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Discovery Place Nature opened more than 70 years ago. Leaders are getting ready for a reimagined museum

Designers said the new museum will bring benefits to Freedom Park, too.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Discovery Place Nature museum is closing its doors to welcome in a new generation of learning. The plans are years in the making.

The first nature museum in the Southeast is getting a facelift. Let's connect the dots.

Discovery Place Nature first opened its doors next to Freedom Park more than 70 years ago, and now leaders are getting ready for a reimagined museum.

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When the new site opens, it will include a new otter habitat, a learning lab, and a massive animal collection of local species. All the updates are designed with the hopes of teaching kids about North Carolina's ecosystem.

Designers said the new museum will bring benefits to Freedom Park, too. It will include public gardens and community spaces that are available for everyone, not just those paying museum admission. 

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For those who still want to visit the old museum before it closes, free admission continues through Wednesday for tickets obtained online.

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