Forty years after opening its doors in uptown Charlotte, Discovery Place Science continues to shape a future where people of all ages embrace science to create opportunities, build hope, solve problems, and bring positive change for our world.

Amidst growing community interest in hands-on science and technology education in the 1970s, the Museum welcomed its first visitors in 1981 inside 72,000 square feet of space along North Tryon Street.

In celebration of serving our community for four decades, Discovery Place Science offered free admission to all guests October 30 and 31, thanks to the generosity of Chase Bank.

“Chase is excited to help Discovery Place Science celebrate this milestone birthday,” said Justin Brovitz, Chase’s Consumer Banking Region Director. “The past 18 months have demonstrated how important hands-on science education is to children and to their understanding and appreciation of our world. With that in mind, we were pleased to support a free weekend where guests could explore all the hands-on science learning and activities the Museum has to offer.”

On this special weekend, over 4,000 guests uncovered the wonders of science—from visiting the only indoor rainforest in Charlotte to examining the tiniest crustaceans on the seafloor. Guests of all ages also explored the cultural, technological and political context of the first Moon landing inside the Museum’s newest traveling exhibition, Apollo: When We Went to the Moon.

“We are grateful to Chase for giving us this opportunity to open our doors to the community free-of-charge, just as we did on this weekend forty years ago, ” said Catherine Wilson Horne, president and CEO of Discovery Place. “As we look toward the next 40 years for Discovery Place Science, we are guided by our vision to be the hub for science education in the Carolinas as we look to inspire the next generation of great scientists.”

One of the leading hands-on science museums in the nation, Discovery Place brings science, nature, and design together to create transformative experiences that enable the community to understand, enjoy and apply science to their lives.

Today, through four museums in three cities (Discovery Place Science in uptown Charlotte, Discovery Place Nature in Charlotte and Discovery Place Kids in Huntersville and Rockingham) and community outreach programs throughout the Carolinas, we serve three-quarters of a million people a year with high-energy, high-impact science education that is helping to build our region’s future.

Conjure your curiosity, activate your imagination and plan your visit today to Discovery Place Science.