Top Things to do in Charlotte, NC, USA
Charlotte, North Carolina, is a sophisticated city with southern charm. The Queen City offers visitors an array of attractions, including a growing downtown scene, arts and culture, professional sports, and outdoor recreation. You’ll also find a fantastic restaurant scene in Charlotte.
Charlotte has come a long way in the past few years. It’s one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Its downtown is booming with new hotels, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. There are many things to do in Uptown Charlotte (Charlotte’s nickname for its downtown), but you can also find plenty of stuff outside Uptown.
Charlotte, North Carolina, is a beautiful city with unique neighborhoods, friendly people, and great food. The city is located in the beautiful Piedmont area of North Carolina and is the largest city in the state. You’ll find that Charlotte, North Carolina, has a lot to offer visitors. In addition, there are plenty of things to do in Charlotte that you can’t do anywhere else.
With this list of fun things to do, you’ll never be bored in Charlotte. You can visit a historic plantation, go shopping at the mall or outlet, or learn about history at a museum. There are so many fun things to do in Charlotte for everyone, so there’s something worth doing in Queen City, whether young or old.
The 20 best tourist attractions in Charlotte, North Carolina
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Carowinds
Carowinds is an amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina. The park opened on March 31, 1973, at $70 million. This figure was the most significant amount ever spent on an amusement park up to that time. The park features a 20-acre water park, Carolina Harbor, and a separate kids’ area called Planet Snoopy. With over 51 rides, shows and attractions, there’s fun for the whole family!
Carolina Harbor features attractions for all ages, various dining options, and live entertainment. It includes attractions such as Blackbeard’s Revenge, a water play area with slides and small pools; Thunder Road, a slide and splash attraction; White Water Falls, a fast water slide; and more.
Carolina Cobra is one of the longest roller coasters globally and features a cobra roll inversion element and seven other exciting inversions.
Fury 325 is one of the tallest roller coasters globally at 325 feet (99 m), reaching 95 miles per hour (153 km/h). The track is 6,602 feet long, making it one of the longest steel roller coasters.
Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Charlotte Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile quad-oval track located north of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is considered the home of NASCAR and was the first superspeedway to host night racing.
Charlotte Motor Speedway is the only place you can see live NASCAR racing and drive your car on the same racetrack. The track has hosted two races each season since 1960 and boasts one of NASCAR’s biggest grandstands that can seat up to 170,000 race fans. The 1.5-mile quad-oval with 24-degree banking in the corners is one of the fastest tracks in NASCAR, making it a thrill to drive.
The speedway also hosts other events, including concerts, driving schools, dirt track racing, charity runs, etc. If you stay in a hotel near the speedway, you can watch a race live at night. If you want to see a race, don’t forget to buy tickets in advance.
U.S. National Whitewater Center
The U.S. National Whitewater Center is an outdoor recreation venue for whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and zip-lining. The USNWC is also the official United States Olympic Training Site for whitewater slalom racing.
The park has two large artificial lakes made from the Catawba River. The center features a flatwater channel with waves created by a waveshaper to simulate natural river conditions. The lakes are used to generate the flow needed for the rapids.
The USNWC is a non-stop outdoor adventure hub. It is one place where you can go from rock climbing to mountain biking to zip-lining in one day. And if you’re still hungry for more, try a round of flatwater kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding on the Catawba River. It’s also pretty cool that you can do all these activities within minutes of downtown Charlotte.
Freedom Park
Freedom Park Charlotte, North Carolina, is an urban green space that is a great place to take kids. There’s plenty of room for them to roam and play, with lots of open space and trails, fields for baseball and soccer, tennis courts, a playground, and an old-fashioned carousel. In addition, the park has many trees, making it a good spot for picnics.
Freedom Park contains 2.5 miles of walking trails and 2.25 miles of bike trails and Little Sugar Creek Greenway; the latter connects the park with Uptown Charlotte to the west and Reedy Creek Park to the east.
The Charlotte Nature Museum is also located in Freedom Park. This museum is popular with children because they’re allowed (and encouraged) to touch some animals; there are always hissing cockroaches to hold at the museum! There are also many other fun things to do – play tennis or soccer, fish, or ride your bike.
PNC Music Pavilion
The PNC Music Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater in Charlotte, North Carolina, that specializes in hosting large concerts. It has a capacity of 19,500 (6,000 reserved seats and room for 13,500 on the lawn). The venue largely replaced the Paladium Amphitheater at Carowinds as the premier outdoor venue in the Metrolina region. It was renamed under a naming-rights deal with PNC Bank.
This venue has established itself as one of the best places to catch a show in North Carolina and along the East Coast. Because of this, many of the biggest names in music have graced its stage over the years – everyone from Radiohead and Ed Sheeran to Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw.
PNC Music Pavilion hosts concerts almost weekly throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Most shows start around 7 p.m., although you may want to arrive early to get a good seat.
Romare Bearden Park
Romare Bearden Park Charlotte, North Carolina, is named for the artist Romare Bearden (1911-1988). The park features his work as part of its playground equipment and on several tiles around it. In addition to its artistic features, the park has water fountains that children can play in on hot days.
It boasts plenty of green space with benches so visitors can sit back and enjoy their surroundings. There’s also a large fountain at one end, which provides soothing background noise while they do so. There are often concerts held here during the summer, too – perfect if you’re looking for entertainment while relaxing!
The park is located across from the BB&T Ballpark and is a popular concert venue. But, even if there isn’t a show, it’s fun to sit in the theater with friends and listen to music played over the sound system.
NASCAR Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in Uptown Charlotte and houses artifacts, interactive exhibits, and a 278-seat theater. The Hall of Fame has five floors and over 150,000 square feet of exhibit space to help you explore the history of NASCAR.
The fourth level is where you can find the Great Hall, which honors inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame with plaques on display and other memorabilia. This level also features other artifacts such as trophies, helmets, uniforms, diecasts, and more from various drivers and racing teams.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is a shrine to the history and heritage of NASCAR. It is a temple of speed and power. Located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, the high-tech venue honors the history and heritage of NASCAR and the many who have contributed to this sport, from drivers to crew chiefs and everyone in between. Keeping the past, present, and future stars of stock car racing is a must-see for any NASCAR fan.
Discovery Place Science
Discovery Place Science, formerly known as the Museum of Life and Science, is an interactive science museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Some of Discovery Place Science’s attractions include a butterfly pavilion, a two-story rainforest, a motion simulator ride, a nature trail, and a dinosaur trail. The museum also has an IMAX Dome Theatre featuring 360-degree films projected onto the domed ceiling.
Discovery Place Science Charlotte, North Carolina, is an exciting place. You can visit there to see the exciting things. In the theater, you can also see some exciting videos about animals or something else. In addition, you can buy some souvenirs for your friends and family if you have time.
The Discovery Place Science has two main buildings and an IMAX dome theater. The main building has a lot of interactive exhibits for kids that range in age from toddlers to preteens (although older kids will have fun there too). There is also an outdoor science park.
Optimist Hall
Optimist Hall is one of the best places to visit in Charlotte. It is a huge food hall in South End. The food hall has over 20 vendors with various food and drinks. There is also a rooftop bar and beer garden, making it ideal for eating, drinking, and socializing with your friends. All the restaurants are local, and you will get a chance to taste flavors worldwide.
The historic halls at Optimist Hall serve up delicious food from local restaurants and chefs that will leave your mouth watering. You’ve probably heard of Carolina barbecue and maybe tried it at home. But there’s nothing like trying incredible homemade dishes in their natural setting. Local artisanal goods like honey, jams, jellies, and spices can also be found. There are several restaurants in the area if you want to sit down for a full meal or drink with friends.
Frank Liske Park
Frank Liske Park is one of the largest parks in the area. It has a water park, playgrounds, picnic areas, walking trails, etc. One of the things I enjoy most about this park is that it has something for everyone. It includes children, grandparents, and everyone in between! But be aware it’s also a dog-friendly park, so you may see dogs running around on the trails.
Frank Liske Park is a 238-acre park in Concord, North Carolina. It is located on the site of the former Cabarrus County Fairgrounds. The park has a campground, an amphitheater, a waterpark, and a disc golf course.
The park has hosted the Carolina Rebellion, MayDay Fest, and the Carolina Renaissance Festival. It also hosts local events such as the World’s Largest Food Truck Rally, held annually in February, and the Southern Spring Home & Garden Show in March.
Summary
Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina. It’s home to the Carolina Panthers, the U.S. National Whitewater Center, and eight Fortune 500 companies, including Bank of America and Lowe’s. The city’s nickname is “The Queen City” in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who had become queen consort of Great Britain the year before the city’s founding.
Charlotte’s museums are fascinating and varied, covering everything from art to history to science. There are many world-class cultural institutions here, including Discovery Place, the Mint Museum, and ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center, which is home to the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.
The city of Charlotte has a lot to offer in entertainment. There are many things to do and see while in the city. Whether you like shopping, dining, visiting museums, or watching sports, you will find something to entertain you in Charlotte.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is a must-see attraction if you are interested in racing. You can learn about the history of racing there, along with viewing memorabilia and other displays related to racing. If you are lucky, you may even be able to watch a race from there.
