ExploreCharlotte - American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Alaska

ExploreCharlotte
Your checklist of things to see, do, and experience in the Queen City
The Intimidator, at
Carowinds, is the
tallest, fastest and
longest roller coaster
in the Southeast.
Arts&Culture
Become a drama queen (or king) by catching a
Broadway blockbuster featured in the Blumenthal
Performing Art’s Broadway Lights Series.
Collect your artistic earnings at the location of the first
branch of the U.S. Mint at the Mint Museum Randolph
in Myers Park.
Saddle up to a Civil Rights-era lunch counter at Levine
Museum of the New South while exploring the awardwinning “Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers” exhibit.
Attend a national touring musical, comedy or dance
performance at Ovens Auditorium, a Charlotte
landmark since 1955.
Catch a glimpse of nationally acclaimed conductors
Christof Perick and Albert-George Schram at a
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra production.
Retrace Christian evangelist Billy Graham’s dynamic
journey from a North Carolina dairy farm to stadiums
across the globe at the Billy Graham Library.
Enjoy dinner and a show with NarroWay Productions
featuring Christian musicals from World War II dramas to
Western whodunits to Christmas pageants.
Snap a picture in front of the Firebird, the
mirrored sculpture outside the Bechtler
Museum of Modern Art.
Stroll from gallery
to gallery during the NoDa Gallery Crawl in
Charlotte’s historic arts district on the first
and third Friday.
Leap to a North Carolina Dance Theatre performance
where high-flying ballerinas are reaching new heights.
Marvel at awe-inspiring works of art at the Mint
Museum Uptown, showcasing renowned
Craft + Design, Contemporary, American and
European collections.
Go inside Charlotte’s skinniest landmark dedicated to
the African-American legacy, the 45-foot wide Harvey B.
Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture.
Let your imagination soar at the Carolinas Aviation
Museum, where you’ll find Flight 1549, the US Airways
plane named the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
Shake hands with an artist in residence at the McColl
Center for Visual Art and admire their masterpieces.
Sign up for a photography class at The Light Factory, a
nonprofit arts center dedicated to promoting the power
of photography and film.
Cheer “Bravo!” at an Opera Carolina performance at
the Knight Theater located within the Levine Center for
the Arts.
Quote a scene from one of the many classic productions
performed by Theatre Charlotte, the oldest arts
organization and community theatre in the city.
Find more great reasons to Explore Charlotte at
charlottesgotalot.com
Dining&Nightlife
Ride the mechanical bull at Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s Whisky
River, sharing the same address with more than 20
other hotspots at the EpiCentre in Uptown.
Hit up Food Truck Friday in
South End.
Tantalize your taste buds
by sampling some ‘cue
at Mac’s Speedshop in
South End.
Savor North Carolina wines
in unexpected settings by
climbing into a tree house
at Treehouse Vineyards,
discovering the cascading
waterfall at Childress
Vineyards or enjoying a concert
at Shelton Vineyards.
Take a chef’s choice cooking
class with a professional chef at
Johnson & Wales University,
one of the top culinary schools in the nation.
Spot the stars onstage and in the sky at Charlotte’s
open-air music venues, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
or Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre.
Hop through NoDa to enjoy a crisp, refreshing pint at
one of the local breweries, NoDa Brewing, Birdsong
Brewing Co. or Heist Brewery.
Awaken your inner musician at an intimate live show
at the Double Door Inn or The Visulite Theatre in the
Elizabeth neighborhood.
Navigate through the NC Music Factory, home to more
than 13 pubs, clubs, restaurants, comedy and music
venues including The Fillmore, where legends like B.B.
King have played.
Take a bite out of Charlotte on a food tour with Feast
Food Tours or Tour De Food, or sample the city at
seasonal offerings like the Taste of Charlotte food
festival or Charlotte Restaurant Week.
Delight in some southern soul food favorites
like fried chicken, hushpuppies and collard
greens from The King’s Kitchen or
Mert’s Heart and Soul.
Sing along to
a rockin’ show
at Bojangles’
Coliseum, where
the hottest acts
from Elvis to The
Avett Brothers have
graced the stage for
more than 60 years.
Handpick a blues, indie or
other live show for good
vibrations at Charlotte’s
premier music venues
like Amos’ SouthEnd or
The Evening Muse or
Neighborhood Theatre
in NoDa.
Enroll in a cooking class with Harper’s Restaurant
Group at eateries like Mimosa Grill, Upstream and
Zink. American Kitchen.
Sip your way through the Swan Creek Wine Trail
making stops at Laurel Gray, Raffaldini, Shadow Springs
and Dobbins Creek.
Award yourself for getting so far on the list with the
salted caramel brownie from one of the Amelie’s French
Bakery locations in NoDa or Center City.
FamilyFun
Watch an American Bald Eagle take flight at the
Carolina Raptor Center.
Play in the fish fountains at The Green in Uptown
Charlotte, a kid-friendly, novella-themed park.
Walk among
free-flying
butterflies in
the Butterfly
Pavilion at
the Charlotte
Nature
Museum.
Pan for gold at Reed Gold Mine, the first
area in North Carolina to strike it rich during
the nation’s first gold rush in the 1800s.
Relive the region’s heritage with a guided tour of
Historic Latta Plantation, an original cotton plantation
and living history farm.
Cuddle up with Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang at
Carowind’s Planet Snoopy, a kid-friendly play area.
Familiarize yourself with the Queen City in new ways
with help from Carolina History & Haunts for spooky
ghost tours or Center City Carriage Tours for leisurely
horse-drawn jaunts through historic Fourth Ward.
Learn about the nation’s 11th U.S. President at the
James K. Polk Historic Site in Pineville featuring a log
house with authentic furnishings and a knowledgeable
Visitor Center.
Meander through the Little Sugar Creek
Greenway, comprised of 19 miles of trails that connect
Center City to major landmarks like the Metropolitan,
Central Piedmont Community College and area parks
full of public art, fountains and green space.
Venture across the daring rope bridge in the rainforest at
Discovery Place.
Judge a jousting tournament to determine who wins the
queen’s favor at the Carolina Renaissance Festival.
Create your own masterpiece at the Mint Museum
Uptown’s Sunday Fun Day each month.
Rock out with stars, cars and guitars at the Food Lion
Speed Street 600 Festival in May, which fills the streets
of Uptown with NASCAR-themed excitement, concerts
and kid-friendly activities.
Feed the animals at Lazy 5 Ranch, where
you can meet giraffes, buffalos, ostriches,
zebras and more in this drive-through safari
park in Mooresville.
Journey to fairytale lands during a Children’s Theatre
of Charlotte production at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan
Martin Center.
Step into a movie on the largest screen in the Carolinas
at the IMAX® Dome Theatre at Discovery Place.
Follow the Charlotte Liberty Walk, which ventures to 15
historical markers throughout Center City that highlight
the city’s Revolutionary War heritage.
Share photos of
your adventure
using the hashtag
#charlottesgotalot
Sports&Recreation
Compete on a challenging European-style indoor road
course at Victory Lane Indoor Karting.
Hop on the horseback of a trusty steed for a ride at
Latta Plantation Equestrian Center with 16 miles of
trails through wooded areas along Lake Norman.
Race in miniature Sprint Cup-style cars at NASCAR
SpeedPark’s Mini-Motor Speedway, a quarter-mile
track adjacent to Concord Mills.
Root for the NBA Charlotte Bobcats, owned by
basketball legend Michael Jordan, as they host the
NBA’s brightest stars at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Take the fast track to Charlotte Motor Speedway for
three of the most anticipated races each year, the Bank
of America 500 each October and the NASCAR Sprint
All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 each May.
Ride the class III-IV rapids by raft or kayak at
the U.S. National Whitewater Center, home
of the largest manmade whitewater river.
Sing the seventh
inning stretch and ask mascot
Homer the Dragon for an autograph at a
Charlotte Knights baseball game.
Tee off from a championship PGA golf course, The Golf
Club at Ballantyne. For pointers, the experts at the
adjoining Dana Rader Golf School can help, globally
ranked for instruction by Golf Magazine.
Watch the PGA’s best take on Quail Hollow Club’s
“Green Mile” during the Wells Fargo Championship.
Catch an action-packed NFL Carolina Panthers football
game at Bank of America Stadium.
See the saves, breakaways and power plays of minor
league hockey at a Charlotte Checkers game at Time
Warner Cable Arena.
Ride shotgun with a professional driver or train to get
behind the wheel, racing at speeds up to 160mph with
the Richard Petty Driving Experience or NASCAR
Racing Experience.
Root for your favorite Big East and ACC teams as they
compete for the title of Belk Bowl champion inside
Bank of America Stadium.
Drive the impressive wetland-shrouded 15th hole at
the Rocky River Golf Club in Concord, adjacent to the
Embassy Suites Charlotte-Concord Golf Resort & Spa.
Set sail, fish or pursue your favorite water sport on one
of Charlotte’s nearby manmade lakes, Lake Norman to
the north or Lake Wylie to the south.
Cheer on the CIAA Men and
Women’s Basketball Tournament
at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Zoom through the air with the 1,100 ft. Mega Zip line
at the U.S. National Whitewater Center before trying
other high-flying activities like the Canopy Tour and
Mega Jump.
Race over to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
to compete in the racing simulator and
pit crew challenge.
Shopping&Relaxation
Stroll through the tranquil paths of the Orchid
Conservatory at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden before
exploring the attraction’s 110 acres of themed gardens.
Indulge in tasty treats at Bar Cocoa located
inside the Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, which
features a Chocolate Afternoon Tea, cooking
classes and delectable all-day dining.
Embark on a luxurious shopping spree for coveted
brands like Burberry, Tory Burch and Louis Vuitton along
with mainstays such as the Belk flagship store inside
SouthPark Mall.
Unwind with the experts at Ballantyne Spa at
Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, specializing in treatments
such as the “Divine Wine Facial” using indigenous North
Carolina ingredients.
Peruse style by the mile at Charlotte’s many boutiques
such as Capitol Clothing in South Park, named “one of
the finest boutiques in America” by Isaac Mizrahi.
Roam Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuary in
Myers Park, where you’ll relax to the sounds of nature
with chirping birds and soothing water features.
Shop ‘til you drop at Concord Mills, one of
the state’s most visited attractions featuring
more than 200 outlets, restaurants and
retailers as well as North Carolina’s only
Bass Pro Shop.
Enhance your home’s design with modern Scandinavian
creations at IKEA’s only location in the Carolinas.
Relax at the Spa Botanica with a Rocky River Facial at
the Embassy Suites Charlotte Concord.
Find more great reasons to Explore Charlotte at
charlottesgotalot.com