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Field Trip to Discovery Place Science12/23/2025
Opens at 9:30am
Costs:
$23.95 Adults (14-59)
$18.95 Children (2-13)
$20.95 Seniors (60+)
Free Children under 2
$3 WIC/EBT Recipients
$8.95 Planetarium ages 2+
Parking Costs
$10 1st Hour
$7 Each Additional Hour
25% Discount: General Admission & IMAX tickets receive a 25% discount on parking in the Discovery Place Science Parking Deck!
$8 Flat Rate for WIC/EBT Recipients
Charlotte’s Science Museum
This captivating destination offers an unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages, making it a top choice for things to do in Charlotte. Explore a wealth of interactive exhibits, awe-inspiring experiments and fascinating displays that bring science to life.
Explore vibrant aquariums filled with extraordinary marine life, get hands-on in high-tech lab spaces built for real experimentation, and step into a living rainforest where tropical plants, animals, and sounds surround you. At Discovery Place Science, visitors of all ages can dive into science in ways that are active and interactive, unexpected, and always engaging.
Don’t miss out on this must-visit attraction in Charlotte – plan your visit today and ignite your curiosity at Discovery Place Science, where endless adventures and unforgettable memories await!
Science at The Stage Live Science Show
Experience a smorgasbord of wow-inducing science experiments and demonstrations.
The Stage, Level 2
Included in admission
All age groups
The only thing you can expect is to be amazed.
Gather for a smorgasbord of science experiments, demonstrations and hands-on experiences. Will our scientist show off animals that glow? Or will the Chemist wow your senses with incredible reactions? You’ll just have to see for yourself.
Please be advised that some experiments and activities may include sudden loud noises.
Nose-to-Nose Live Science Show
Have an up-close experience with some of our Animal Ambassadors.
Mackay Field Station
Included in admission
All age groups
Get up close to our animal friends
Have an up close experience with some of the Museum’s animal residents. Learn about habitats and animal needs while developing a sense of stewardship for the environment and all living creatures.
You might meet a snake who gets its name from the iridescent sheen of its rainbow scales or a 20 pound lizard who uses its tongue to pick up chemical cues from the air.
Did you know tortoises don’t have ears or hear the same way humans do? Get up close and personal with our animal friends to learn more about what makes them unique.
A New Moon Rises Exhibit
Level 2
Included in Admission
All age groups
Explore the Moon, One Pixel at a Time in “A New Moon Rises”: Unveiling Lunar Mysteries from Orbit
Humans last stepped foot on the Moon more than 50 years ago, but now you can experience its surface like never before through images taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) between 2009 and 2015.
These large-scale, highly detailed photographs provide unique views of the lunar surface that reveal stunning landscapes, both alien and familiar, with a focus on six themes:
-Global Views
-Exploration Sites
-Discoveries
-Vistas
-Topography
-Craters
Experience the grandeur and wonder of our closest celestial neighbor when you visit A New Moon Rises.
A New Moon Rises was created by the National Air and Space Museum and the Arizona State University and is organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.
About the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC)
Its high-resolution imaging system has taken over a million surface images and revealed new details. The lunar landscapes presented here are a small but magnificent sample of LROC images. They provide a glimpse of recent discoveries and inform our nearest and most familiar celestial neighbor to be strikingly beautiful, still full of mystery and genuinely exceptional.
Cool Stuff Exhibit
Level 2
Included in Admission
All age groups
Discover the strange and eccentric world of physical phenomena.
Guests of all ages can experience the extraordinary, bizarre and super cool science principles that govern the workings of our everyday world.
Witness strange motions and weird happenings that delight the mind and senses. See the invisible with thermography cameras. Be lifted by air in the vacuum-powered Air Chair. Lie across a bed of 5,000 nails unharmed. Defy gravity with gyroscopic technology and electromagnetism.
Engage the fundamental – and fun – principle of “What goes up, must come down” as you explore the physics of lifting. Launch objects by the explosive force of a chemical reaction or pull yourself to new heights using a pulley system. Work together on the Gizmotron to scoop, fill and turn the wheels of this giant contraption.
Perform incredible feats of strength, such as crushing a garbage can or winning a seemingly impossible tug-of-war match. Flex your superhuman muscles for a round of hydraulic arm wrestling. Harness the power of the wind to steer a sailboat or spin a wind turbine.
It’s not magic. It’s cool science!
Project Build Exhibit
Level 2
Included in Admission
All age groups
Ever wonder how to build curiosity?
Unleash your inner architect!
From elaborate castles to secret forts, let your design dreams come to life.
Let your design dreams come to life in Project Build, from elaborate castles to secret forts. Learn about the different factors that influence architectural design while exploring how to build a better community for tomorrow.
Budding architects can create blueprint sketches, experiment with floorplans and discover different architectural styles. You can rearrange the layout of your bedroom or design a mock building for a virtual client using multimedia technology.
Then you can go ahead and put your plans to the test.
Whether you want to build the tallest tower, the longest bridge or the next Taj Mahal, the sky’s the limit with Build It! blocks. Set up your construction site next to architectural wonders worldwide like the Eiffel Tower, the Transamerica Pyramid or the Temple of Kukulcan … all made entirely of Build It! blocks. Not sure where to start? Spin the design wheel for structural suggestions, or look at other guests’ creations on the Inspiration Wall.
In Making Shelter, channel your inner survivalist to build the best fort ever using PVC pipe and posts. Map out your plans on the chalkboard, or jump right into building the frame. Don’t forget to protect your structure from the natural elements with camouflage netting. Enjoy your newly built shelter or deconstruct it to start again. The possibilities are endless
Fantastic Frogs Exhibit
Level 1
Included in Admission
All age groups
Get up close to some amazing amphibians!
Meet remarkable live frogs from all over the world whose unique “superpowers” have adapted over time to help them survive.
These frogs have evolved to become masters of disguise and escape artists to attract mates, deceive predators and more.
From the bones of the hairy toad (Trichobatrachus robustus) that break reflexively and shoot out from the toe pads like claws to the color-cued sunken reflex of the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata) to the golden poison dart frog (Phyllobates terribilis), the world’s most poisonous frog, Fantastic Frogs emphasizes the impressive survival traits that individual species of frogs have developed and honed over time.
This exhibition uses a graphic novel approach, incorporating spectacularly-colored wall and panel illustrations to depict how frogs live lives full of action, constantly struggling to fend off foes. It also features interactive learning games, scientific videos and, of course, plenty of live frogs!
World Alive Exhibition
Level 1
Included in Admission
All age groups
Celebrate Earth’s incredible biodiversity
From the lush green plants of the rainforest to tiniest crustacean walking along the seafloor, our planet is full of thriving life. Explore the wonders of the natural world as you investigate diverse habitats filled with unique plant and animal species from around the world.
Dive under the sea to explore the ocean depths in the World Alive aquarium:
--In the Indo-Pacific coral reef and seafloor reef rubble habitats, come face-to-face with multiple species of coral, tropical fish and other seas creatures including gobies, pufferfish, tangs, wrasse and giant clams. You might even see diver drop in, so be sure to wave hello!
--View other unique species in ecosystems from around the world, from skating stingrays to camouflaged cuttlefish.
--Discover the creatures that call the North Carolina coastline home as you explore their shoreline habitat of native plants and animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, horseshoe crabs and oyster reefs.
Then embark on a journey into Charlotte’s only urban rainforest:
--Listen for the songs of exotic birds and the sounds of an echoing waterfall.
--Channel your inner adventurer as you trek across the canopy rope bridge and witness a birds-eye view of the tropical habitat below.
--From the forest floor to the tops of the tree canopy, be on the lookout for free flying birds, tree-dwelling reptiles, ground-floor frogs, turtles and more! With a balmy, humid atmosphere, you will feel like you’ve been transported to one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.
--To learn more about the importance of biodiversity, stop by the John Mackay Field Station, a rustic researcher’s hut where you can make observations in the field about the creatures you’ve encountered and learn more about how you can protect our wild world.
World Alive brings the wonder and interconnectedness of our planet to your fingertips.
Think It Up Exhibition
Level 3
Included in Admission
All age groups
When it comes to creativity, you make the rules
Think It Up is a exhibition experience with no explicit directions provided. Guests must rely on their own hands to experiment and solve problems.
Whether you prefer to DIY (do-it-yourself) or DIT (do-it-together), Think It Up is a place where innovation is fostered and anything is possible.
Walk on light sensors that make a sound when touched, and together collaborate to make music. Create your own visual art piece by touching and turning dials on a large LED light display.
Use a variety of found materials to make objects and release them into Flutter Tubes. Will they float to the ceiling or sink to the ground?
Don’t be fooled by the lack of strings on an otherwise traditional-looking Laser Harp. Run your hands through the open center of the harp to produce a sound. Turn the dial at the base of the harp to change the sound quality.
Try Line Wobblers, a game with no instructions and no rules. Learn to play using two joysticks, a strip of LED lights and hands-on experimentation.
Hop on the SideTrack to get a new perspective. Carved engravings and different textures provide inspiration as you move through the raised walkway.
Create something new using recycled materials, hot glue, scissors and other “junk.” Take your creation home, put it on one of our “movers and shakers” to animate it or display it on the back wall. Or help decorate Dali, a 4-foot tall metal sculpture with open areas to apply materials.
Think It Up is a re-imagination of the popular Discovery Place Science exhibition of the same name formerly located on Level 2 of the Museum. Guests experiment and collaborate through new and updated fabrication stations and interactive experiences.
Being Me Exhibition
Permanent
Level 2
Included in Admission
All age groups
Celebrate the unique characteristics of human beings
From real anatomical specimens to virtual reality, embark on a biological journey through the human body in Being Me. This all-new exhibition explores the fundamentals of health and human anatomy.
Take The Big Wheel for a spin to find out how exercise keeps your body in top form. This human-sized hamster wheel uses digital feedback to show your heart rate, speed and distance traveled.
Shrink to the cellular level for a virtual reality tour through body systems. Reflect on how your muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, digestive, or nervous systems work in the Human Mirror, which uses Kinect technology to capture your movement and generate a mirror image of body systems.
Use the VeinViewer to see how near-infrared light can detect the vessels in your hand. Arrange specimens on the Bone Table to see if you can put a skeleton back together. Interact with electric pulses sent between axons of neurons in a plasma ball sculpture. Marvel at the intersection of science and art with a shimmering image of connections within the brain micro-etched in real gold.
Ever wonder how much poop the average human produces in a year? Take a deconstructed look at the “ingredients” that make up the human body. Discover some surprising things your body produces over time.
Get an in-depth look at the human body with real plastinated specimens, including a human femur, brain, heart, and more! Being Me features a female human torso from Gunther Von Hagens’ Institute for Plastination. Take an up-close look at body systems such as the digestive, muscular, reproductive, and others, including some of the individual organs that make up these systems.
Plus many more experiences and exhibitions!!
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Discovery Place Science, 301 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202-2138, United States
