Charlotte Nature Museum

We stopped in with our four visiting under five year olds on a Saturday late morning. There were many activities to keep the kids busy and happy. What I liked the most was the size, the museum is just big enough for the under 10 age group, and the circular design made it easy for the adults to keep track of the kids. The butterfly pavilion was a hit, as well as the nature walk. Lots of animals to talk about and a little indoor climbing area with a slide too… the $ 8.00 admission felt a little pricey for a group of 12 and there is no children’s discount, but I still think it was money well spent and everyone left happy!

We dropped in here on a sunny and hot afternoon, looking for a way to entertain our two kids (ages 3 and 5) and beat the heat. Our kids love animals and interactive exhibits and thus place is loaded with both. It isn’t a zoo but has plenty on interesting live animal exhibits. There are some great activities and an awesome outside play area. The entry price of $ 8 per person is a little steep for a family of four.

They have recurrently opened the gardens and several new exhibits so if you haven’t been to the museum in a while it is time to go!

My family and I found this little museum to be simple, quaint and lovely. They have numerous live animal exhibits, a butterfly pavilion, and a fun, shaded outdoor area for the kids to play in. The staff were very friendly and knowledgable.

I really wanted to love this place and was excited to go there after buying a membership at Discovery Place Kids. My 2 year old did enjoy it, and we got an hour or two of entertainment out of it, but I don’t think we will be making much use out of the membership.
Many of the interactive exhibits were broken, and the outside area could have been cool, but it doesn’t compare to the nature playground area at Reedy Creek park (which is free.) There were some sticks to build with outside and some wheelbarrows but not much to climb on or interact with. There are some neat insects/​reptiles etc. inside to look at, but nothing we haven’t seen at other places. There’s a nice little reading nook with nature books and a few toys. My toddler liked this area, but it was nothing very special — we could do the same at the library or a bookstore or toy store. Also, there didn’t seem to be big trails — there’s a greenbelt that passes the outside area that looked like more of a nature adventure (for free) than the museum offers. I guess I am really picky about museums as we have been to some great ones that offer a lot of hands on learning for kids, but this one doesn’t measure up.

I would like to give this more stars as my children did enjoy being there but my husband and I were thoroughly disappointed as we walked through with not much to do and most of the exhibits broken or left a mess. We have a membership and I would really like to see it taken care of!

This place is totally cute! Went here with nephew and brother today as a kid-​friendly activity; the nature center is a mixture of taxidermy animals and live animals on display, hands-​on activities, and a nature walk that leads to a park. Most of the displays are in good working order, but a couple could use some repair.
Tips:
1) Kids over 2 years have to pay admission, which is currently $ 6. Not bad for what you get.
2) The live animals are really neat, but many of them get startled by loud noises and banging on the displays. Please make sure your kids are respectful of their space.
3) There is a space for kids’ parties; why not plan a Birthday party for your animal-​loving kids there?
4) if you don’t want your kids to get dirty, don’t take them on the nature trail/​park. The park is great and has lots of fun activities, but is a mulch-​and-​dirt based area with wood chips and other forms of nature. :-) I personally thought the teepee and chimes play areas were cool, and my nephew loved the child-​sized wheelbarrows.
5) If your kids love this place, get a membership. They last for a year and will pay off in three or four visits, depending on family size.

Great place for kids! We stopped here as we were passing through charlotte and were pleasantly surprised. Our kids loved it! Great exhibits inside and outside. Fun kids show. Lots to see and do. It is also right beside Freedom park which has a duck pond, playground and train. Very fun!

A nice museum although a bit pricey for the few exhibits. $ 6/​person.
Had a few exhibits of amphibians, reptiles, mammals, etc. Had a snake feeding time. Forget the nature walk… just a circular walk around some greenery with nothing beyond just nature itself.
Outside of this museum, across the bridge is a large pond where you can chill. Museum located in a nice neighborhood. Reminds me of upper NW DC.

I love this precious little spot. Birds, and turtles, owls, snakes, frogs, butterflies… what is not to love?
They will get the snakes out on request for you (or in my case, my children) to hold. They will also get the skunk out! Apparently, they are a lot like cats– and I must admit, my curiosity got the best of me and I did find myself stroking the coarse hair of the injured animal. The butterfly garden is a wonder! We also found turtles hidden in there. My younger (5 y/​o) loves the puppet shows.
The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable!
The little play area gets crowded and lots of inattentive mothers can create quite a bit of mayhem… we usually skip this area.
Bring sanitizer, as little hands seem to find their way into the turtle water. Eeek!
Once we are finished here, we walk on the nature trail to Freedom Park for picnic fun and play time! We usually look for the grumpy old troll who lives uinder the bridge, as we cross into the park.
This is a great way to spend the day!

I remember loving the Charlotte Nature Museum when I was in the pre-​school crowd (I’m 30 now, with my own children), and my children enjoyed their trip there as well; however, while reasonably well maintained, it was on the small side and we were there for maybe an hour/​hour and fifteen minutes (it took longer to drive there than we actually spent there). The children enjoyed seeing the butterflies, playing in the play area, and seeing the animals (albeit in small cages– though, they looked perky and happy). We didn’t go to the part with the dead things, we live in Washington DC (we were in Matthews visiting family) and regularly use the National Natural History museum– so the kiddos have seen dead things up close. The nature trails looked nice, and I’m sure the park is lovely on a warm, non-​rainy day. It wasn’t very crowded while we were there, maybe 5 other families, and the bathroom was in an appalling state and had no toilet paper. The reviewer that said it is more of a learning center than a museum definitely hit the nail on the head– I think it’s a wonderful addition to the park, but should not be considered a destination in itself. It could definitely use some things that talk to you and a few more things to engage the youngsters and adults who bring them. If you’re close to the museum, have a preschooler, have an extra hour and $ 6 to burn, by all means it is worth it, but I wouldn’t say it is worth a trek there. The Ethiopian restaurant we went to afterwards though– now that was worth it.
Oh, I too wish there were an option to give an extra ½ star… 2 ½ seems about right.

I’ve thought and thought about how to write this review and rate this museum and I wish I could give them another ½ star. Housed in an old house (or perhaps an old small office building) this is notsomuch a museum as it is a learning center of sorts.
We visited on a rainy Saturday for one of their monthly special events, this one featuring chickens at various stages (next month: groundhogs.) The location is secluded and beautiful and I suspect the outdoor activites are really what makes CNM special. However, if that’s true, is that really enough to ride on???
There was not really anything hands-​on for the kids to do, aside from crafts. The little indoor climbing area simulates groundhog tunnels but many of the little cause/​effect displays didn’t work. There is a small but cute water/​rain table. There are many mounted & stuffed specimens to view, but no educational speakers or anything. Hubby took the kids into the reptile room and said it is one of the larger collections he’s seen and our 4yo was very intrigued… but again, just looking, no learning.
For the price, I can’t say I won’t return ($ 6pp) and give them another chance, especially when we can enjoy their outdoor offerings. Be warned though, it was insanely hot inside (at least 80 degrees) and there is only ONE bathroom w/​a changing table… at a kid’s museum.

We loved our short trip to the Nature Museum but didn’t realize it was so geared toward kids. We don’t have kids so we had to leave a drivers license at the door. We also got some weird looks from the other people with kids so it was a weird atmosphere and we didn’t stick around for long.
There are a few areas that are obviously for the kids but the rest should appeal to all ages. We loved being able to see two owls up close, check out baby quails and then see the adult quails and see different types of snakes, turtles and miscellaneous animals. The butterfly atrium was pretty average. There weren’t a lot of them flying around but it looked like they had a lot that were ready to hatch. The nature trail in the back was probably more for kids. They had some play structures set up and if you’re looking for a decent length walk, it might be worth going to the park/​lake on the other side of the gates.
Admission wasn’t terribly expensive and we thought it was worth it just to see the barred owl and the comically tiny screech owl.

Went here a few weeks ago with my toddler daughter. It’s fine for about 30 minutes of entertainment but it is a small venue so the thrills are in short supply. We’d had high hopes for the butterfly atrium and were somewhat disappointed. There were a small handful of ordinary specimens. (I realize I am unfairly comparing this exhibit with Marine World Africa’s version in CA. which is fantastic.)
It is well maintained but feels old and in need of some love. The park that surrounds it is as much as a draw and could provide more fun on a temperate day.

We love going here. They have an atrium with butterflies, a pretty little nature walk, a few live animals in rather small cages (don’t love that part) and a lot of creepy taxidermy. Still, there’s lots to entertain young children and it has an old school feel to it.

My wife likes this place! A