Media Contact: Sarah Wheat | swheat@discoveryplace.org

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 8, 2024) – Discovery Place Science and Discovery Place Kids – Huntersville will celebrate the 2024 solar eclipse with interactive, eclipse- and astronomy-themed activities leading up to this exciting celestial event on April 8. Each Museum will offer a variety of outdoor activities free to the public and host viewing parties on their respective parking decks. Thanks to support from the David M. Herskovitz Foundation, Discovery Place will also distribute free eclipse glasses* while supplies last. 

Discovery Place Science

Beginning April 1, which falls during Spring Break for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Discovery Place Science invites visitors of all ages to participate in hands-on educational STEM demonstrations and activities related to sun science. From solar story times to eclipse design challenges to a new feature in the Museum’s state-of-the-art planetarium, a complete list of activities is posted on the Discovery Place Science website here. 

The eclipse celebration will culminate in two viewing parties on April 8: one on top of the Discovery Place Science parking deck in Uptown Charlotte and the other in the Accenture IMAX Dome Theatre for a livestream event featuring the eclipse in totality. Leading up to the viewing parties, eclipse-focused demonstrations and activities will take place both inside and outside of the Museum during regular hours. Outdoor eclipse activities will be available to the public at no charge. Tickets to Discovery Place Science will be available for those who wish to continue the learning experience inside the building. Check the Museum’s website at discoveryplace.org for the most up-to-date information regarding Eclipse Day programming. 

Discovery Place Kids – Huntersville

Discovery Place Kids – Huntersville is closed on Mondays, but the children’s Museum will also celebrate Eclipse Day through storytelling and hands-on activities, like painting with sunscreen and crafting UV bracelets, along with the town of Huntersville. Events will take place on top of the Museum’s parking deck from noon – 4:00 p.m. and will be free and open to the public; however, advanced reservations are required. Reservations can be made through the Discovery Place Kids – Huntersville website.

Eclipse Facts for the Charlotte Area 

Charlotte will experience an 83.4% partial solar eclipse that will begin at 1:54 p.m. local time and last for approximately 2.5 hours, concluding at 4:26 p.m. Maximum obscurity will take place at 3:11 p.m. Eclipse viewing on the Discovery Place Science parking deck will be from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., and the livestream event in the Accenture IMAX Dome Theatre will take place from 1:30 – 4:15 p.m. 

*Free eclipse glasses will be distributed to Members and ticketed General Admission guests inside Discovery Place Science on April 8, 2024, while supplies last. Glasses will not be distributed during the free parking deck activities. Please bring your own. 

At Discovery Place Kids – Huntersville, a limited number of free glasses will be distributed to those joining the activities on the parking deck beginning at noon on April 8, 2024, while supplies last. 

About Discovery Place 
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. Discovery Place is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and leader in STEM education to the Carolinas through four distinct museum experiences—Discovery Place Science, Discovery Place Nature, Discovery Place Kids Huntersville and Discovery Place Kids Rockingham. Discovery Place serves over 750,000 people a year—through Museum visitations, interactive educational programming, professional development training and community outreach initiatives—shaping a future where people embrace science to create opportunities, build hope, solve problems and bring positive change for our world. In 2017, Discovery Place was named as a finalist for the National Medal by the Institute for Museum and Library Science. Discovery Place is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors.