Whether you’re a long-time local, just visiting, or looking for something new to do with friends or little ones, Charlotte offers a wide assortment of activities to fill your days with. Here is a list of the top things to do in Charlotte this summer.
Discovery Place
Discovery Place is Charlotte’s kid-friendly, playtopia, science museum. Inside you’ll find a plethora of interactive, hands-on exhibits that cover a variety of subjects like physics and earth science. You can design and conduct your own lab experiments, build mock structures, and study different ecosystems.
Cost: Tickets for adults cost $19 and children admission is $15.
Where? 301 N Tryon St.
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is 36,500 square foot space dedicated to the exhibition of 20th century modern art. The museum is named after the family of Andreas Bechtler, a resident of Charlotte and native of Switzerland who assembled a collection of more than 1,400 works of art created by the major figures of 20th century modernism. Check out their website to see what collections they have at any given time.
Cost: $9 for adults
Where? 420 S Tryon St.
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
Composed of the Belk Theater, Booth Playhouse, and Stage Door Theater, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center is ground zero for performative art lovers in Charlotte. The center hosts a wide variety of performing arts, including dance, classical music, live theater, and comedy. You can see internationally recognized shows like Riverdance or big-name performers like Tim McGraw. Additionally the schedule is loaded with shows the whole family can enjoy from Le Cirque-style shows to “Frozen” and “Spongebob.” To see what shows are coming up look up their website.
Cost: Tickets vary based on the shows, but you can expect prices to range from $20 – $150 per person.
Where? 130 N Tryon St.
Carowinds
Carowinds is one of the top things to do in Charlotte and one of North Carolina’s favorite local amusement parks. The park offers a variety of attractions. You can ride the Fury 325, world’s tallest and fastest giga coaster. Or you can cool off in the water park, Carolina Harbor, that boasts a 27,000 square-foot wave pool.
Cost: Admission for adults costs $69 and $47 for juniors, but it’s slightly cheaper to buy online where you’ll pay $57 for adults and $45 for juniors.
Where? 300 Carowinds Blvd
NASCAR Hall of Fame
Many people have said NASCAR is to Charlotte what music is to Nashville. So you can’t go to Charlotte and pass up the opportunity to go visit the NASCAR hall of fame, one of the top things to do in Charlotte. The best part about the complex is you don’t even need to know your Penske from your Paschal to enjoy a visit. With it’s interactive exhibits you can try your hand at being a member of the pit crew or learn about historic race cars.
Cost: Tickets for adults are $25; kids (ages 8 to 12) get in for $18; admission for children 3 to 7 is $12.
Where? 400 E M.L.K. Jr Blvd.
U.S. National Whitewater Center
The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the largest man-made whitewater river in the world and also an Olympic training facility. And there’s so much more than the rapids on site. You can rock climb and mountain bike on more than 40 miles of trails as well as zip lining. It’s a 1,300-acre playground for the whole family.
Cost: Based on the activities you choose to do. Expect to spend anywhere from $20 – $80.
Where? 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy
Charlotte Brews Cruise: Charlotte Brewery Tours
If you truly love beer this is one of the top things to do while in Charlotte. Charlotte Brews Cruise is run by beer lovers and lucky for both them and you the Charlotte beer scene is booming. The tours max out at 15 people and vans provide transport between the breweries. The guides and the staff at each brewery are knowledgeable about the beers and will talk you through the brewing processes and tasting notes.
Mint Museum Uptown
The Mint Museum is another pillar of Charlotte’s exploding art scene. It is home to a wide variety of American and European art. This location is the second as the first, Mint Museum Randolph, occupies the original branch of the United States Mint on Randolph Road (in the Eastover neighborhood). The building houses the world-renowned Craft+Design Collection, a special collection of international studio glass, fiber, jewelry, furniture, wood, and clay art.
Cost: $15 for adults, $6 for children
Where? 500 S Tryon St.
Levine Museum of the New South
Levine Museum of the New South is one of the most comprehensive collections of post-Civil War history in the country. The permanent exhibits like the 8,000-square-foot “Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers” focuses on history specific to the Charlotte area with six different spaces that illustrate how the South has changed since the Civil War. The museum also offers a rotating roster of temporary exhibits all serving to educate and challenge their viewers.
Cost: $9 for adults
Where? 200 E 7th St.
Lake Norman
Lake Norman, just 20 miles north of Uptown, is the perfect place to cool down in Charlotte and get away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city. It’s the largest man-made lake in the Carolinas, which just means there’s plenty of space for boating, fishing, watersports, or just chilling out. Whether you fancy pontoon boats, paddle boards, kayak, or wakeboards, just remember that Lake Norman is all about being on the water.
Cost: Access to the lake is free in many places. Boat rental costs per day range from $250 – $500.
Where? Just under 30 minutes from Uptown Charlotte.
