ImaginOn – The Joe and Joan Martin Center

I love that this place is completely free! It’s an interactive library and anyone can come in to spend a few hours with their children. They have all sorts of games for all ages and the library is clean, brightly lit and just a pleasant way to spend the morning.

I was debating whether to give it a 3 or 4 star as it is more a 3 ½ star rating. We came here after walking from the library in N Tryon St 2 blocks away.
The library itself has a fun exterior with giant stamp pad and typewriter kids can play on. Inside it was so colorful and very cute! We toured the entire library from the toddler area to the teen area. The toddler area seemed to be the most interactive with a trolley area, puppet theatre and playmat but the area for the school aged kids seemed to be lacking. There were a lot of empty shelves both there and in the teen area, see pics I posted.
We would come here again, we hope by that time there are more books on the shelves.

It doesn’t get any better than this! A library for kids 18 and under with great books, programs, integrative displays, touch screen computers and tablets! This place is huge and every city in America should have a great library like this one. They also have a performing arts theatre that you can partake in, for a fee and live shows. There’s story-​time for the wee ones and plenty to do. Parents, there’s plenty of seating and great open play areas. Parking is validated in the garage for up to an hour and a half, don’t forget to bring your ticket inside, and if you stay over an hour I believe it’s an additional dollar or two. During busier times it can be hard to get a spot because the parking isn’t huge but definitely adequate. Great staff, and nice and clean. Family restrooms are available, an eating area with vending machines downstairs and in the teen only area on the top floor! This place is truly a gem and the bonus is, there is a soon to be park, that is almost completed, just across the street. 7^th street market is just outside and a hop away so if the vending machines don’t appeal to you, you can grab some food there and maybe hop on the light rail and cruise around the city. Enjoy! That is all!

Surprise! This is a library. This fun, unique, Silver LEED certified building that looks like a giant playhouse filled with books. Bring your toddlers, littles, tweens and teens. There is something for everyone in this building from story time to the Children’s Theater to the age 12 – 18 only Loft. Best of all: it is FREE! Bring your library card. Make a day of it and ride the light rail in, have lunch at 7^th Street Market. Imaginon validates parking in their 6^th St garage.

Such a cool library for kids! I’m a grown adult and i was STILL wowed when I stumbled into this place. It really is more than just a library. It looks like a children’s science museum, with all the cool décor and crazy color palette. If my 24-​year old self still got excited walking into this place, I can only imagine how kids would react. They even have a performing arts center! Such a great place for kids. I highly recommend.

Way more than just a library. Outside of the typical library stuff (books, computers, etc.), ImaginOn houses the Children’s Theater, toys for all ages and a number of games spread throughout. Best of all it’s free!

This is the coolest library! There are amazing activities for young kids, special events on weekend, special exhibits often and the best part is that it is all free and they validate parking!
You can see children’s plays for a fee, purchase library books in the café for 25 – 50 cents and then walk across the street to Public Market and have an awesome lunch, ride the light rail or just sit on the patio and relax.

More than a library, this place is like the Children’s museum, but for free! It has fun, educational, interactive activities for children of all ages. It’s not terribly big, but it is lots of fun for families with small children.
There are rotating exhibits and several things to do for toddlers.
Parking is a bit tricky since it’s in uptown, but the neighboring garage is free on weekends if you remember to validate your ticket.

Looking for somewhere fun to take your kids this weekend? Look no further. ImaginOn has it all! A library, two theatres for children, a trolly car, lots of hands on exhibits. You can park on site but spots are limited. There’s a big parking deck across the street and only $ 5 a day on weekends. There’s a snack area with vending machines, but on the other side of the LYNX tracks is the 7^th Street Market with plenty of food options. Entry is free but you do need to purchase tickets to see one of the shows.

This is the best library in charlotte for kids. They have so many activities and books and it’s so colorful! They have the best and most engaging storytellers here. They also validate your parking if you park below the library. Def love that. They have theatre productions periodically for children throughout the year. Bring your kids they’ll love it!

Love this place! Combines both my passion — books and children. Definitely a great place for to hang out with d kids! If only I could open a place like this in Atlanta!

One of my girlfriends invited me out to watch the play Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood. It was a Cajun twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale.
The location was easy enough to find, its right by the 7^th Street Market Place. When we arrived we had our parking validated (sweet) and then were escorted to our seats. The theatre is pretty large and easy to navigate, plenty of leg room and a huge bonus was that the seats were pretty comfy!
The play started on time and was great fun for the whole family. The actors were able to get the kids involved and still put on a great show.
It’s definitely a family fun event.

This place is just magical! Why wasn’t this around when I was a kid? The moment you walk through the door you are transported to a child’s imagination of color and whimsy. Giant paper mache creatures float above your head and a cyclone of children’s toys twists and climbs up to the ceiling.
I would be more than willing to pay an entrance fee for the kind of art and entertainment they provide, but luckily it’s free! It was the perfect place to bring my friend’s twin toddler girls. Talk about a cheap family outing: Park at the 7^th street parking deck, get validated at the 7^th street market for 90 minutes and grab a coffee, walk across the track to the library for story time (I call it dance in the bubbles while knocking down tiny children time), then cross the track again back to the market for a large pizza to share.
It was all absolutely wonderful and they have so many fun events for kids of all ages on their calendar that I can see this being the perfect family weekly ritual.

The Holy Grail of children’s libraries. They have separate areas for children and teens, daily gaming, a recording studio, and they also have a deal with the Children’s Theatre so the preform plays there and have theatre classes. Bring your parking ticket from the deck you park in to get it validated!

This is a very unique library with tons of interaction for the kids. Each level is specific to an age group and they even have a theater for productions. The only problem is parking as I payed $ 5 to park in the lot across the street. Very cool library though.

The family and I went today for Pinkalicious, the musical and I must say the entire experience was positive. This was our first time and from start to finish ImaginOn did a great job.
We were greeted when we walked in and immediately got our parking validated and were told that we should get in line since we purchased general admission seats, this was a great idea since we were some of the first in line so we got our pick of good seats. The seats were comfy and the view, even from the general admission level was great.
It’s always touch and go when you have that many little kids in one places which that being said, parents are the same way. Everything went off without a hitch and there were plenty of ushers to make sure people got to where they were supposed to be.
The «Salesguy» came out to greet everyone first and let everyone know the specials and what they have going on the rest of the year. The play was well done and we’re looking forward to seeing others. Outside of the theatre, there is a nice library and things for the kids to do. They had a life size book that went with the theme of the play they were showing which made for some good Kodak moments.
As a parent, we’re always looking for fun, affordable things to do with the kids and ImaginOn fits the bill. Great stuff guys!!!

WOW what a fun place! The Imaginon is located right on 7^th st Uptown. You can park in a nearby parking garage or Dixie’s lot right across the street. This is also the end of the Lynx line so you can also take the light rail here.
The building is big and fun with exhibits everywhere. You can bring your little one and they will be busy for hours. There are computers and places to dress up and act out fun skits. There are TONS of books — this is a library after all. And you can use your Mecklenburg County library card here to check out books.
There are also many after school programs that encourage kids to come out of their shells.
They have a little vending machine area for snacks and there is always staff wandering around ready to help. Great place!

Imaginon is great for families. Books, exhibits, stuff to climb on, children’s theater, and lots of special events for kids and teens, just check their website for a calendar. I guess there’s a parking garage, but I walk over so I never use it. Currently I enjoy family storytime and the baby/​toddler play area with my little one, but as he gets older we’ll be able to take in more of what this place has to offer.

This is a kids dream spot. I like it too :). Full of cool activities and adventures to get into. The décor will keep you busy without a doubt. Recently came here for a Children’s Theater presentation and was very impressed with the finishes and the cleanliness of the place.
If you are looking for a quick way to kill a few hours with your little one just drop by here and consider it done!

I enjoy visiting Imaginon, primarily for the children’s activities, library, and the theaters. You can opt for general admission, which includes the balcony, or pay a bit more to sit in one of the front rows. All of the seats in the McColl theater are excellent whether you are sitting in the first or last row, or in the balcony. The shows are always entertaining and provide an excellent arts activity for the children. My only issue is open seating. You must arrive early if you want to select a seat, vs. sitting where there are empty seats remaining. However, I will again mention that all the seats are excellent so if you don’t want to fret, you have nothing to lose. Oh, they also have a Teen Loft that is open to teens only. Check the website for details.