A Guide to Fun and Educational Children's Museums in and Around Charlotte, North Carolina

Children's museums in and around Charlotte, North Carolina provide fun and educational settings for children, their parents and for the truly young at heart! Give your children a positive start in life by exposing them to fun, nature, arts and culture.

Charlotte Nature Museum--Let the kids go wild at the Creature Cavern with live animals such as owls, opossums, snakes, skinks and skunks, all native to the Carolinas. Or take a walk on the mild side with free-flying butterflies in the Butterfly Pavilion.

The Charlotte Nature Museum is geared toward children ages 3-7, and also offers a look into Insect Alley, the Paw Paw Nature Trail and Our Big Backyard, which allows the little ones to splash in a stream, dig in the dirt, and to explore secret tunnels, while discovering the world underground.

Location:1658 Sterling Road
Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone:704-372-6261, ext.300

Hours:
Mon: Closed
Tues-Fri: 9 am to 5 pm
Sat: 10 am to 5 pm
Sun: noon to 5 pm

Admission:
Members-free
Non-members-$6 for adults and children
http://www.charlottenaturemuseum.org

Discovery Place--Discovery Place is dedicated to science and there are oodles of things to see and do that will enlighten and expand a child's world. Start your little scientist off early with family workshops that focus on two to six-year-olds. They can dig for dinosaurs, play with simple machines, and more. In addition to summer camps for kids of all ages, Discovery Place offers IMAX, a movie theatre with a dome shape. This theatre plays films such as "Under the Sea," transporting viewers to a different world.

Location: 301 N Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-372-6261 x300

Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9 am to 5 pm
Sat: 10 am to 6 pm
Sun: Noon to 5 pm

Member Admission
Museum: Free
IMAX: $7 for adults, $6 for children
Museum & IMAX $7 for adults, $6 for children

Non-member admission
Museum: $12 adults, $9 children, $10 seniors
IMAX: $8 adults, $7 children, $7 seniors
Museum & IMAX: $18 adults, $14 children, $15 seniors
http://www.discoveryplace.org

KidSenses Children's Interactive Museum--This one is a bit off the beaten path, but the hands-on exhibits are designed to intrigue. Through play, children have the opportunity to be a dentist, a firefighter or to work in a restaurant or store. There's also a Discovery Garden and a Virtual Reality Ride, which provides an authentic roller coaster experience--without actually getting on a roller coaster, of course. Camps and "Walk-in Workshops" are available at additional cost.

Location: 172 N. Main Street
Rutherford, NC
Phone: 828-286-2120

Hours:
Tues-Thurs: 9 am to 5 pm
Fri: 9 am to 8 pm
Sat: 9 am to 5 pm

Admission: $5
http://www.kidsenses.com

Charlotte Trolley Museum--What is one of the first things children learn about in the early grades? Transportation, of course, from the past to the present. If you want to hop aboard the trolley, be sure to go on the weekend, when trolleys roll. If you really want to teach children about the past, the museum is home to Car #85, a car that was built in 1927, was in operation for 11 years before being used as an Air National Guard office and a diner in the 1940s. Today, it's the only original electric trolley in operation in Charlotte.

Location: Camden Road
Charlotte, NC 28203
704-375-0850

Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 11 am to 3 pm
Fri-Sat: 11 am to 5 pm
Sun: 1 pm to 5 pm

Trolley Schedule
Sat: 10:05 am to 5:05 pm
Sun: 10:10 am to 5:10 pm

Admission:
Free
http://www.charlottetrolley.org/

Carolinas Aviation Museum--Bring your little boy or girl to this museum, located adjacent to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and watch their imaginations take flight. The interactive exhibits, the F4S Phantom and the Boeing Stratotanker, are popular with children and adults alike.

Location:4672 First Flight Drive
Charlotte, NC 28208-5770
704-359-8442

Hours:
Mon-Fri: 10 am to 4 pm
Sat: 10 am to 5 pm
Sun: Closed

Admission:
Adults $12, Students, Centers and Active Military with ID $9, Children Under 5 Free, discounts for groups of 5 to 15.
http://www.carolinasaviation.org/

North Carolina Transportation Museum- Museum exhibits are spread out in three buildings, including the Barber Junction Visitor Center, a genuine train depot from 1898. Watch out for special events, such as Halloween and Christmas activities and a Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine.

Location: 411 S. Salisbury Ave.
Spencer, NC 28159
704-636-2889
877-NCTM-FUN

Hours:
May 1-Oct 31
Mon-Sat: 9 am to 5 pm
Sun: 1 pm to 5 pm

Nov 1-30
Tue-Sat 9 am to 5 pm
Sun: 1 pm to 5 pm
Mon: Closed

Admission: Free admission for exhibits and parking

Train and Turntable Rides:
Adults, $6, Children 3-12, $5, Seniors $5, Free for children younger than 3 who will not occupy a seat.
http://www.nctrans.org/

The Light Factory: Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film--The Light Factory was founded in 1972 and is one of only four museums for photography and film in the U.S. Its purpose is to promote the power of image by exposing visitors to a different view of the world. If you have a shutterbug in your family, summer camps are available for rising grades 2-12. There are also classes for children with special needs.

Location: 345 N. College Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-333-9755

Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9 am to 6 pm
Sun: 1 pm to 6 pm

Admission: Free and open to the public with exceptions for private events or exhibit installation.
http://www.lightfactory.org/