The newly renovated Factory at Franklin has more to offer than unique shops, stand-out restaurants, and live entertainment: It’s now home to one of the most moving and meaningful experiences in Middle Tennessee. The Experience Lab by charity: water is a state-of-the-art, multi-sensory exhibit that helps visitors understand what life is like for the 703 million people worldwide who don’t have access to clean water.
What to Expect
This free, hour-long experience is beautifully designed and highly immersive, making it suitable for visitors of all ages, from curious kids to adults looking to make a difference. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll encounter.
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A Cinematic Beginning
You’ll start with a short but powerful documentary film that provides an emotional introduction to the global water crisis and how it’s affecting families worldwide.
A Closer Look at Dirty Water
Next, you’ll gaze through a microscope at real samples of dirty water—the kind people are forced to drink in many parts of the world. You’ll see the bacteria and parasites that infest it before it’s treated, not just in other countries, but also right here in Tennessee.
Walk With a Girl in Uganda
After that, you’ll enter a special room for a simulated walk with a young girl in Uganda as she carries a jerry can to her only water source. With cinematic lighting, surround sound, temperature shifts, and even a treadmill and water-filled jerry can of your own, you’ll gain a visceral understanding of what it feels like to walk miles every day under the hot sun—for water that may still make you sick.
Make Hands-On Discoveries
Afterward, your guide will answer questions and invite you to explore a series of tactile, interactive exhibits that bring the water crisis and its solutions to life. They include experiences that give children (and adults!) an opportunity to learn more by doing things like pushing buttons and turning knobs, crawling around inside a kid-friendly hiding space, digging through sand, and tapping interactive screens.
A Virtual Celebration
Finally, put on a VR headset and watch the moment a community receives clean water for the first time. You’ll share the experience with villagers as they celebrate this life-changing milestone—and, yes, the tissue boxes at each VR station are there for a reason!
Why It Matters
While charity: water is a non-profit, there’s no pressure to donate during your visit—just a compelling invitation to see, feel, and understand the global water crisis in a deeply human way and a way to empower children with tools for generosity and compassion. Kids are invited to take home piggy banks at the end of their visit, and The Experience Lab will soon have lemonade stand kits to hand out as well, allowing parents to help their kids encourage giving for a good cause. This approach is already inspiring action; one local child who visited The Experience Lab recently raised $10,000, which is enough to fund clean water for an entire community.
100% of visitor donations go directly to water projects, thanks to a funding model where the lab itself—and all operational costs—are paid for by a separate group of generous donors.
What to Know Before You Go
- Cost: Free (but reservations are required)
- Location: Upstairs at The Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Road
- Duration: Approximately 60 minutes
- Who should go: Anyone from families, individuals, school groups, and faith groups
- Tips:
- Wear comfortable shoes
- Arrive at least 10 minutes early
- Prepare to be moved
- Make a day of it and grab lunch downstairs at Edley’s Bar-B-Que, Otaku Ramen, or The White Alligator—just a few of the Factory’s beloved local favorites.
Click HERE to learn more about charity: water’s mission and to plan your visit.
