplace.org

Contact

+1 704-327-2189

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (4.6K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: kids (38) time (18) exhibits (17) exhibit (13) loved (9) science (9) ages (9) stuff (9) children (8) experience (8)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Kathryn r. 2 years ago on Google
    What a great place, so much variety of things for kids to do. They had the Rain Forrest exhibit, which was really good. Quick tip - buy the tickets in advance to avoid the long line waiting to buy. If you forget, there is a QR code on the front door to buy while you are there.
    10 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alex L. 1 year ago on Google
    We loved this place! There were many interesting hands on exhibits to make science fund and exciting for kids. My 3 1/2 year old son really enjoyed it. You have to buy your tickets in advance. You can get. 10% discount if you sign up for their News letter. Follow the directions for parking validation or else you’d pay $22.
    8 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dan T. 2 months ago on Google • 247 reviews New
    Wonderfully creative place for your children of all ages! We live in Raleigh but came here cuz we can get in for free with our membership to Marbles here in Raleigh! 😁👍 Saved us $67 on admission!!! AMEN! 😄😄 There are three floors of fun sciency things for your kids to experiment with, creative building things, water play, musical things, and the best part our son loved the most…ANIMALS!!! He LOVED seeing the animals and experience that aspect. My favorite part was the HUGE 2-story tropical rain forest type bird aviary they have there! Top notch! 🦜🦢🦩🕊️🦜 We went through all three floors, then took our lunch break in their AWESOME cafeteria!!! The food was AWESOME! You HAVE to get one of their Mango Smoothies!!!! 😋😋😋😋😋👍👍 After finishing lunch, we walked through the museum a second time, hitting all of the highlights and seeing our favorite parts again. LOVED IT! (The only negative aspect at all, was that a few of their interactive exhibits needed their pieces replenished…or some aspect of the apparatus fixed or maintenance performed on it.)
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mohammed I. 1 year ago on Google
    For kids to learn through experience, this place is superb. Initially I was underwhelmed. The live stock and life exhibitions are limited. However all the activities to get kids involved in makes up for any life exhibits. From biology, physics, chemistry to geology, kids can experience these science through play and experiment. Give yourself several hours.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rene C. 2 months ago on Google • 521 reviews New
    Perfect for your kids! This is a very interactive museum 👏. I love the setup, and how can you engage with the public. The Marvel exhibit was very good and rich in information and items from the movies. Military 🪖 discounts are available.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jahaira G. 1 year ago on Google
    Our family visited this location back in April. It was a friend of ours idea as it was her toddlers birthday weekend and this is where she wanted to go. I have an 11 and 12 year old who also enjoyed it very much. The reptiles were very cool. There was a room where you were able to put tons of things under a microscope and even the adults enjoyed that room. It's a really cute place and we all enjoyed our time.
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Satira L. 2 years ago on Google
    I've been here multiple times with my children. It is definitely geared more to an older child. We really like it here but compared to other science museums I've been to I just don't feel like it has enough. It's always really clean though and the staff are always helpful. We came to see the Apollo exhibit while it was here. That's a tiny aquarium. Lots of physics/simple machines for kids to test. Learn about the body. Indoor rainforest.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Brian 1 year ago on Google
    A great fun way to spend the afternoon with kids in Charlotte. The staff are friendly and willing to answer kid's questions. There are lots of hands-on interactive exhibits that allow children to learn and had fun at the same time. My 10 year old loved trying everything out and would ask questions after trying one of the hands-on experiences...she learned a lot. They also have staff led demonstrations with things like liquid nitrogen that she found absolutely facilitating. Highly recommend if you are in the Charlotte area with children.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alyssa, w. 1 month ago on Google • 407 reviews New
    My partner and I visited for Science on the Rocks - and it was such a fun date night! It was the perfect chance to relax and explore the museum kid-free 🍻

  • 5/5 Linda L. 6 months ago on Google • 123 reviews
    We visited Discovery Place Science recently with our 4 oldest grandchildren, ages 10, 12, 14, with some doubt as to whether they would be too old for the exhibits. I'm not sure why we were worried. They absolutely loved it. There were plenty of interactive exhibits and lots of exhibits with live animals. On the day we were there, there was a Marvel exhibit, which was fun for us older guys as well as the kids. We will definitely go back.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sam P. 2 years ago on Google
    Our six year old really enjoyed her visit on her birthday. We were pleased with the large variety of exhibits that were suited to children of all ages, even the grownups! It was really great to see the mindfulness exhibit with a lot of education on mental health, and opportunities to find some peace and quiet after some of the chaos! The RainForest exhibit was my personal favorite. I would have loved to spend more time trying to find the colorful birds in the canopy.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Amy D. 2 years ago on Google
    Budget more time than you think. Many displays and hands on activities. Delightful for kids. Take the time to enjoy the science show!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Khadya H. 1 year ago on Google
    I've been coming here for a long time and my kids (who range from ages 1 to 11) still find it entertaining. This was my 1st time coming with my youngest (of 6) who is 1 and he had a fantastic time. I also love the location because when we finish up we can just walk down the street to the square and take our pick of places to eat.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Richard S. 6 months ago on Google • 43 reviews
    Growing up in Charlotte, Discovery Place holds a piece of my childhood heart for all of the memories. Today was no different as I brought my son with his Grandfather for the Marvel exhibit they’re holding. The staff was wonderful and informative and facilities were excellent. The exhibits were immersive and I can not speak highly enough of the Marvel adventure. So well put together and amazing to see the authentic costumes, original artworks, and detailed props. An amazing afternoon spent walking through Discovery Place!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Ashlea C. 6 months ago on Google • 30 reviews
    Discovery Place is and always will be AWESOME! I've been going here since I was a child, and now I have the opportunity to take my own kids. I'd give them 5 stars, but we were kind of saddened that we couldn't afford to see the IMAX movies anymore. They have a great admission discount for families that receive SNAP benefits, but not much of a discount for the actual IMAX tickets so we were pretty bummed that we couldn't afford to pay around $30 for our family of 4 to go see a movie. However, if you have the money, the IMAX is unique and a one of a kind experience. Another pricing issue was with the moving exhibit- $20 per PERSON to see super heroes... I didn't see anyone walk into that exhibit for that price. Money aside, GENERAL admission grants you access to the museum portion which includes a children's area (7 years old or younger), a rainforest, a mini aquarium, an area where you can zoom in with microscopes on all sorts of nature-y things like rocks, sand, bugs, bones, shells, etc... and so much more! It's a lot of fun and there's a lot to learn for both adults and children. Our favorite exhibit has always been the bed of nails, because, how cool is that?! If you live in or are visiting the immediate area and haven't visited this museum, it's definitely in my book of top 5's for things to do in Charlotte with kids.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Haley 7 months ago on Google • 29 reviews
    Love this place for my toddler. He was able to interact and touch everything. The rain forest exhibit was awesome along with their smaller aquarium. The visit was well worth your money. So many things to do and learn here for a variety of ages.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Nicole 1 year ago on Google
    Stopped in for a date without the kids. It was cute but honestly I thought it was a bit over priced since there wasn’t much to do in it and many of the machines/toys were broken. It’s a neat thing to do at least once. Parking is in the parking garage right passed the entrance. If you’re in a large truck, you may have some issues finding a place to park.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Will M. 2 years ago on Google
    Loved first floor of natural sciences. Good place to improve ecological literacy. Explanation of producers and different level of consumers and interplay of humans’ actions and species survival. Good place to learn foundation of why we need more habitat for pollinators and less manicured chemical enhanced yards.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Billy C. 6 months ago on Google • 58 reviews
    It's a wonderful experience for all ages. So much changes along the way, since I've been there. Love the atmosphere and the multi-level they have to explore. You can get to feel and things to do while you there. Also the IMAX dome theater will have you floating in the cloud. The mini rain forest and aquarium have a good viewing to enjoy.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Brandi M. 6 months ago on Google • 42 reviews
    I haven’t been to Discovery Place since I was a toddler! I was happy to come back to see the Marvel Exhibition!!!!!! I absolutely loved it! So much information and to see the actual costumes that the actors wore was amazing! I would recommend!!!!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 PAIZ 10 months ago on Google
    Went to the marvel experience. This is a little out of pocket price wise. The Marvel thing was just costumes. Not exactly what I expected. It was $100 just for 2 of us with no membership. The membership is about the same. Having been to a good amount of science centers. This one doesn’t have much. It’s not really that engaging. The former teacher in me wonders how this would keep kids attention for more than 30 seconds. This place is alright but needs to upgrade. I do like the different environment sections. It DOES have some fun stuff. Just saying that for the amount and space available I was thinking more would be there. If you have kids - you’ll still enjoy it
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Emily H. 9 months ago on Google
    If you want to spend $100 and have half the exhibits say this, then by all means, go do it. Honestly this was such a waste of time and money. We did everything the was working within an hour. Plus, so many kids from summer camps that were rude and cutting in line in front of our daughter. Not the best experience. Do better Discovery Place Science Center.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Masuma S. 11 months ago on Google
    It was a worth of the time trip. Tried to cover every part of it but couldn't as we went almost endeof the day. My kid liked rainforest and sea world part first. Then he found out that top secret wing 😂 but by that time it's already closed. Definitely worthy for kids time.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Michelle F. 1 year ago on Google
    The exhibits were pretty cool and very hands on. The kids loved it. Pretty spacious and lots of different things to see/do. I feel like the price tag isn't worth it for the adults specifically but I think it's cool they offer discounts for EBT.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gian G. 7 months ago on Google
    Great place to visit. The Marvel exhibit is definitely worth the price of admission if you have kids that love the MCU like mine do. Enjoy Friends!!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Qi Z. 2 years ago on Google
    Apollo exhibition was awesome and informative. Lots of contexts including the social and political background at the time. Gave both Soviet and the us a fair introduction of the space race between the country.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Katy H. 10 months ago on Google
    We love the play room for younger kids. The water table is my son’s favorite. The rainforest has also been a hit. I highly recommend the annual pass.

  • 4/5 Ms. R. 2 years ago on Google
    This is a really neat place to take your kids to and was fun for the whole family. I loved the indoor rainforest exhibit, and enjoyed all the interactive S.T.E.M activities there. My kids could've spent the whole day here and have been content.

  • 4/5 Ronald R. 8 months ago on Google
    Great place for kids, so much to do and see. A lil' pricey for 2 adults and 2 kids (like $178), but you can stay there for hours. We saw the Marvel exhibit and were not disappointed.

  • 4/5 Tamara M. 8 months ago on Google
    Nice museum. Went with a preschool class. Not as big as some of the others I’ve been to in Columbia, SC and Raleigh. I probably would not buy a membership to this one due to that reason.

  • 4/5 Angel i. 11 months ago on Google
    Some of the exhibitions were closed, but the animals and rain forest exhibition were nice. They have a place where you can sit and order food, they have nice healthy options which is nice. The turkado sandwich was really good.

  • 5/5 Ashley T. 1 year ago on Google
    I went here with my family on a Saturday and it was extremely busy. Both of my sons, ages 1.5 and 4.5, really enjoyed themselves. We were there for a little over 4 hours and it was time well spent. The hands on exhibits were really nice and educational. Some exhibits were a little more popular than others, so there were lines, which was fine. However, done kids weren’t being supervised so they were skipping the line which was incredibly frustrating for a toddler who was waiting patiently for his turn. Considering some people just let their children run wild with little to no supervision here, it would be nice if some of the more popular exhibits had “attendants” to try and keep things orderly and fair. There’s an area for little kids specifically, which both of my kids loved and would’ve stayed in for hours had we met them. The second floor had most of the “cool stuff” which we almost missed out on because we didn’t realize we had to take a special elevator to get to it. Would’ve been helpful if the people at the front desk told us that, but fortunately, we discovered it on our own. The small aquarium was ok even with some of the sea creatures being a bit shy, one of which seemed hungry. The bathrooms were clean and well stocked. The exhibits were mostly in good condition with the exception of a few that could’ve used some tending to, and it was really fun for my children and I. I would definitely recommend this to parents with kids of all ages. Even people without kids would enjoy themselves here.

  • 5/5 Bellissimo B. 1 year ago on Google
    This is a big place with lot of information for kids and adults related to science. It’s a well maintained property and surely families with kids can spend nice 2-3 hours. This place has lot to offer which can keep young as well as big kids engaged. You need to pay for parking which you can buy online and show at the entrance desk or you can directly buy at the entrance desk.They have Imax for you to watch movies related to science and fiction. Inside you will also find a little rain forest.I definitely recommend this place.

  • 5/5 Igor V. 1 year ago on Google
    What a wonderful place for families to play and learn. Three stories with plenty of animals, games and interactive activities for kids of all ages. Plenty of things to do and see. We had a great time specially on a rainy day and spent hours there. They also have the Dome Imax theater next door with the largest screen around and unique movie watching experience. Make sure to get your tickets online to save some money. You can do it day of as well, so no need for planning. Go by yourself, with your kids or friends and have fun!

  • 5/5 Ashley A. 2 years ago on Google
    I absolutely love this place it's wonderful for kids and adults to come learn and interact with all forms of science there are several exhibits to explore some of which will blow your mind and also inspire the minds of our upcoming generations my son who is 10 said he had best time of his life as did I we will definitely be back for more adventures

  • 3/5 Carlos P. 1 year ago on Google
    It's a nice place but more for kids. There are three floors but you can go through them pretty quick. The staff is pretty nice and it's very clean.

  • 5/5 AJ B. 1 year ago on Google
    This place was amazing. My son and friends daughter had a blast checking out the frogs, the fish, and all the awesome exhibits. Well worth the trip, parking was easy and cheap.

  • 5/5 IDK_5Stars 5 months ago on Google • 2 reviews
    This is a fun place to go to. From looking at neat science stuff to playing a game about space, this place is full of stuff that will make you have a great time. What I really came here for was astronomy. However the moon stuff was a little to complicated for me. Another problem is that someone probably moved a bit too much that they threw up in the toilet. I’m not kidding. I’ll show proof but blur it since it’s disgusting. Other than that the rainforest area was cool, as well as the aquarium and the life stuff. We didn’t realize there was 3 floors so we almost missed one but in my honest opinion it was meh. Just some random robotics or building stuff. You could make music up there though. There is this technology thingy that you can use and it’s about a skeleton. And at the cool stuff area they have cool stuff. There is like a slingshot and some kind of machine next to the slingshot. There are 2 machines. The air chair and whatever the other one is called. I rate this a 5/5. I would come back but I would not like to see vomit.


Call +1 704-327-2189 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair rental
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance

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