MARCH 08, 2017

Museum listed in the top five most popular attraction in the state

CHARLOTTE – This week Discovery Place was announced as Charlotte’s top museum and attraction for 2016 in the annual North Carolina Museums and Historic Attractions Survey. It is the seventh year in a row that Discovery Place has earned this honor in Charlotte.

In the 2016 calendar year, Discovery Place saw 724,634 visitors, making it one of the top five most visited attractions in the state. It was the only Charlotte institution to earn a spot in the top five.

“We are delighted to work with so many families, schools and organizations in the region and are honored to be recognized as a leader in the state,” said Discovery Place president and CEO, Catherine Wilson Horne. “As we look to the future, we hope to build on these accomplishments and continue to be an inspiration for the many curious minds in our community.

Earlier this year, Discovery Place Science was also honored by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) as the 2016 Attraction of the Year during the 11th Annual Partners in Tourism Awards. The award celebrates a Charlotte hospitality partner for their exceptional service and contributions to Charlotte’s tourism and community.

In 2016, Discovery Place celebrated its 70th anniversary and launched an organizational rebrand including new websites, logos and name changes at Discovery Place Science (formerly Discovery Place) and Discovery Place Nature (formerly Charlotte Nature Museum). Discovery Place Science hosted the world-renowned traveling exhibition Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life, welcoming more than 90,000 visitors, along with the family-friendly exhibition Beyond Rubik’s Cube which hosted over 250 of the region’s fastest speed cubers with the World Cubing Association. Discovery Place Nature embarked on a master planning process to imagine a new future for the beloved Museum. In Huntersville, Discovery Place Kids welcomed its 1 millionth visitor, three-year-old Yolanda Zheng and her family.

The North Carolina Museums and Historic Attractions Survey is researched and issued by Carolina Publishing Associates of Matthews, NC. This is the 13th year of the survey.

About Discovery Place

One of the top hands-on science museums in the nation, Discovery Place provides ever-changing, entertaining facilities that engage people in the active exploration of science, technology and nature. Discovery Place provides STEM education to the Carolinas through four distinct museum experiences at Discovery Place Science, Discovery Place Nature and Discovery Place Kids, interactive educational programming, professional development training and community outreach initiatives.

For more information about Discovery Place, call 704.372.6261 x300, visit discoveryplace.org or connect with Discovery Place on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Discovery Place is supported, in part, with funding from the Arts & Science Council.