15 Fun Things to Do in Charlotte

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things to do in Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina, is a vibrant city with many activities to suit all interests. From galleries and museums to outdoor adventures and delicious dining, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this southern metropolis. The city is home to several historical sites and cultural venues that offer a glimpse into the city’s rich past. In today’s article, we will discuss 15 fun things to do in Charlotte.

15 Things to Do in Charlotte

Bank of America Stadium

You must check out Bank of America Stadium if you are a football fan. That’s the home of the Carolina Panthers. They play in the NFC South. Besides NFL games, Bank of America Stadium hosts a few college football games, including the “Belk Bowl.” For information about tickets to games, visit StubHub.

NASCAR Hall of Fame

Do you like fast cars? If so, this one is for you. The next item on this list is the NASCAR Hall of Fame. From what I’ve seen, the Hall of Fame looks legit. A quick search on their website showed that adult tickets are only $20. The NASCAR HOF is also open seven days a week. There are exhibits for all types of fans. If you like NASCAR, add this to your list of things to do when you’re in Charlotte.

Have Some Fun at Carowinds Theme Park

Carowinds is a theme park located on the borders of Charlotte, NC, and Fort Mill, SC. The park has been open since 1973. It has 57 rides. 13 of which are roller coasters. Carowinds is broken up into eight themed areas. The themed areas are Carowinds Plaza, Planet Snoopy, County Fair, Carolina Boardwalk, Thrill Zone, Boomerang Bay, Carolina RFD, and Carolina Showcase. If you like theme parks, schedule some time to visit Carowinds.

Codescape

If you love cracking codes and solving puzzles, remember to check out Codescape, another crime scene adventure for the family. It brings you some fantastic real-life adventure game experiences, including Shipwrecked. Here, your team has to retrieve treasure before everybody else. DeepSpace is another game where you are sent on a mission, your spaceship’s security is breached, and you need to find out the real alien life. You will also enjoy another puzzle called Residents and Lucidity. The level of detail, the difficulty, and the whole experience are lovely. It is a great entertainment zone for the entire family or friends. Help is always at hand if you find yourself stuck at any stage.

Discovery Place

Located in the Uptown area of Charlotte, Discovery Place, is a fun place for visitors of all ages. You can witness science being brought to life via exciting interactive exhibits and experiments. There is an IMAX Dome Theatre to experience films like never before. Launch objects into the air, see the human body’s life cycle, crush a garbage can, or even lie on a bed of nails! Also, remember World’s Alive; it teaches you all about the fantastic lives of many diverse species, access to hands-on labs, and dramatic photography. Both Children and adults will enjoy this fascinating world of physical phenomena. There is a lovely restaurant too, but relatively pricey.


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Ray’s Splash Planet

For a wonderful time, be sure to visit Ray’s Splash Planet, which is the largest water park in Charlotte. The facility has over 29,000 sq ft and 117,000 gallons of water to play around with. Features four slides, inner tube rides, and a whirlpool area. It also includes a fitness center and an aerobics and dance studio on the second floor, enough to keep the whole family entertained. From the toddler-friendly shallow pool to deeper swimming areas that feature water basketball, there are plenty of options for all kids, regardless of their swimming level. Entrance fees are very reasonable.

Defy Charlotte

Defy Charlotte is a perfect place to hang out with your kids and have a great time. DefyGravity Trampoline Sports Park is a 26,000 sq ft cutting-edge facility that features wall-to-wall steel-frame trampolines, which include the famous Angled Wall Trampolines. It also houses a sprawling Olympic Foam Pit and one of North America’s largest Trampoline Dodgeball cages. This is one of the city’s top-rated venues and acts as a sports gym and entertainment site. Watch your kids bounce around and have great fun! The staff are incredibly attentive and ensure no harm is caused to the kids.

Hendrick Motorsports Complex

This is a unique and fun place to visit for all motor enthusiasts. There is a lot of heritage and history to explore in this facility. Hendrick Motorsports has an excellent record of winning 13 constructors and drivers championships in NASCAR’s premier division, the Sprint Cup Series. The friendly staff is happy to answer your questions. You can see where they create, repair, and store their race cars. You can see all the titles awarded, and also visit the museum. There’s also a tremendous on-site gift shop and original car body parts for sale from the various drivers and races they’ve entered! The museum and store are very impressive and organized. You can easily spend days looking through all the history. The complex is free to enter for visitors, which is fantastic.

Charlotte Hornets

If you’re an NBA fan, you can check out one of their games if they’re in town. The Hornets play in the Eastern Conference. Micheal Jordan is their owner. They play their games at the Spectrum Center.

Queen City Quarter

The Queen City Quarter has a collection of restaurants, shops, and hotels. The Queen City Quarter is within walking distance of many places in Uptown Charlotte, such as The Spectrum Center and the Charlotte Convention Center.


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Truist Field 

You’ll want to try this if you’re a sports fan. Truist Field, also known as the home of the Charlotte Knights, is just a few meters from the Bank of America Stadium, and you could go there to have some sporting fun. 

The stadium is home to the Charlotte Knights, the most prominent players of Charlotte’s minor baseball league. You could get yourself some tickets and watch them play. The stadium isn’t just meant for baseball as it is also used to host other events like concerts and even other sports. So if you’re a sports fan, it’s a place you want to visit whenever you’re in Charlotte. 

Visit Freedom Park

If serenity is what you desire, or you want to be away from the noise drawn by the crowd in the downtown regions of charlotte, then you can take a stroll down Freedom Park. Freedom Park is an actual park of over seven acres of land, all covered in trees and magnificent plant life. 

What makes it so magnificent is not just the plant life but also the beautiful lake that sits at its edge. It offers a feeling of relaxation, quiet and fresh air that could leave you wanting more. You could also play tennis or volleyball or picnic with your significant other. 

Visit the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is one of the oldest attractions in Charlotte and is rumored to have been around since the city’s inception. It would be a nice place to stop by if you’re a fan of alcohol and you need to quench your thirst.

The brewery has a history of German brewing, a tradition that has continued over many generations. One beautiful thing about the brewery is the fact that it has an outdoor Biergarten which is also fun to visit. You get to take a little tour of the site while enjoying all sorts of fun stuff, from food tasting to live music. If you want to have a memorable time in Charlotte, you do not want to miss the brewery. 

The Mint Museum

If you’re an art lover, you’ll love to visit the Mint Museum. The museum features a lot of world-renowned art collections that have been around for centuries. The museum contains two locations, Uptown and Randolph, and they both include permanent and rotating exhibits that feature American and European art. 

You could also check out the art studios and the museum store. Tickets to the museum are inexpensive and can be obtained online or purchased at the door. 

The Billy Graham Library

Pastor Billy Graham, a native of Charlotte, established the Billy Graham library. He built the library to be a place where anyone and everyone could learn. The library is also known for its extensive and unique collection of books and manuscripts on the Bible. The library is a great place to be if you want to do some religious reading. 

After visiting the library, you could also get a guided tour of Billy Graham’s home.    

As you can see, there are some fun things to do in Charlotte. Make sure that you check out some of these destinations the next time that you decide to visit.   

16 Comments

  1. The EpiCentre was great! I visited there almost every day I was in Charlotte.

  2. Interesting that you mentioned the NASCAR Hall of Fame. I was never interested in the sport UNTIL I got dragged to that museum by a friend. Turns out, I found it fascinating! Been interested in the sport ever since! Nice city Charlotte.

  3. I had never been to Charlotte before FinCon and I was pleasantly surprised! I really wish I would have looked into the Panthers’ schedule before going because I would have loved to catch a game. I love football and their stadium looks so nice and their fans seem really fun. I did check out the EpiCenter numerous times, including some bowling! It seemed like a pretty hot spot for people to watch some college games too.

  4. This brings back some good memories of the two years I spent living in Charlotte. Eating at the Cajun Queen is simply a must! The Whitewater Rafting center is outside of town and is worth a visit as well. I also liked the murals in the Bank of American Building’s lobby. Charlotte is a fast growing city and many of the residents are from out-of-town. It’s New South all the way.

  5. Haven’t been to Charlotte in eons. You mention some really great things to check out. It’s a beautiful city.

    1. I’ve heard that Charlotte used to be the Mecca for Pro Wrestling. Ric Flair still lives in the Charlotte area if I’m not mistaken.

  6. Been ages since I visited Charlotte, which means it should pop up on my radar again. I didn’t know about the Epicenter and that looks appealing; Nascar not so much.

  7. The only times I’ve been in Charlotte it was downtown at trade shows and I realty didn’t get around. Since I’m a sports fan I would probably follow your suggestions if I had the time.

  8. I have not been to Charlotte, but would like to visit one day. I would likely spend time exploring its historical sites. I hope you enjoyed Fincon.

    1. Fincon was the best conference that I’ve ever been to.

  9. Pamela Chollet says:

    I went to graduate school in Chapel Hill and I love North Carolina. I miss it especially during the fall and the spring. But I’ve never been to Charlotte. I’m sure it’s boomed over the last 20 years. I know a lot of young professionals relocated to Charlotte in the late 90’s. Kind of like Austin, I think. It sounds great.

    1. Charlotte is turning into a major city in Southeast. It seems to get better everytime I visit.

  10. Thanks for this, Jason! My husband’s grandchildren (and their parents!) live in Charlotte now and so this piece will be helpful in planning our trips there!

    1. No problem. I hope it helps!

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