Chances are, you turned on a faucet today without a second thought. You filled a glass, washed your hands, made coffee, and brushed your teeth. However, for nearly one in ten people around the world, access to clean water is a daily struggle. charity: water exists to change that by bringing safe drinking water to communities in need. Now, through the Experience Lab by charity: water, located in The Factory at Franklin, visitors can step into that reality in a way that’s both humbling and hopeful.
Unlike a typical exhibit, the Experience Lab makes the global water crisis tangible. A wall of murky water samples collected from around the world reveals what millions drink daily: a mix of greens, browns, and cloudy yellows that show water can be dangerous. The Waterwalk is a hands-on physical challenge that simulates the daily trek many women and children make to collect water. Visitors pick up a weighted yellow jerry can and walk alongside Esther, a Ugandan woman, who carries the 40-pound container of dirty water for hours each day.
Since its founding in 2006, charity: water has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund more than 186,000 projects across 29 countries, bringing safe water to over 20 million people. Their model is built on radical transparency.
“Every public donation goes straight to the field to fund clean water projects and the resources needed to make them possible,” shares Scott Harrison, charity: water founder and CEO. “We made this possible by raising a separate pool of funding from a small group of visionary donors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who cover all of our operating costs. That freed us up to tell the public with complete honesty: ‘Every single dollar you give will go directly to clean water.’”
The statistics are powerful, but the real impact is deeply personal. As Harrison explains, “Each one of those numbers represents a real human story—a mom who no longer has to walk hours for dirty water, a child who gets to go to school instead of carrying a jerry can, a community that can dream again because their most basic need is met.”
Those stories come alive in the Lab’s virtual reality theater, where visitors meet Grace, a young girl whose village has just received clean water. Through her eyes, guests see what it means for a child to attend school instead of walking miles, and hear the laughter, relief, and ripple effects that clean water brings, from health to opportunity to hope.
Every element of the Experience Lab is designed to foster connection, not guilt. The tone is never heavy-handed, but instead invites curiosity and reflection. Each story is one of resilience, centered on the belief that change is possible. The family-friendly space welcomes adults and curious kids alike. Visitors don’t leave in despair, but with determination. As Harrison puts it, “What I hope people take away is twofold: first, the gravity of the crisis—703 million people still drinking dirty water today. And second, the incredible hope: that this is a solvable problem within our lifetime. I want every person who leaves the Lab to feel inspired, not just by the need, but by the possibility that they can actually be part of the solution.”
The Experience Lab is free to attend with reservations. Tours run Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., with walk-ins welcome as space allows. For those who step inside, it’s an hour that shifts perspective and a reminder of the role each of us can play in solving the water crisis.