Wondering what to do over winter break? Come to ImaginOn! We’ve got activities for every day of the break, from seasonal movies, games, and crafts to fun in the snow…yes, SNOW!

View a complete list of programs

ImaginOn is thrilled to be hosting our first major traveling exhibition for children – Once Upon a Time, Exploring the Land of Fairy Tales. This playful, highly interactive exhibition, developed by the St. Louis Public Library and the Magic House Children’s Museum, with a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, has been enchanting crowds for the past three months at the Central Library in St. Louis. Its first stop on a national library tour will be ImaginOn, with a grand opening planned for January 13 at 10am.

View a complete description of this exhibition, a program guide, information about bringing a group, and resources about fairy tales for parents and teachers.

Bob Inman, local TV news anchor turned author, spent 60 days in residence at ImaginOn as the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte brought his new book, The Christmas Bus, to life on stage. Bob attended rehearsals, performances, and made 11 visits to schools to talk with students about the writing process, including an afternoon at a local jail with a bookclub for incarcerated teens.

The Gift Shop at ImaginOn has sold a record 471 copies of The Christmas Bus, and expects to sell many more of this “family holiday classic in the making” in the future. ImaginOn also developed a special exhibit: From Cover to Cover, The Story of a Story Coming to Life, which told the story of Bob Inman’s journey writing The Christmas Bus, including early inspiration, actual illustrations, designs from the Children’s Theatre production and an interactive exhibit on songwriting. ImaginOn’s student documentary club followed Bob and the CTC staff on film, creating a documentary about the play production process.

As Bobbie Sue Chewning, manager of the Gift Shop said, “This Christmas Bus project has really highlighted the benefits of our collaboration. The Library’s Novello Festival Press published the book, the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte produced the play, ImaginOn and Children’s Theatre staff added meaning and depth through the exhibits, and the ImaginOn Gift Shop sold the book.”

Purchase The Christmas Bus Online

ImaginOn users asked for an indoor book drop, and we found a great one… patrons can now return books and AV materials by “feeding the elephant!” And the elephant needs a name. If you have a good name for our new elephant book drop, please email your idea, along with your own name, age, and phone number, by January 5th. A prize will be awarded for the winning name, and to a runner up in each age group.

If you’ve been in Spangler Library lately, you’ve seen it…a brand new dollhouse! This house is a gift from the Paddison and Landess families, who have had this house – a replica of a family farm house in Maryland – for many years. Next time you’re at ImaginOn, stop in to play!

And Aunt Sara’s House, the dollhouse Joe Martin built for his now-grown daughter Elizabeth, continues to delight and inspire visitors to ImaginOn’s balcony gallery. On January 20, dollhouse enthusiasts are invited to stop by ImaginOn’s Gift Shop for “Aunt Sara’s Attic Sale,” a sale of furniture and dollhouse-making items that Joe and Joan Martin purchased for Aunt Sara’s house and didn’t use. The sale will begin on January 20, and continue until the “attic” is empty!

Everyone’s favorite kindergartener, Junie B. Jones, takes over the McColl Family Theatre in Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (Jan. 19-Feb. 4). In this rambunctious family musical, precocious and irresistible Junie B. adjusts to having a new baby in the family.

The Tarradiddle Players will begin the new year in the Wachovia Playhouse with New Kid (Feb. 2-11). Themes of dealing with feeling “left out” and making new friends come to life as a young boy adjusts to his new home country of America.

There’s something for everyone coming up this season, and productions are selling quickly! Purchase tickets online, by calling the Box Office at (704) 973-2828, or by visiting us at ImaginOn (M-F, 10-5).

Come see Children’s Theatre’s ensemble of talented high school students perform the classic comedy Scapino!, the first of two annual productions (Jan. 25-27, Wachovia Playhouse).

The winter session of Education Enrichment Classes runs from January 22 - March 17, 2007. Classes are offered at ImaginOn and satellite locations in Davidson, Ballantyne, Matthews, Pineville, and University areas.

Get more information and/or register online

The Grey Seal Puppets celebrate their thirtieth anniversary this year, and ImaginOn is pleased to host a retrospective look at the work of these talented puppeteers. Characters from past stage and on-camera performances will be displayed in the Wachovia Playhouse lobby, along with anecdotes from thirty years of life with a puppet on their arms. This display coincides with Grey Seal Puppets’ performances of Salsa Cinderella on Jan 19 and 20 – Call the Box Office for tickets, (704) 973-2828! And on January 18 at 11:15, join Spangler Library for a special preschool program, Puppetpalooza, featuring a puppet show by ImaginOn’s Storytimes to Go! puppeteers, a puppet craft, and guided tour of the exhibit. Call Spangler Library, (704) 973-2720 to register.

This fall and winter, Spangler Library offered a new, free program series in partnership with our neighboring museums. Kids and parents experienced one-of-a-kind adventures together. They saw the ACTION! exhibit at Discovery Place, made their own movie, and learned to do staged combat. They saw the Levine Museum’s From Cambodia to Carolina exhibit, tried Cambodian snacks, and learned some Cambodian dance moves. In the 381 Days exhibit at Gallery L, kids and their parents made dream boxes and learned how everyday people changed the world through the Montgomery bus strike. In the Woven Worlds exhibit at the Mint Museum, they learned about 73 North American tribal cultures through their basketry, made their own baskets, and heard a Cherokee-Choctaw storyteller.

We are honored to dedicate this museum series to the memory of Joe Martin, whose work in the area of cross-cultural understanding and support of theatre arts will leave a mark on generations to come. Joe’s wife Joan said, “This is something that Joe would have loved.” Many thanks to the museums – without their donations of tickets, the series would not have been possible.

Be on the lookout for more museum series in the future!