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A new virtual reality experience at Blume Studios lets visitors explore the Great Pyramid of Giza both today and in ancient times. 

Why it matters: Immersive experiences are popping up all over Charlotte, showing a growing shift in how people seek entertainment. At least three immersive experiences are in Charlotte this spring. 

What to expect: "Horizon of Khufu" runs through Aug. 30 at Blumenthal Arts' Blume Studios. 

Once you're checked in, you'll choose the intensity of your VR experience. There are two options. Moderate immersive effects are recommended for people with vertigo or who experience motion sickness. Amplified immersive effects mean you'll go through the tour with full visual effects (I opted for the latter). 

Dimly lit wall with a bottom-mounted touchscreen kiosk. The screen shows a dark UI with two panels, each featuring a white outline icon of a person and exploration motifs.

Then, you'll choose your name. I went with Cleopatra. Cliché, I know. 

Close-up of a hand holding a white museum ticket with a QR code. It reads "Horizon of Khufu en Cleopatra" and "Please don't damage the ticket." In the background, people queue near black exhibit walls.

Once you've been fitted for your VR headset, you'll embark on a 45-minute journey. 

You'll travel from present-day Egypt to 2,500 BC.

Trade show booth with a row of numbered white VR headsets on a counter; two staffers stand behind a metal truss structure under a gray geometric backdrop and bright ceiling lights.

You'll be able to see the other people around you, but only the names of those in your group will appear. 

Together, you'll travel with your VR guide through the pyramid, cruise along the Nile River and learn about ancient embalming rituals at King Khufu's funeral. 

Five people wearing VR headsets stand on a rocky cliff edge, looking over a hazy cityscape of buildings and roads, with orange rocks in the foreground.

Photo: Courtesy of Excurio/Blumenthal Arts

The experience is recommended for ages 8 and up. 

Stage 1 at Blume Studios (904 Post St.), and there's ample free parking. 

Black cat statue with green eyes and gold jewelry stands atop a carved pedestal made of interlocking hands, in a dark museum-like setting with rocky debris in the background.

My thought bubble: I kept trying to pet the VR cat you'll meet on the tour, even though I knew there wasn't really a cat in front of me.

Industrial gallery with black-and-white geometric murals on walls and matching floor panels; a group of people observe the art. Exposed ceiling trusses and a tall striped pillar frame the space.

This is one of my many attempts at petting the VR cat. Instead, I kept running into my husband. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios 

Pro tip: Take a moment after the experience and sit beside Gaia, the giant globe at Blume Studios, to reorient yourself. Your balance may feel a little wonky after standing on top of the pyramids and traveling through time. 

Step inside an Egyptian pyramid at Blume Studios

A new Blume Studios exhibit lets Charlotte visitors explore ancient Egypt in a 45-minute VR journey.

Surreal sunset over a calm lake: a long green curved horn-like boat with a thatched cabin and a cat inside; pyramids rise on the horizon as three people with VR headsets watch from the shore.

Photo: Courtesy of Excurio/Blumenthal Arts 

A new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="virtual reality experience" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/03/07/immersive-ancient-egyptian-experience-coming-soon-to-blume-studios" data-vars-content-id="3d3e9159-f487-4caa-8e63-5dc88eb5390c" data-vars-headline="Step inside an Egyptian pyramid at Blume Studios" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/03/07/immersive-ancient-egyptian-experience-coming-soon-to-blume-studios" target="_self">virtual reality experience</a> at Blume Studios lets visitors explore the Great Pyramid of Giza both today and in ancient times. Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Immersive experiences" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/22/titanic-exhibition-charlotte-park-expo-vr" data-vars-content-id="3d3e9159-f487-4caa-8e63-5dc88eb5390c" data-vars-headline="Step inside an Egyptian pyramid at Blume Studios" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/22/titanic-exhibition-charlotte-park-expo-vr" target="_self">Immersive experiences</a> are popping up all over Charlotte, showing a growing shift in how people seek entertainment. At least three <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="immersive experiences" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/03/charlotte-titanic-vr-dates-tickets-immersive-exhibits" data-vars-content-id="3d3e9159-f487-4caa-8e63-5dc88eb5390c" data-vars-headline="Step inside an Egyptian pyramid at Blume Studios" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/03/charlotte-titanic-vr-dates-tickets-immersive-exhibits" target="_self">immersive experiences</a> are in Charlotte this spring.

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Confetti going off in front of construction on the Hornets new practice facility.

The Charlotte Hornets' new roughly $180 million practice facility will open next spring. 

Why it matters: Charlotte is in the midst of a sports facility renaissance, from stadiums and arenas to practice facilities. For the first time in years, the product on the court and field is beginning to match that investment.  

Driving the news: The Hornets held a topping off ceremony Monday. The construction tradition saw the final beam raised to the top of the structure. 

Group of professionally dressed people posing in front of a built steel-frame construction site. An American flag and a Charlotte Hornets banner hang overhead, with a blue mascot on the right.

What to expect: The 160,000-square-foot facility will house the team's headquarters and practice courts, plus a Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine clinic. 

Between the lines: When the Hornets broke ground on the Novant Health Performance Center in March 2025, the team was an afterthought. Now they are starting to emerge as a relevant team, co-owner Rick Schnall told reporters Monday.

What we're watching: The Hornets' rebuild was ahead of expectations this season, Schnall told reporters Monday.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan sold his majority stake in the Hornets to a group led by Schnall and Gabe Plotkin in 2023. The team's new ownership inherited a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2015-2016.

As the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets had a shot at entering the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament, but they fell short against the Orlando Magic in their second play-in game.

"When you look at the playoffs, we would've had a tough time in the playoffs," Schnall says. "We have to continue to build the team." 

The big picture: Upgrades to Spectrum Center and the new standalone practice facility are part of a broader vision for a district around Trade Street. 

While they don't have a name for the district yet, they do like Hive District. All of the pieces aren't quite in place yet, Schnall says.

The goal is to provide fans with more to do before and after events at the arena. That's part of what makes a premier NBA franchise, Schnall says. 

The bottom line: "We didn't buy this team to be average," team co-owner Gabe Plotkin said Monday. 

Aerial view of a city center: a large modern building with a lush green rooftop garden in the foreground, surrounded by trees, streets, and numerous high-rise buildings and a distant skyline.

Rendering: Courtesy of Hornets Sports & Entertainment 

Hornets' $180M practice facility to open in spring 2027

The Hornets' new facility signals Charlotte's sports surge as the team pushes toward relevance.

Hornets topping off ceremony. Blue sky with a Hornets flag and an American flag on a beam on top of construction.

<figure><img alt="Confetti going off in front of construction on the Hornets new practice facility." height="450" id="ab21be48-5727-41c3-8bf7-3d9a375c1027" src="https://images.axios.com/RL6y8VxswZ8VUyYMzEYiySDuDIs=/2026/05/04/1777916537904.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>Video: Ashley Mahoney/Axios</figcaption></figure>The Charlotte Hornets&#x27; new roughly $180 million <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="practice facility" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/03/25/hornets-practice-facility-novant-health-performance-center" data-vars-content-id="65ebbe99-4c7d-4b7a-aa00-7977baffb868" data-vars-headline="Hornets&#x27; $180M practice facility to open in spring 2027" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/03/25/hornets-practice-facility-novant-health-performance-center" target="_self">practice facility</a> will open next spring. Why it matters: Charlotte is in the midst of a sports facility renaissance, from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="stadiums" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/02/23/charlotte-bank-of-america-stadium-800-million-renovation-uptown-panthers-charlotte-fc-2045-deal" data-vars-content-id="65ebbe99-4c7d-4b7a-aa00-7977baffb868" data-vars-headline="Hornets&#x27; $180M practice facility to open in spring 2027" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/02/23/charlotte-bank-of-america-stadium-800-million-renovation-uptown-panthers-charlotte-fc-2045-deal" target="_self">stadiums</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="arenas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/10/17/charlotte-spectrum-center-reopens-renovation-hornets-concert-tickets" data-vars-content-id="65ebbe99-4c7d-4b7a-aa00-7977baffb868" data-vars-headline="Hornets&#x27; $180M practice facility to open in spring 2027" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/10/17/charlotte-spectrum-center-reopens-renovation-hornets-concert-tickets" target="_self">arenas</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="practice facilities" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/16/charlotte-carolina-panthers-atrium-health-training-facility-uptown-stadium-district" data-vars-content-id="65ebbe99-4c7d-4b7a-aa00-7977baffb868" data-vars-headline="Hornets&#x27; $180M practice facility to open in spring 2027" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/16/charlotte-carolina-panthers-atrium-health-training-facility-uptown-stadium-district" target="_self">practice facilities</a>. For the first time in years, the product on the court and field is beginning to match that investment.

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Charlotte Water will implement mandatory water restrictions on May 15 due to North Carolina's ongoing drought. 

Why it matters: More than 90% of Mecklenburg County is experiencing an extreme drought and more than 9% of the county is experiencing an exceptional drought. These conditions could affect crops and livestock at farms across the state.

By the numbers: This is Mecklenburg County's fifth-driest March on record, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

This is also the county's driest year to date (January–March). The county is down 6.87 inches from normal. 

Context: The Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group, which includes Charlotte Water,  uses Low Inflow Protocol (LIP) to reduce water use during low inflows into the Catawba River basin. 

LIP stages include: watch, voluntary reductions, mandatory reductions, extreme and emergency. Stage updates are provided on the first and 16th of the month.

How it works: Nonessential water restrictions to help protect the region's water supply include: 

Irrigate lawns and landscapes no more than two days per week, from 6pm to 6am (Tuesdays and Saturdays for odd-numbered addresses and Wednesdays and Sundays for even-numbered addresses). 

Residential swimming pools may be topped off on Thursdays and Sundays, between 6pm and 6am. You may not completely fill an empty swimming pool. 

You may not wash your vehicle at home, but you may use a commercial car wash. 

Water features that do not support aquatic life may not be used. 

Save car wash fundraisers for after the drought. 

Charlotte Water is also asking residents to reduce indoor and outdoor water use, limit watering your lawn (1 inch of water per week) and to fix any water leaks. 

Residents may use drip irrigation soaker hoses, or hand-water plants and landscaping. 

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation's burn ban goes into effect Monday, May 4, to reduce the risk of fires. Prohibited activities at parks and facilities include: 

Use of grills (charcoal, gas or propane grills)

Open flames (firepits, campfires or bonfires) 

Tiki torches, candles or anything else that produces a flame

Mandatory water restrictions coming to Charlotte amid drought

Most of Mecklenburg is in extreme drought, with new rules affecting lawns, pools and cars.

Split image: left a calm, sunset-lit lake with swans near a wooden post and treeline; right a dry, cracked lakebed with driftwood and distant green trees.

The Catawba River at Kevin Loftin Park in Belmont in October (left) compared to April 23. Photos: Courtesy of Lindsey Demilio

Charlotte Water will implement mandatory water restrictions on May 15 due to North Carolina&#x27;s ongoing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="drought" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/17/charlotte-drought-water-restrictions-2026" data-vars-content-id="722f6ca0-f096-4e8a-b0f0-85863a100fb6" data-vars-headline="Mandatory water restrictions coming to Charlotte amid drought" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/17/charlotte-drought-water-restrictions-2026" target="_self">drought</a>. Why it matters: More than 90% of Mecklenburg County is experiencing an extreme drought and more than 9% of the county is experiencing an exceptional drought. These conditions could affect crops and livestock at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="farms" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/10/drought-north-carolina-farming-water-supply-rain-dry" data-vars-content-id="722f6ca0-f096-4e8a-b0f0-85863a100fb6" data-vars-headline="Mandatory water restrictions coming to Charlotte amid drought" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/10/drought-north-carolina-farming-water-supply-rain-dry" target="_self">farms</a> across the state.

A Charlotte nonprofit aims to deliver flowers and gifts to 700 mothers who have lost a child ahead of Mother's Day.

Why it matters: Mother's Day can be especially painful for bereaved mothers, and the effort aims to show that their children are remembered, Watch Love Grow founder Ashley Manning tells Axios. 

How it works: Leading up to Mother's Day on Sunday, May 10, Manning's nonprofit Watch Love Grow and several volunteers will package and deliver gifts for bereaved mothers in the Charlotte area. 

A Mother's Love, as the initiative is called, has 562 nominations as of Friday morning. Recipients can be nominated here. 

The fundraising target is $70,000. More than $57,000 has been raised as of Thursday. 

Context: The project grew out of Manning's initial Valentine's Day Widow Outreach Project in 2021, which continues to this day.

This is the organization's second year recognizing mothers. They're more than doubling last year's 300 recipients.

Flashback: When Manning launched the Valentine's Day project more than five years ago, someone at the flower distributor asked her what she was going to do for Mother's Day.

The woman shared with Manning that she had lost her daughter and how difficult it had been. Manning says that interaction planted the seed for expanding beyond Valentine's Day.

A smiling woman sits on a stone bench among vibrant pink, white, and yellow flowers in black buckets, under a large umbrella, outdoors with trees and a brick building nearby.

Watch Love Grow founder Ashley Manning. Photo: Cheyenne Schultz Photography/courtesy of Watch Love Grow

By the numbers: Providing flowers to widows on Valentine's Day started with around 125 people in Charlotte. This year, the program reached 2,000 people.

It now includes Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, Columbia and Lancaster, in addition to Charlotte.

The bottom line: "My hope is that we all consider to search out those who are hurting and try to just show them that they are seen and they are not forgotten," Manning tells Axios.

Go deeper: Volunteer with Watch Love Grow

Charlotte nonprofit honors grieving mothers

The initiative aims to reach 700 local mothers who have lost children with flowers and support.

Outdoor display with illuminated letters reading "WATCH LOVE GROW" framed by pastel balloon clusters in peach, mint, pink and yellow; a vase of flowers in the foreground and string lights overhead.

Photo: Cheyenne Schultz Photography/courtesy of Watch Love Grow 

A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Charlotte nonprofit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/02/05/nominate-charlotte-widows-flowers-on-valentine-s-day" data-vars-content-id="a562223c-efb1-43b0-a12f-9bd9f082fcc1" data-vars-headline="Charlotte nonprofit honors grieving mothers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/02/05/nominate-charlotte-widows-flowers-on-valentine-s-day" target="_self">Charlotte nonprofit</a> aims to deliver flowers and gifts to 700 mothers who have lost a child ahead of Mother&#x27;s Day.Why it matters: Mother&#x27;s Day can be especially painful for bereaved mothers, and the effort aims to show that their children are remembered, Watch Love Grow founder Ashley Manning tells Axios.

A new nonprofit plans to create an arts hub in south Charlotte called Charlotte Center for the Arts. 

Why it matters: South Charlotte lacks accessible, affordable arts space, CCA co-founder Julia Zilke tells Axios, and the nonprofit hopes to fill that gap by repurposing underused real estate.

State of play: CCA hopes to build a 100,000-square-foot flagship campus in south Charlotte in the next 10-12 years. 

The plans include an 800-seat theater, a black box theater with a shared lobby, plus a classroom and event space.

The project is estimated to cost $125 million, and CCA is considering locations south of SouthPark.

What they're saying: "If you live in city limits, you pay city taxes; you would like to think that access to cultural assets would be equitable across all geographic areas," Zilke said.

The big picture: Neighborhoods further from Charlotte's urban core are absorbing the city's growth. CCA hopes to provide affordable arts infrastructure to help address barriers to arts access.

Concept for Charlotte Center for the Arts' community arts hub lobby. Rendering: Courtesy of Charlotte Center for the Arts; Progressive Companies

Zoom in: Within the next five years, CCA plans to build a smaller arts hub with a black-box theater and community space.

The location of the roughly $5 million community arts hub is still TBD, but Zilke says they're looking at strip malls for potential leases.

What's next: CCA must first raise $90,000 for a feasibility study, expected to take 6–8 months. Then, they'll start fundraising for the hub.

The latest: CCA will host a happy hour Wednesday, April 29, from 5:30-7:30pm at Grace O'Malley's (157 N. Trade St.) in Matthews.

CCA leaders will share where the project stands, next steps, and their long-term vision for the Community Arts Hub.

Event registration is required. Tickets are $25 and include a drink ticket and small bites.

See renderings: Nonprofit plans major arts hub in south Charlotte

The group aims to turn underused space into an arts hub while planning a larger campus and raising funds for a study.

Sunset sky over the Charlotte Center for the Arts, a modern brick building with a bright glass entrance, people gathering outside, parked cars, trees, and illuminated walkways.

Concept for Charlotte Center for the Arts' community arts hub. Rendering: Courtesy of Charlotte Center for the Arts; Progressive Companies

A new nonprofit plans to create an arts hub in south Charlotte called Charlotte Center for the Arts. Why it matters: South Charlotte lacks accessible, affordable arts space, CCA co-founder Julia Zilke tells Axios, and the nonprofit hopes to fill that gap by repurposing underused real estate.

Ashley Mahoney

Featured stories

Step inside an Egyptian pyramid at Blume Studios

Hornets' $180M practice facility to open in spring 2027

Mandatory water restrictions coming to Charlotte amid drought

Charlotte nonprofit honors grieving mothers

See renderings: Nonprofit plans major arts hub in south Charlotte