CHARLOTTE, NC (April 22, 2025) — Discovery Place has been named a member of the LEGO Group’s Playful Learning Museum Network for the fourth consecutive year, joining 20 other leading museums across the U.S. with a shared mission to unlock the power of play for children. 

Now in its fourth and biggest year, the network—hosted by the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and funded by the LEGO Foundation—brings together children’s and science museums to pioneer playful learning experiences both inside museums and out in the communities they serve. 

“We’re honored to once again be part of the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network and to stand alongside such a dedicated group of museums,” said Catherine Wilson Horne, Discovery Place President & CEO. “At Discovery Place, we believe that play is a powerful tool for learning. This partnership allows us to continue creating meaningful, joyful experiences that inspire curiosity and creativity in our museums and in the everyday lives of children, adults and families.” 

Discovery Place was first selected for the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network in November 2021 and is the only organization in North Carolina in this year’s network cohort. Discovery Place served over 23,000 children during the program’s first year and focused on prototyping playful learning museum experiences that encourage greater collaboration, creative problem-solving and computational thinking. 

Over the course of the program’s second year, Discovery Place team members worked to grow and implement playful learning experiences across all Discovery Place museums. Engaging with local students from 10 community partner sites, Discovery Place served nearly 94,000 students and over 46,500 educators and adults. Students visited Discovery Place museums and participated in design challenges, with their final projects going on display at Discovery Place Science during a four-day Discovery Through Design community showcase. 

Discovery Place’s third year in the program centered on professional development, giving museum team members and a cohort of community partners time to work together to learn, practice and integrate the learning through play philosophy. Discovery Place further incorporated playful learning in its exhibits, lab spaces, and adult programs, serving over 175,000 children and 174,800 educators and adults. 

In its fourth year as part of the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network, Discovery Place aims to deepen its community partnerships and impact through learning opportunities and training sessions for museum educators and partner organizations. These sessions will be designed to help participants break down barriers, spark innovation and bring more joy and play into their work. 

“During this fourth year, we are excited to build upon the strong foundation established in the first three years of our work with the LEGO Foundation,” said Heather Norton, Chief Science Officer at Discovery Place. “By investing in professional development across our organization and with our community partners, we’re continuing to strengthen our programs, exhibits and guest experiences—helping us make an even greater impact in the communities we serve.” 

About Discovery Place 
Discovery Place is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the leading hub for science learning in the Carolinas dedicated to the exchange of ideas, scientific exploration and creative expression to stimulate innovative problem-solving and learning. Discovery Place’s network includes four distinct museum experiences—Discovery Place Science, Charlotte Museum of Nature (opening in 2026), Discovery Place Kids-Huntersville and Discovery Place Kids-Rockingham. For more information about Discovery Place, visit discoveryplace.org. 

About the LEGO® Playful Learning Museum Network 
The LEGO Group’s Playful Learning Museum Network is a community of U.S children’s and science museums that come together to prioritize learning through play. Funded by the LEGO Foundation and hosted by the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), the network is pioneering high-quality, playful learning experiences for children within museum walls and out in the communities they serve. 
Since it started in 2021, the network has brought the power of play to millions of children across the U.S. Learn more at lego.com/en-us/museum-network.