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Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: kids (17) exhibits (16) play (15) time (12) small (12) visit (12) area (10) experience (9) Discovery (9) children (8)
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  • 4/5 John 2 years ago on Google
    We had a good time here. The highlight was the planetarium, which was very informative and entertaining. I took one star because many of the exhibits were empty and we were hoping for more of an interactive experience. But, I would go again. Expect to spend between 1 and 2 hours here. Good for children younger than 10.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Miranda “Mandi” H. 1 year ago on Google
    First day of homeschooling field trio! It was wonderful. Watching the bees made my day, and the planetarium was wonderful! Oh, my kids enjoyed it, too! One of my child's favorite is the fossils.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 jarred elliott (. 1 year ago on Google
    Awesome place to take the kids. Little on the small side but you can get a few hours out of it easily. There's exhibits inside and a more.. 'natural' play area outside, my boy loved it. If I recall there is a trail you can access from the parking lot that leads to a park / lake. Would 100% go back.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Divyaxi P. 1 year ago on Google
    It was and amazing experience here!! We never knew we'd enjoy so much with the insects!! And we were there when they let the butterflies out when they're out of there cocoon! It was so fascinating and memorable.. we had so much fun!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Eric S. 2 years ago on Google
    This used to be an amazing destination, but my kids are now both too old for this place to hold any real interest, especially since they've allowed the play area to come to complete disrepair.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Debbie S. 1 year ago on Google
    Sadly we were very disappointed! We brought my daughter here for her birthday and after paying $24 we were there for only 15 mins. That’s how long it took to complete because everything was closed. The nature walk was closed due to rain and there were no butterflies at the exhibit. It was really disappointing to have paid so much and not to be able to do anything. It is super tiny. I think the new building will be cool but this was a waste of money and should have been discounted given so much was closed.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bonnie R. 4 years ago on Google
    This museum has improved so much over recent years. Our whole family enjoys the planetarium shows, which are included in admission. The nature trails and outdoor play areas are creative spaces. I appreciate being able to have close up viewing of animals at different eye levels, along with different play spaces. The space is definitely designed with young children in mind.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Satira L. 2 years ago on Google
    We have been here twice now including BooBash. It really is a great place for taking going children. There's turtles, snakes, bugs and such to look at. There's a indoor bee hive which is pretty neat to be able to see. The staff are very kind and helpful. There's also some outdoor space for a little hiking. The only reason I have to give it 4 stars is there just really isn't much to do here and your visit can end up being very short. We go to Discovery kids all the time and discovery science in uptown those both have so much more to do.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 WM 9 months ago on Google
    Great low cost activity for the family. The bees were pretty cool, as were all the other exhibits. I was disappointed that we didn't see ANY butterflies, however. Would definitely go back again.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jeremiah S. 10 months ago on Google
    I recently had the pleasure of visiting Discovery Place Nature with my granddaughter, and we had a fantastic time. This gem of an attraction is perfect for small children, offering a variety of exhibits and activities to keep their curiosity piqued and their minds engaged. Our visit included the mesmerizing "Oberovety Star Show," which was an absolute delight. The show transported us to the far reaches of the universe and provided a fascinating glimpse into the world of astronomy. Both my granddaughter and I were captivated by the experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Discovery Place Nature. Although our visit was relatively short, we managed to see all the exhibits, which were well-crafted and engaging. The only downside was that the nature trail was closed due to rain on the day we visited. While this was disappointing, we understood that safety must come first and appreciated the precaution taken by the staff. Despite the weather, our overall experience at Discovery Place Nature was enjoyable and memorable. The facility offers a fun and educational escape for families, and I look forward to returning on a sunny day to explore the nature trail with my granddaughter. If you have small children and are looking for a unique and entertaining way to spend a day, Discovery Place Nature should be at the top of your list.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Katie K. 9 months ago on Google
    Great learning opportunities. Is the staff is knowledgeable, kind and polite. It's a little small but for the size of the space they've done a wonderful job. There's a really fun Play area made to look like it's underground, there's a lab where you can observe bees, And a butterfly garden as well as a planetariumAnd a butterfly garden as well as a planetariumAnd meeting greets with the reptiles.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Emily 1 year ago on Google
    I came here as a kid like 20-25 years ago and thought I’d bring my toddler now that he is old enough to enjoy. I was very disappointed. Very run down, poorly kept, many exhibits were closed. It needs updating and a deep cleaning. some of the animals exhibits are small or missing animals so not a lot to look at. The staff was friendly, it just seems like they need some funding to freshen this place up. I’d avoid going during the summer because several labs/rooms were shut down due to summer camps which probably doesn’t help my perspective.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Adele D. 2 years ago on Google
    Nice museum and good place for the kids! Great for little ones. Could do without the micro aggressions / bad attitude at the front desk. There was no one in line, I have a membership and made reservations… didn’t realize I was also supposed to show virtual tickets. She couldn’t resist the Captain Obvious statement of “you’ll get in a lot quicker here and at other locations if you have your tickets out”. So sorry it took a whole extra minute of her time.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Quinn B. 2 years ago on Google
    My kids had a lot of fun. Ots a small location, but my kids always enjoy going to visit. They really enjoyed seeing the bee hive & the bees.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Irán M. 2 years ago on Google
    This place is nice my son and me we enjoy the star show..✨ and the trail paw my son loves 🍃
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Cara 8 months ago on Google
    This place is extremely run down. There are live turtles, snakes, and one opossum. Most of the other animals are taxidermy-style birds (unsure if real taxidermy or replica) and rodents. The indoor play spaces and interactive exhibits are old and/or broken. For example right at the entrance there are pictures of baby animals that were so blurry.... they look like they were printed from Paint in 1999. The only thing we saw in the butterfly garden were dead roaches on the floor. I spent $8 and change for me and my 18 month old. There was a nice storytime that we attended and since he's so little, it was an okay way to spend the morning. Probably the best part about this place is the fully shaded and fenced outdoor play space. I would not return.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Katie Sizer (. 1 year ago on Google
    Such a lovely time! Very affordable way to spend the afternoon. The exhibits were smaller and more manageable than some larger kids museums. We got to get much more up close and personal!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Carolyn W. 8 months ago on Google
    Fantastic experience every time we come here. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. This was our first time getting to experience the planetarium and it was cool because it wasn't like others we had been to. It was definitely set up for families and allowed you to sit, lay on mats or share a bean bag with your family/friends. I love how they opened up the play areas with the tunnels again as that is something we didn't experience during Covid times but it was great to have the full experience this visit. I definitely recommend checking out the outdoor play area and trail that circles it. Something for everyone here.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ashley 11 months ago on Google
    Went here for a Saturday morning and got to enjoy the story time and astronomy show. My niece loved the slide they had in there - she definitely had a nice nap on the way home after going up and down several times.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Noa W. 2 years ago on Google
    unlike Discovery science (which is really great), this place is very small, doesn't have many things to do at all. it's a few animals in very small boxes. my 7 year old and 2 year old were done with the place in an hour. not really recommended
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Eric W. 1 year ago on Google
    It's a neat and fun place to take your kids. The only issue is that it seems underfunded and understaffed as multiple exhibits are left unused and sometimes entire sections are closed off without explanation. The naturalist lab is my favorite. The bee hive observation windows are a ton of fun to watch and study!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Mithila V A. 2 years ago on Google
    It was a nice place to visit, some exhibits were closed due to the pandemic but most of them were open. It's quite educational especially for small children... There is also a small library that looked really interesting! I don't think its worth getting a membership though. We also got to see a caretaker bring out a albino snake and explain all about it... That was quite interesting.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 David F. 1 year ago on Google
    Great for the 5+under set. We visited on a winter's day as the discovery place is getting ready for a major renovation. So it was understandable that the butterfly room is empty of lepidoptera, a few reptile tanks are empty and it was too cold for the outdoor play space. All that said, the youngsters loved it. We circled the exhibits two or three times over an hour-plus visit. Live turtles, snakes, insects, plus a room full of child sized burrows to play in, taxidermy of local species and a live turtle demonstration. Kind and helpful staff. Plus a visit to Freedom Park to round it out. All around a nice find for an afternoon outing.

  • 5/5 Ashlyn B. 6 months ago on Google
    Amazing place to bring kids and it's never as crowded as the other discovery place locations.

  • 5/5 Eric P. 5 months ago on Google
    Want to have an absolute blast with your kids? You need to go the Discovery Place Nature Museum! They will be so engaged the entire visit, and they will learn so much while having fun:)

  • 5/5 Evangelia E. 7 months ago on Google
    I haven’t been here in years, but visited with my 3 year old son recently and we had a great time! This is a perfect day activity for little kids, up to ages 6-8 I think would love it. It is an older museum (established in 1951) so the building looks old, and exhibits aren’t as new as they could be, but we haven’t been to many museums, so this was exciting for us! You enter through the main room that leads down multiple hallways. We bought tickets at the door, $8 each— they also have senior, military, and AAA discounts, as well as a program to offer $3 tickets if you receive WIC or EBT benefits. I ended up buying a yearly membership at the end of our visit, for both the Nature Museum and Discovery Place Science. It covers 2 parents + any kids in the family, and I chose to add one guest so you can bring someone else for any visits. We took a brief stop into the wildlife lab, which had an event going on with a class of kids (I think from a visiting summer camp or preschool), and got to touch a snake! Next is the insect alley and creature cavern. Insect alley has some cool displays with bugs, and had a cute “bug” for the kids to stand behind. My son kept giggling when he saw himself in the mirror! The creature cavern has live animals like snakes, frogs, and turtles. My kiddo really loved stepping onto the rocks and going “hi turtles!” Our Big Backyard might have been his favorite room; it has underground tunnels kids can go through, and water features like a little stream, and a water paint wall. Next, we went to a show in the planetarium. He wanted to walk around at first, but when the show started it kept him pretty mesmerized! The projector showed us the stars you can see in the summer, and explained the different constellations and notable stars. Peetie’s Place is a play area with some books, toys, and nature-inspired decor— there’s also a little area built into the wall that kids can go into. There were summer camps going on in the Sunspot and Naturalist Lab rooms, and the Dragonfly Theatre didn’t have any events going on so we didn’t go in. We stopped by the Butterfly Pavilion; it’s covered by glass so there’s lots of natural light, and is basically a courtyard with plants. There’s a vending machine with snacks and drinks, and $1-2 each (they did actually have vegan fig bars that my son likes, so I got one for him!) We didn’t venture outside to the Paw Paw Nature Trail or Fort Wild, but definitely will on the next visit. I saw a sign outside saying that they’re working on site improvements in the Fort Wild area, and are accepting public input— the site says it’s in draft mode right now, but I’m looking forward to seeing what they do! Over all, it was a great trip, and we spent the day from 1:30-4:30 here, and had lots of fun. We actually parked on the street by the entrance to Freedom Park, and ended up walking along the trail to the Nature Museum.

  • 5/5 Brad M. 9 months ago on Google
    Fairly good for $8. I wouldn't expect anything extravagant, as there are a lot of summer programs that have booked most of the cool labs. But the exhibits that are open, plus the butterfly room are a good way to keep a young one entertained for about an hour.

  • 5/5 Theresa H. 8 months ago on Google
    Great place for a 7 year old. She loved the planetarium. She also enjoyed the play area, which has a small water play section, and tunnels to climb in and out of. I thought we would only be there for an hour, but she was so enraptured that we spent two hours instead. I wish the museum was better funded. There were fewer toys than there used to be in the other play area. There were also a fair number of empty animal exhibits. And there were no butterflies, and no signs to explain why.

  • 5/5 Kelsey S. 2 years ago on Google
    Fun trip with my toddler. The animals inside are really neat to look at and all of the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They were doing a talk about one of their turtles when we visited and wish my toddler had more of an attention span to watch because the speaker was doing a terrific job.

  • 4/5 Kristi T. 1 year ago on Google
    My daughter loves nature so she picked this place to visit. Very educational. Loved the the bee exhibit. Locals very knowledgeable and friendly. Local honey we tried was wonderful. Small place but interesting to see. Volunteers were wonderful and inviting. They shared great knowledge about the place.

  • 5/5 Tameka M. 1 year ago on Google
    I never knew this was at Freedom Park as many times as I have been. My 3 littles loved this place. It was so much to see and learn about. We also got to watch a show about the stars. It's was very informative. My favorite part was the looking at the beekeepers . I was just amazed at how beekeeping is done. We were able to get a wonderful discount by showing either your WIC or EBT CARD. It was a great experience and I plan to go a few times a year.

  • 5/5 Richard I. 1 year ago on Google
    I really enjoyed taking my 2 year old toddler we took advantage of all it had to offer going to story time, star gazing show, and live encounter with a snake! My son loves their play area and going outside he even took a nap on the way home (bonus for us parents) the staff were super friendly and caring and will definitely come back!

  • 4/5 Sarra A. 1 year ago on Google
    Good place to spend time with littles. Freedom Park is right outside, so you can extend your outing. Just bring your own food and snacks, options are limited and you'll have to drive off property if you're not prepared. Museum itself is pretty small. Maybe an hour max inside. You do have to reserve ahead for the planetarium shows because of limited space.

  • 4/5 Brandy R. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place for a toddler. There are not a lot of exhibits but that makes it less overwhelming for smaller children. They brought out a tortoise for the children to see. They also did a question and answer while viewing the tortoise. My 2 yr old granddaughter really enjoyed it. Not sure about cost as my son has a family package plan.

  • 2/5 acoll 5. 1 year ago on Google
    We had high hopes for this place. We love nature and the nature center in Asheville, NC and was hoping it would be similar. We also love all the other Discovery places in Charlotte. We came really early for an appointment (3 hours traveled) in hopes of spending the day here. Unfortunately upon arriving we discovered most things were closed- either because of Covid or because of (I believe) summer camp. We viewed everything available in an hour. We had got (free) tickets to do the star gazing activity and was at least excited about that. We waited around for the time for it it start, got inside, they turned it on - and discovered it was messed up. We ended up just leaving and going to the park down the road.


Call (704) 327-2189 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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