301 N. Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
704.286.8302
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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.
*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.
Eclipse @ Discovery Place
April 1 - 8, 2024
The Great North American Eclipse Arrives on April 8
Eclipse at 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.
Where Do Craters Come From?
Have you ever wondered why the Moon looks like swiss cheese? Come find out by actively exploring the formation of craters on the Moon's surface. Practice measurement skills while mixing up your moon sand and test predictions about what will happen when differently-sized meteors impact the Moon.
Location: KidScience, Level 1
Date: April 1-5, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., daily
Age: Children ages seven and under
Price: Included in Museum admission
Featured NASA Ambassador Speaker, Jack Howard
NASA Ambassador Jack Howard will give a presentation on solar science. Jack started the astronomy program at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, where he teaches physics and astronomy. Since then, he has shared the wonders of space and the excitement of discovery with diverse groups in the Charlotte area.
Location: Windows on Tryon, Level 2
Date: Friday, April 5
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Age: All ages
Price: Included in Museum admission
Solar Storytime
Learn how we are connected to the cosmos and each other during this celestial storytime, which combines the wonder of the solar eclipse with the magic of storytelling. Children and caregivers are invited to enjoy an interactive reading of the book A Few Beautiful Minutes, written by Kate Allen Fox and illustrated by Khoa Le.
Location: Discovery Theatre, Level 1
Date: April 1-8, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., daily
Age: All ages
Price: Included in Museum admission
Eclipse Science
Step into the lab to discover the science of solar eclipses. Check out demos and activities that highlight the Moon's shadow, the geometry of an eclipse, the cosmic coincidence that allows us to have solar eclipses and more!
Location: Explore More Future, Level 2
Date: April 1-8, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., daily
Age: All ages
Price: Included in Museum admission
Eclipse Design Challenges
Connect Earth and our solar system, brainstorm, prototype, and iterate solutions to celestial-themed design challenges. Build a custom pinhole eclipse viewer to watch the upcoming eclipse safely. Learn how energy from the Sun can be harvested to power devices and design your solar lantern. Explore NASA's Artemis plan, learn about humankind's return to the Moon, and build a habitable mobility platform suitable for an astronaut living in space.
Location: Thinker Space, Level 3
Date: April 1-8, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., daily
Age: All ages (some activities ages eight and up)
Price: Included in Museum admission
Staying Cool in the Sun
While the Sun is necessary for life on Earth to exist and thrive, too much Sun can pose a problem for many living creatures. The Sun can burn and age our skin and heat surfaces, making them too hot to touch and drying out the crops we need to sustain ourselves. Can you brainstorm, prototype, and iterate portable shade devices to help us stay cool in the Sun?
Location: Think It Up!, Level 3
Date: April 1-8, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., daily
Age: All ages
Price: Included in Museum admission
Solar Car Build Challenge
Imagine a sustainable future with low-cost, clean energy for all! Find out how easy it is to make lifestyle changes that positively impact the environment. Explore the benefits of renewable energy, learn how the Sun's energy can be harvested to power our devices and build your solar-powered car in this fun engineering design challenge.
Location: Thinker Space, Level 3
Date: April 6-8, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. | 1:30 p.m.** | 3:00 p.m.**
Age: All ages (some activities ages eight and up)
Price: Included in Museum admission
**These times are available April 6-7 only
The Sun, the Moon and Beyond
Have you ever wondered why the Moon looks like swiss cheese? What causes a solar eclipse? Why do we need to wear sunscreen? Which outer space object is the biggest, the hottest, and the farthest away? Come find out through an active investigation into these questions and more. Test predictions about what will happen when meteors impact the Moon's surface, design a bracelet with UV beads and model the events of an eclipse with chalk art.
Location: KidScience, Level 1
Date: April 6-8, 2024
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Age: Children ages seven and under
Price: Included in Museum admission
Chasing Light and Shadow
Artists have always been inspired by the effects of sunlight on their surroundings and intrigued by the possibility of harnessing light for creative exploration. In this outdoor workshop, build your kaleidoscope, create cyanotypes, and play with shadows at different stations–and prepare to marvel at how the shadows change as the eclipse approaches!
Location: Discovery Place Parking Deck, Level 3
Date: April 8, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Age: All ages
Price: Free
Eclipse Viewing*
You can view the eclipse through special glasses, try out a pinhole eclipse viewer or capture stunning shadow photography during the eclipse in the U.S. until 2044.
Location: Discovery Place Parking Deck, Level 3
Date: April 8, 2024
Time: 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Age: All ages
Price: Free
*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.
Eclipse Live Stream
Location: Accenture IMAX Dome Theatre, Level 1-3
Date: April 8, 2024
Time: 1:30 – 4:15 p.m.
Age: All ages
Price: Included in Museum admission
Eclipse at Discovery Place Kids–Huntersville
Discovery Place Kids—Huntersville is closed on Mondays. However, our Museum and the town of Huntersville will celebrate Eclipse Day through storytelling and hands-on activities, like painting with sunscreen and crafting UV bracelets.
Eclipse Explorer's: Viewing* in Partnership with the Town of Huntersville
Something exciting is happening: the Solar Eclipse! But what is an Eclipse? Discover the wonders of the Solar Eclipse through storytelling and hands-on activities that include:
- Painting with sunscreen
- Creating art with UV paper
- Making UV bracelets and more!
Location: Discovery Place Kids – Huntersville Parking Deck
Date: April 8, 2024
Time: Noon – 4:00 p.m.
Age: All ages
Price: Free
*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.
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