Charlotte’s New Nature Museum Will Have Otters and a Treetop Walk by 2026

A state-of-the-art nature center will open its doors at Freedom Park in 2026. Building on Discovery Place's 77-year teaching legacy, this fresh addition brings otters, sky-high walks, and hands-on science to Charlotte.

Staff members went to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia for specialized training. At this South Carolina facility, they mastered otter care: from meal schedules to play zone design and tracking daily habits.

An elevated pathway, stretching 20 to 40 feet above ground, will wind through branches and leaves. Visitors can pause at "The Nest," a viewing platform offering striking city sights.

The main exhibition space, "Piedmont Explorations," showcases native wildlife. Guests will be able to see fish darting through water, snakes slithering in branches, and amphibians hopping about. Custom-built spaces mirror the natural homes of snapping turtles and their soft-shelled cousins.

The "Saplings" zone caters to the youngest guests, children up to six years old. This area mixes nature education with activities that boost physical skills and brain growth.

In the Naturalist Lab, young minds tackle real experiments. They'll mix art with science, crack nature codes, and make music inspired by the wild.

The "Frog Bog" in the Woodland Garden welcomes all without charge. This water feature will buzz with life as frogs splash among floating plants.

While the newest branch of Discovery Place takes shape, construction teams push ahead to meet the 2026 launch date. The site at Freedom Park transforms daily as this vision inches closer to reality.