Discovery Place Nature spans 13,000 square feet (1,208 square meters), and is divided into several indoor and outdoor areas. Walk among free flying butterflies in the Butterfly Pavilion, or go on a nature hike through a 100-year-old forest grove on the Paw Paw Nature Trail. Observe live animals in Creature Cavern, Insect Alley, and Our Big Backyard. Or build forts or just run free in Fort Wild. Live programming changes daily and includes puppet shows, story time, and animal feedings. The museum also offers special programs for schools and a summer camp.
Discovery Place Nature is located about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of Uptown Charlotte. There’s free parking on-site or at Freedom Park. The museum is also close to the Little Sugar Greenway, which leads all the way to Uptown. Local bus no. 6 also stops nearby.
Discovery Place Nature is open Tuesdays through Sundays, with extended hours on Tuesdays, and limited hours on Sundays. Holiday closures include Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Planetarium shows are held on Tuesday evenings. Visit in the morning and early afternoon to see the butterflies at their most active.
The museum is home to a wide variety of animals, including many species of butterflies, insects such as beetles and cockroaches, box turtles, king snakes, corn snakes, bearded dragons, a juvenile alligator, opossum, rabbits, mice, flying squirrels, hedgehogs, and groundhogs.