Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is excited to announce the return of summer exhibits to ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center located in Uptown Charlotte at 300 East 7th Street. Some Assembly Required, created in partnership with Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., kicks off Saturday, May 28, 2022 and will run through Saturday September 3, 2022.
It is important to note this is NOT a Build-A-Bear workshop and no custom bears will be made.
Some Assembly Required engages children in fun and challenging activities that help foster the development of key social-emotional skills and highlight Build-A-Bear’s core values: achieve, collaborate, celebrate, give, learn and embrace. Interactive stations throughout the exhibit introduce STEAM concepts and encourage children to tinker, invent and solve problems. The exhibit invites children and families to construct a bridge, form a band, plant a community garden and participate in other experiences that feature storytelling, coding/logic, construction activities, mechanical concepts, music, visual communications, design, agricultural sustainability and diversity.
The 1,200-square-foot display is designed to cultivate social-emotional and academic skills among children ages 2 to 10.
Admission to the exhibit is free. The exhibit is open during ImaginOn building hours: Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday-Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (ImaginOn is closed on Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day for summer hours.) For more information, call 704-416-4600 or visit imaginon.org.
Information for Groups:
Can I bring a group? Yes! Groups are welcome to visit Some Assembly Required exhibit after 12 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Reservations are neither required nor accepted and entry into the Some Assembly Required exhibit is always on a first-come, first-served basis. However, if you wish to combine your visit to the exhibit with any other building-wide activity, a group visit booking is required. You can make a request at imaginon.org/calendar/group-visits.
Can a group make a reservation to visit the Some Assembly Required exhibit? No, all visits to the exhibit happen on a first-come, first-served basis. Families are encouraged to take advantage of Family Time, if your schedule allows. (See below for details.)
Is there a time when the exhibit is open just for families? Yes! Family Time for the Some Assembly Required exhibit is every Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. During this time, the exhibit is open just for children with their parents/caregivers. (Limit 5 children per adult.)
Can children visit the exhibit by themselves? Children under age 8 must be always with a caregiver. Caregivers should be at least 12 years old and mature enough to follow ImaginOn rules and guidelines. Chaperones are required for all groups visiting ImaginOn and the exhibit.
What if the exhibit is full when I arrive? Because visitor safety is our top priority, admittance into the exhibit is limited. This allows guests the ability to fully explore the exhibit at their own pace. If the exhibit is “full,” we have a queuing area where visitors can wait to enter the exhibit on a first-come, first-served basis. We have suggested activities to pass the time while you are in line.