5+ Museums in Charlotte, NC for Families

Interactive children’s museum with STEAM activities, live shows, daily events, and exhibitions. They also offer summer camps, birthday parties, and more. Their birthday party package is $13.80 per attendee and includes 20 kids and 5 adults. The package includes 1.5 hours in the party room, a t-shirt, and more. You can request a birthday party on their website.

This location is part of the Discovery Place Museums.

Summer Camps at Discovery Place Kids are available at Discovery Place Kids, with June, July, and August options. Camps are half day or full day.
Two birthday party packages are available to choose from, with “It’s Science”, “Colors in Science”, and “Gross Science” themes available.

*Currently closed for construction

Nature-based museum for families that offers nature exhibits, daily activities, special events, and live shows. In addition to an indoor museum, it also have an outdoor portion with nature trails.

Discovery Place Nature is part of Discovery Place Museums.
Open Tuesday – Sunday

Discovery Place Nature birthday party packages include “Insect Safari”, “Out of this World”, and “Animals of the Piedmont” themes, and are available for ages 3 – 12. Animal Encounter add-ons are available.

Discovery Place is a science museum with specialized science-themed events, lab workshops for kids, live shows, and featured IMAX showings of nature-themed shows and movies.

See our full Kidding Around review of Discovery Place!

Science Camps at Discovery Place Science are available for rising Kindergarten through 6th grade, with June and July options available.

Birthday party packages are available with various themes, for ages 3 – 12. Animal meet-and-greet add-ons are available.

The IMAX theatre at Discovery Place Science offers multiple showings per day, with several options to choose from.

This museum was built in honor of Charlotte’s first African-American Mayor, Harvey Gantt, and features African-American history, art, and more! They have a full schedule of events and programs to enjoy. Admission starts at $7 or you can purchase a membership. They are open from noon to 6 pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Wednesdays, they are open from noon to 9 pm. On Saturdays, they are open from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Mondays.

The Levine Museum of The New South offers exhibits where you can experience stories of the past that will help you better understand the issues we face today in Charlotte and nationwide. Admission is free but if your group is 10+ they charge an administration fee. You can take field trips here. They are open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays.

The Mint Museum offers a unique gallery of art, craft, sculpture, and creations in various rotating and permanent exhibitions.

The museum has two Charlotte locations with different collection themes.
Mint Museum Uptown: 500 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC- Contemporary art, American art, craft, and design
Mint Museum Randolph: 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte, NC- European, African, Ancient American, and decorative art.

Free admission on Wednesday Nights from 5 – 9 pm.

They offer over 60 interactive exhibits where you can shrink yourself or others and be mind-blown by the fun distortions. Regular admission starts at $24 and they offer group rates. You can even host special events here including birthday parties. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 10 am to 9 pm and open Friday through Saturday from 10 am to 10 pm.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is a museum for all things NASCAR. They have special events, guided tours, interactive exhibits, and much more.

The museum offers summer camps and other camps throughout the year where children learn about NASCAR, engineering, hands-on experiments, and more, for grades K – 9th grade.

The NC Auto Racing Hall of Fame showcases North Carolina’s rich motorsport heritage with historic race cars, memorabilia, and tributes to legendary drivers and events.

This natural history museum offers dinosaurs, minerals, critters, and a planetarium in its indoor museum. You will also find outdoor activities at the museum as well.

The museum offers free entry on the 2nd Tuesday of each month!

Summer camp at Schiele Museum offers week-long or summer-long camps for kids ages 6 to 6th grade. Camps are full day from 9 am – 4 pm.

They offer birthday parties with packages starting at $175 for members and $215 for non-members.

Learn more about the Schiele Museum of Natural History in our KA review! 

The Sullenberger Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC is a family-friendly destination filled with interactive aviation exhibits. Explore real aircraft, try flight simulators, and see the actual “Miracle on the Hudson” jet. With both outdoor and indoor spaces—including a historic hangar and a STEM-focused Makerspace—it’s an engaging spot for everyone.

Check out our Sullenberger Aviation Museum Review for all the details.

The museum offers:

• Birthday Parties (at about $30 per child- check out their packages)
• Aeroquest Summer Camps for kids 4th- 8th grade. Camps are offered various weeks in June and July and are divided up by age.
• Field Trips
• Homeschool classes

The modern art museum located in Charlotte offers rotating exhibits, permanent exhibitions, jazz music events, and special events.
The museum offers a Family Day regularly, which is free admission to the museum.