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Charlotte Museum of Nature
A Discovery Place Museum

Project Leadership

Thanks to our many partners who are working with us to realize the vision of a dynamic, world-class Nature Museum for our community.

A Public-Private Partnership

The project to reimagine and bring to life a new nature Museum for our community is a public-private partnership between Mecklenburg County, which owns the property and facility, and Discovery Place, which has operated a Museum on the site in Freedom Park since 1951.

Design & Construction

Design Partners

Design Partners

The Board of County Commissioners of Mecklenburg County approved the selection of Liollio Architecture and Hood Design Studio as the architectural team leading the planning and design. Plans were unveiled to the community in 2022.

Board of Trustees

  • Stephanie Sadowski

    Board Chair

  • Tracy Kerrins

    Vice Chair for Governance

  • Jeff Wallace

    Vice Chair for Audit

  • Linda Redding

    Vice Chair for Human Capital

  • Sagar Rathie

    Vice Chair for Science & Nature

  • Lindsay Gates

    Vice Chair for Discovery Place Kids Network

  • Len Botkin

    Vice Chair for Finance & Investment

  • Stefanie Holland

    Secretary

  • Rich Campbell

    Campaign Chair

  • Mauro Atalla

  • Kimberly Eul

  • Marty Foley

  • Dennis Gada

  • Todd Gorelick

  • Emily Henson

  • Lindsay McCullough

  • Gene McLaurin

  • Bernadette Donovan-Merkert

  • Charlie Morris

  • Marla Reschly

  • Rasu Shrestha

  • Victoria Watlington

  • Jennifer Winstel

Thank You to Our Capital Campaign Donors

Laura Owens Visionary Society

  • Albemarle Foundation
  • Bank of America
  • C.D. Spangler Foundation, Inc.
  • Cornelius and Johanna Mermans
  • Howard & Julie Levine
  • Novant Health, Inc.
  • The Leon Levine Foundation
  • Wells Fargo Foundation

Conservancy Circle

  • Akers Foundation, Inc.
  • Andrea & Sean Smith Family
  • Beverly and James Hance
  • Blumenthal Foundation
  • Bryan and Holli Delaney
  • Cammie and W. Hauptfuhrer
  • Catherine Horne
  • Catherine Lamont and Aditya Bhasin
  • Charlie & Caton Morris
  • Christopher and Nicole Perri
  • Christopher Baldwin
  • Crescent Communities
  • Dale F. Halton Foundation
  • Deloitte
  • Dianne & Brian Bailey
  • Don and Susan Sherrill
  • Doug and Kimberly Esamann
  • Duke Energy Foundation
  • Edward Weisiger, Jr. and Betsy Fleming
  • Erskine and Crandall Bowles
  • Falfurrias Management Partners
  • Fred and Marcella Dumas
  • Guild of Discovery Place
  • Harold M. and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation
  • Harriet Barnhardt
  • James and Judy Wyckoff
  • James and Mary Lou Babb
  • Jason and Tiffany Bernd
  • Joan Lorden and Lawrence Mays
  • Joe and Christine Price
  • John Crosland III
  • Joyce Waddell
  • Julianne Marley
  • Kelly and Paul Camuti
  • Larry and Dale Polsky
  • Laura and Dexter Hobbs
  • Laura and Sam Bowles
  • Leah and Martin Foley
  • Len & Kelle Botkin
  • Linda and William Farthing
  • Linda Hudson
  • Lindsay and Stanton McCullough
  • Lowe’s
  • Luther and Jane Lockwood
  • Mesa Associates
  • Movement Foundation
  • NCFI/Barnhardt Foundation
  • North Carolina Foam Industries Foundation
  • Nucor Charitable Foundation
  • Patrick and Kerri Mast
  • Pete Lash
  • Philip L. Van Every Foundation
  • PNC
  • Rob and Lindsay Carter
  • Stedman Family in honor of Jan Stedman
  • SteelFab, Inc.
  • Stefanie Jacobs
  • Stephanie Sadowski
  • Stephen Mangan
  • The Cannon Foundation
  • The David M. Herskovits Foundation
  • The Dowd Foundation
  • The Kerrins Family
  • The Marsh Foundation
  • The Robert W. Mansfield Fund
  • The Tabor Family
  • Thomas and Mary Zweng
  • Tracey and Richard Campbell
  • William and Courtney Hyder
  • William and Lynette Morrissett
  • William and Patricia Gorelick Family Foundation
  • Wilson and Heidi Fite

Piedmont Patrons

  • Aaron Sarfatti and Laura Orth
  • Al and Pat Covington
  • Alejandra and David Miller
  • Alex Byron Household
  • Alexis and Benjamin Thompson
  • Alicia and Michael DePalma
  • Alison and Jonathan O’Connor
  • Amanda and Alexander Naon
  • Andrew and Kara Benjamin
  • Anita and Anil Matai
  • Anna and Matthew Benjamin
  • Anne and Jonathan Ishee
  • Anne Henderson
  • Annie Carvalho Spanjers and Matthew Spanjers
  • Anonymous Donor
  • Anthony Dang and Rene McLeod
  • Arielle and Brian Heeke
  • Arun Mohan and Leena Joseph
  • Aviva Stein
  • Barbara Goto
  • Betty Thomas
  • Bill and Suzanne Nichols
  • Billie and Nick Anderson
  • Brett and Jeanine Sovine
  • Caitlin and Russell Owens
  • Callie and Win Kelly
  • Cameron and Cristy Lee
  • Cameron Presley
  • Carly and Greg South
  • Carolina Integrative Veterinary Hospital
  • Cary and Pat Campbell
  • Cassandra Fahey
  • Cecil and Kim Stodghill
  • Chalice Golden and Jonathan Sweatt
  • Charles and Nina Bolliger
  • Charles Earp
  • Christie Streelman
  • Christina Byron
  • Christopher Leon Guerrero and Meghan Valentine
  • Coleman Wombwell
  • Cori and Ben Pysch
  • Dabney and Patrick Graney
  • Dan Streelman and Lizzie Rock
  • Daphne and Dan Capek
  • David and Amanda Albrecht
  • David Buffie
  • David Lavins Household
  • Debra and Peter Smul
  • Dennis Gada and Bharti Desai
  • Dorothy Mothershead
  • Dotty Alexander
  • Douglas Faris
  • Elizabeth and Bernie Funck
  • Elizabeth and Chris Daly
  • Elizabeth and Matthew Magan
  • Elizabeth and Michael Gart
  • Elizabeth and Terry Davis
  • Elyn and Michael Dortch
  • Emily Henson
  • Eric and Annette Telljohann
  • Erik Peterson
  • Erin McCrum and Bobby Harper
  • Ervin Gourdine and Ranisha Clendenning
  • Eugene and Tracey Davant
  • Flying Fish
  • Frances deWitt
  • Frank and Allison Chatman
  • Frank and Margaret Dunn
  • Gary and Kaitlyn Snyder
  • Girl Scouts Troop 1447
  • Glenn and Lisa Sherrill
  • Glenn and Stacey Eisenberg
  • Heather Bane and Robert Koch
  • Heather Norton and Elizabeth Fleming
  • Henry Keizer
  • Holly and Matthew Stubbing
  • Ian Clarke-Pounder
  • Jamie and Anna Kneisel
  • Jane Harrell
  • Jeanette Humphries
  • Jeff and Holly Wallace
  • Jeffrey and Ginny Runge
  • Jennifer Beightley and Kristopher Fador
  • Jennifer DeWitt
  • Jennifer McConnell
  • Jennifer Silvester
  • Jennifer Winstel
  • Jenny and Stephen Neill
  • Jere and Patsy Drummond
  • Jermaine Scott
  • Jerry and Marcy Withrow
  • Jesse Martin
  • Jim Dierkes
  • Joan and Scott Philipp
  • Joclyn and John Balanda
  • John and Lucile Mackay
  • John and Patricia Moore
  • John Broderick and Morgan Coffin
  • John Wood and Sravanthi Aanga Reddy
  • Jonathan and Nicole Umpleby
  • Jose and Cindy Costa
  • Josh and Anna Mallett
  • Julia and Jeremy Caslin
  • Kaitlin Marvin and John Lisy
  • Karen and Charlie Meyer
  • Kathleen and Chris Small
  • Kathleen Hawes
  • Keith and Anne Butler
  • Kelly Leech Household
  • Ken and Susan Davidson
  • Kevin and Christine Collins
  • Kevin and Elizabeth Murphy
  • Kevin and Tricia Smith
  • Kimberly and Jonathan Eul
  • Kimberly and Michael Kuhn
  • Krista and Paul Tillman
  • Krista Wilson
  • Kristin Mesa
  • Kumkum and Harsh Bhasin
  • Kyle Foushee
  • Kyle Sable Household
  • Laura Hughes
  • Lauren and Wilson McCrory
  • Lee McEntire
  • Les and Robin Passa
  • Leslie and Michael Marsicano
  • Lewis and Kimberly Barnhardt
  • Lindsay and Scott Gates
  • Lindsay Betzel
  • Liollio Architecture
  • Lisa Farley Household
  • Lorin and Geoffry Bent
  • Lowell and Janet Nelson
  • Lucy and Perrin DesPortes
  • Lynn Stock Household
  • Mallory Warner and Abdou Tazi
  • Malter Household
  • Marc and Shirley Jarmosevich
  • Mark and Anne Tiberio
  • Mark and Elizabeth Ausbeck
  • Marla and Scott Reschly
  • Mary and Daniel Merlin
  • Mary Jean White
  • Matthew and Jena Richter
  • Matthew and Lauren Freund
  • Megan and John Barlow
  • Megan Shute Mckeever
  • Michael and Kate McDermott
  • Mike and Kate Mitchell
  • Mike and Katie Lindquist
  • Mindy and George Webster
  • Mitchell Alvarez
  • Nancy and Michael McNelis
  • Napodano
  • Neil and Maggie Lukas
  • Nelson and Michelle Cosgrove
  • Owen Whitfield
  • Paige and Erik Johnson
  • Partners Search Alliance
  • Patricia Rodgers
  • Paulette Sherrill
  • Pulak and Jay Patel
  • R. and Elizabeth Neale
  • Rachel and Sean Cusick
  • Reem Anani
  • Rich and Kimberly Cerretti
  • Rinchen Mary Lama and Jahan Mohiuddin
  • Robert and Kate Newman
  • Robert and Shannon Hilton
  • Rolfe and Lynn Hughes
  • Russell and Sally Robinson
  • Ryan and Julie Fagan
  • Ryan Jack
  • Sagar Rathie and Devanshi Patel
  • Saitej Bhushan
  • Sally Harris
  • Sally Staub Moore
  • Sam Jorgensen and Harriet Jorgenson
  • Sarah and Ben Lunka
  • Sarah and John Callovi
  • Sarah and Justin Pollock
  • Scott and Robin Lipe
  • Sean Jones
  • Stefanie and Michael Holland
  • Steve and Meghan Maciag
  • Steve Boland
  • Stuart and Bryan Boyd
  • Susan Farris
  • Susan Mitchell and Richard McCracken
  • Taryn and Joseph Thompson
  • Teddy Hull
  • Terri and Mark Beattie
  • The Bierce Family
  • The Goodman Family Foundation
  • The Jenner V Foundation
  • The Marc and Mattye Silverman Family Foundation
  • Timothy and Staci Broderick
  • Todd and Kerri Bridges
  • Tony Chen
  • Tracy and Neal Karaszkiewicz
  • Tracy Montross and Jesse Munoz
  • Troy and Anna Tozzi
  • Veena Rao
  • Velva Woollen
  • Vijay Amirtharaj and Allison Mahone
  • Vishwa Raj Household
  • Waldon and Susan Kooiman
  • Will and Elsie Barnhardt
  • William and Marcy Choate
  • William Bullock and Cynthia Carlson
  • Winter Ginocchio
  • Yen Duong and Mark Krasniewski
  • Yuri and Damien Faulks