Extraordinary opportunities for lifelong learning are at every turn at Discovery Place and Charlotte Nature Museum. Take a journey through the rainforest, see and touch live animals in the aquarium or discover the joys of butterflies at Butterfly Pavilion. Each experience provides an opportunity for visitors to connect with the world in a new way.
As one of the top hands-on science museums in the nation, Discovery Place, Inc.'s mission is to ignite wonder as a preeminent science education center providing extraordinary experiences that engage people in the active exploration of science and nature. As a private 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we rely on the generous support of our community to meet our mission.
As a donor to Discovery Place, Inc. you take pride in knowing you are the force behind our ability to inspire the next generation of teachers, scientists, doctors and engineers. You provide a unique gift to the Charlotte community through special engagement exhibitions, breathtaking IMAX Dome Theatre films and awe-inspiring public demonstrations. Your generosity enriches the quality of life in this community by providing the best in family experiences and educational opportunities.
There are many ways to support Discovery Place!
- Join the Friends of Discovery ($1-$249)
- Join the Triangle Society as an Annual Fund Donor or Supporting Member ($250-$999)
- Join the Society of Leaders as an Annual Fund Donor or Supporting Member ($1,000+)
Why Support Discovery Place
The experiences that Discovery Place and Charlotte Nature Museum bring to our community are worth supporting. Just ask our donors...
Discovery Place has had some incredible exhibitions the last few years including The Dead Sea Scrolls, BODY WORLDS, A Day in Pompeii, and the recent SHIPWRECK! Pirates and Treasure. These exhibitions are made possible through the generous support of exhibition sponsors like Mary and John Sumner. When asked why they choose to support Discovery Place, the Sumners speak about the importance of having a vibrant downtown and improving the neighborhood in which they live. In addition to being loyal Annual Fund donors, the Sumners have also chosen to sponsor limited engagement exhibitions as a way to help with whatever is needed to make the organization as successful as possible.
You can't get much more involved at Discovery Place and Charlotte Nature Museum than Jo Ann Bell, a donor, Member, former trustee, and volunteer. She has a long standing relationship with Charlotte Nature Museum as a Guild member, a special group of volunteers that have supported the organization since before Discovery Place was built uptown. She is an incredibly generous donor who gets excited to see the looks of wonder in the eyes of children when they have that "aha!" moment. She is happy to be able to support the open-ended, hands-on experiences that further education and interest in science. Jo Ann's most meaningful and exciting experience with Discovery Place was the Learning Vacation to Bald Head Island in which she participated in the sea turtle watch, climbed the lighthouse "Old Baldy," and kayaked through the marshes...three things on her "bucket list."
Discovery Place, Inc. serves more than half a million people annually through in-house exhibits and our outreach program, ScienceReach. In addition to bringing unique exhibitions to our community, we deliver engaging science education to inner city neighborhoods and underserved rural communities through classroom and assembly programs. We are only able to do this because of the generosity of donors and Supporting Members.
