New Charlotte selfie museum invites you to escape into the sights and smells of a DREAM
Even when someone can’t recall what happened, people dream every night, and over 90 percent of the time they forget their dream in their first awakening moments. A new selfie museum in NoDa, The DREAM Selfie Museum, is allowing patrons to capture each moment to last a lifetime.
Jeff and Madeline Carothers recently held a grand opening for their latest pop-up, with an ultimate mission to make everyone’s dreams come true — which means getting the perfect picture with the best lighting. The museum is open through August as a trial run to gauge community interest in the space. It’s located next to the Charlotte Art League on Raleigh Street, near the Sugar Creek Light Rail station.
Jeff and Madeline are part of the team of creators of CLT Black Owned, an Instagram account that highlights and supports Black-owned businesses in Charlotte.
It has accumulated over 37,000 followers and continues to grow. The couple is also Black and Madeline is elated to be on the other side to provide a unique experience for people to take their next Instagram-worthy pictures.
“It’s cool to be on the other side,” Madeline said. “All the lessons we’ve learned through the stories and experiences of the Black business owners that we’ve worked with really makes us appreciate even more the work they are doing.”
Thanks to the Flywheel Group, they were able to get the space for their pop-up at a great price which they appreciated because funding is known to be an issue for small business owners.
Opening the pop-up with her husband consisted of many long nights working and painting. The night before their opening party, the couple did not sleep for an outstanding 48 hours but said it was a good time when everyone was there.
Not just scenes — scents, too
Walking through the museum, customers will notice delightful scents — two in the museum.
The first is Sunshine and Daffodils, which can be found at Bath & Body Works, and the other is a secret scent found in the cloud dreamscape room. Madeline describes it as something that smells like a cloud. She believes good smells can influence creativity and has plans to add more throughout the museum.
As surprising as it sounds, Madeline had never been to a selfie museum before starting her own. She plans to visit the Home of the 90s Museum that opens in July in Concord. Selfie museums aren’t new though, Rich Girl Museum in Greensboro and Charlotte Candid just down the street from NoDa are both photogenic hot spots in the Carolinas.
The DREAM Selfie Museum has three rules: Be kind and creative, don’t break anything and have fun.
“Charlotte is a huge place with a lot of opportunities,” Madeline said. “We want to cultivate a space that promotes creativity where people can champion their dreams and take great pictures while doing it.”
Five selfies ideas you can take:
Channel your inner Rocky in their red dreamscape with lockers and a punching bag.
Take a candid shot on their couch.
Catch some air off their mini trampoline.
Picture yourself looking for the best album on their vinyl record wall.
Travel into your favorite dream in the cloud room.
The DREAM Selfie Museum
4212 Raleigh Street
Instagram: @dreamselfiemuseum
Ticket info: $19 for a weekday visit, $25 on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Visits are 1.5 hours.
This story was originally published June 10, 2021 at 7:45 PM.
