Editing Charlotte, North Carolina (section)

===Zoos and aquariums===
Charlotte is "... the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a zoo".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlottezoologicalpark.org/about-us.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131170546/http://www.charlottezoologicalpark.org/about-us.php|archive-date=January 31, 2011 |title=About the Charlotte Zoological Park Initiative &#124; Bringing Animal Conservation & Research to the Carolinas |website=Charlottezoologicalpark.org |url-status=usurped|access-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> The Charlotte Zoo initiative is a proposal to allocate {{convert|250|acres|0|abbr=on}} of natural North Carolina land to be dedicated to the zoological foundation, which was incorporated in 2008. On August 18, 2012, Channel 14 News says that the initiative is "... still a few years away" and the plot of land is "... just seven miles from the center of uptown". According to the news channel, "... the zoo will cost roughly $300 million, and will be completely {{Sic|hide=y|privately|-}}funded."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://charlotte.news14.com/content/local_news/662522/charlotte-zoological-park-initiative-ready-to-move-forward |title=Charlotte Zoological Park Initiative ready to move forward&nbsp;— News 14 |website=Charlotte.news14.com |access-date=October 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629233442/http://charlotte.news14.com/content/local_news/662522/charlotte-zoological-park-initiative-ready-to-move-forward |archive-date=June 29, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The Charlotte Observer references two other zoos, the [[Riverbanks Zoo and Garden]] and the [[North Carolina Zoological Park]] as two "great zoos" that are accessible from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, both roughly more than 70 miles away.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/04/09/3970651/great-zoos.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416181608/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/04/09/3970651/great-zoos.html|archive-date=April 16, 2014 |title=Great zoos |website=CharlotteObserver.com |date=May 16, 2013 |access-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref>

Charlotte is also served by the [[Sea Life Charlotte-Concord]] Aquarium in the nearby city of [[Concord, North Carolina|Concord]]. The aquarium is 30,000 square feet in size, and is part of the [[Concord Mills|Concord Mills mall]]. The aquarium opened on February 20, 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/02/20/4711406/sea-life-aquarium-opens-at-concord.html |title=Sea Life Aquarium opens at Concord Mills |website=CharlotteObserver.com |date=February 20, 2014 |access-date=February 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222001725/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/02/20/4711406/sea-life-aquarium-opens-at-concord.html |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord/information/about-us/|title=History of Sea life Aquarium|access-date=December 5, 2018}}</ref>