Charlotte Museums

(Charlotte, North Carolina - NC, USA)

Charlotte is home to a generous selection of excellent museums, including a number that feature interactive displays and hands-on exhibits that are great for keeping kids' interest levels up, while teaching them something at the same time.

Discovery Place is among the best attractions of its kind in the country, boasting exciting science and nature-related exhibits, while history buffs will relish the chance to explore the Charlotte Museum of History, home to the oldest dwelling in the country and numerous relics.

Adding to the diversity of Charlotte's cultural offerings is the renowned Mint Museum Uptown at the Levine Center for the Arts, as well as the Levine Museum of the New South, where families will discover exhibits relating to days gone by in the North Carolina Piedmont area. Also here are recreations of a small farmer's house, an early department store and a mill house.

Charlotte Museum of History

Address: 3500 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina NC, 28215, USA
Tel: +1 704 568 1774
This museum details the local history of Charlotte and its surrounds. Located on the site of the Hezekiah Alexander Homesite, the oldest dwelling in the country, the museum's interactive exhibits will keep kids occupied, while rotating displays covering the last 300 years of the city's history keep the museum fresh and interesting.
Open hours: Wednesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for seniors, students and children, children under six go free. Admission includes tour of the Hezekiah Alexander Homesite on a first come first severed basis

Discovery Place

Address: 301 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina NC, 28202, USA
Tel: +1 704 372 6261
Discovery Place is one of the most popular family attractions in Charlotte, boasting fascinating hands-on exhibits, an Omnimax Theater, a Planetarium, the Challenger Learning Center and an excellent aquarium. Rotating exhibits mean that you can keep coming back again and again and never get bored.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday - 10:00 to 18:00, Sunday - 12:30 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for seniors and children, children under two free

Charlotte Nature Museum

Address: 1658 Sterling Avenue, Charlotte, South Carolina SC, USA
Tel: +1 704 372 0471
Affiliated with Discovery Place, the Charlotte Nature Museum features animals and plants of the Piedmont and includes a great butterfly pavilion, nature trails, Native American relics and interactive exhibits aimed at children.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, children under two free

Levine Museum of the New South

Address: 200 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, North Carolina NC, 28202, USA
Tel: +1 704 333 1887
A popular family attraction, Charlotte's Levine Museum of the New South documents post-Civil War Southern history and is bursting with hands-on exhibits and activities that make every visit fun and exciting. Activities on offer include dressing up in period clothing and recording your own radio show, while frequently changing exhibits keep things fresh.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - noon to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for seniors and children, children under six free

Mint Museum Uptown at the Levine Center for the Arts

Address: 500 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina NC, 28202, USA
Tel: +1 704 337 2000
Located in Uptown Charlotte and formerly named the Mint Museum of Craft and Design, this attraction first opened its doors in 1999 and relocated in early 2010 to its present setting at the Levine Center for the Arts. The Mint Uptown showcases contemporary studio crafts made from ceramics, glass, metal and wood, and ranks amongst the best of its kind within the country. If you are looking to learn more about the city's craft heritage and legacy, to admire some fine jewelry and furnishings, and to check out some satirical and often humorous sculptures, then this is certainly the place to come.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - noon to 17:00
Admission: charge

North Carolina Transportation Museum

Address: 411 South Salisbury Avenue, Spencer, North Carolina NC, 28159, USA
Tel: +1 704 636 2889
Founded on the site of what was once Southern Railway Company's biggest steam locomotive repair center, this interesting museum covers various forms of transportation developed over the years, from the early 19th century up to the present day. Tours are available at the North Carolina Transportation Museum and train rides are on offer during the summer period, while a collection of classic cars also figure prominently.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 17:00, seasonal variations apply
Admission: charge