Part library, part theater, all wonder: ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center is Charlotte’s gift to its children, a gleaming Uptown building where the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and the public library share one joyful roof, and admission to explore is free.
Inside, kids climb through storybook worlds in the library’s children’s spaces, hunt for favorite tales on the shelves and settle into storytimes that fill the calendar. Then the same building’s theaters light up with Children’s Theatre productions, from tiny-audience shows for preschoolers to big musicals that sell out to three generations at once.
The building itself teaches: bright colors, kid-height design and whimsical touches everywhere, plus the beloved bronze statues of storybook characters outside. Summer camps, workshops and the famous holiday productions make ImaginOn a year-round family headquarters.
Every great city needs a place that tells children: this whole world was built for you. In Charlotte, that place is ImaginOn, and Happy City News families rank it among the happiest buildings in town.
