Ways To Give
Discovery Place
About the Project
The New Nature Museum
The New Nature Museum is a partnership between Mecklenburg County and Discovery Place. The county owns the land and the building, and Discovery Place will run the museum for the public benefit, advancing key county priorities by connecting communities, creating economic opportunities, and helping to create a healthier community.
Those priorities shape what the museum offers every day: a place for everyone to gather, free outdoor spaces in Freedom Park, low-cost access for families, learning for students, jobs and workforce development for young people, and care for the Piedmont ecosystem we call home.
What the Museum Will Do
A place for everyone.
Open throughout the year, more than 180,000 people are expected to visit each year, with the museum open to the public throughout the year.
Free outdoor spaces in Freedom Park.
The public green space, frog bog, bee area, and parts of the nature campus will add to Freedom Park, welcoming more than one million diverse guests each year.
Low-cost access for families.
Nearly 25,000 people are projected to use the Welcome Program and visit for $1. All families using WIC and EBT can visit the museum for $1.
Learning for students.
We anticipate welcoming more than 25,000 students on field trips each year, prioritizing students from Title I schools.
Youth workforce development and job creation.
The museum will create 25 jobs and provide internships and workforce-development opportunities for high school and college students.
A stronger community.
The museum is expected to support about $10.8 million in economic and tourism activity each year.
A welcoming place for people with disabilities and learning needs.
Weekly Sensory Days will help people with sensory needs enjoy the museum.
Volunteer programs for all ages.
More than 16,000 adults will participate in nature and science programs each year.
Care for our Piedmont ecosystem.
Children and adults will learn about the Piedmont ecosystem that we call home, including plants, animals, water, and forests.
Mecklenburg County and Discovery Place
A Public-Private Partnership
For 80 years, the county owned the former nature museum building while Discovery Place operated the museum for the public.
The county owns the new museum building and land. The county’s ownership is in perpetuity.
Discovery Place will operate the new museum. Discovery Place assumes the cost of operating the museum and has raised money to fund exhibits, programs, and visitor experiences.
Discovery Place has already committed $23.5 million to the project from private gifts from individual philanthropists, foundations, and corporations.
The current discussion is about county building costs. The funds in question were used for construction of the county-owned building. The county paid its contractor directly. The funds were not provided to Discovery Place as cash or a loan.
A path to resolution has been proposed. Thanks to the generous support of donors, Discovery Place has secured commitments that would allow it to provide the full reconciled amount of $13.7 million to the county over five years.
For more information, please feel free to contact Discovery Place development@discoveryplace.org or 704.916.2581.