Things to do and places to see in Charlotte, NC

[Anonymous]

Going for spring break for 3 nights. We are going there for first time. What are must do in the area. 2 kids , middle schooler and in elementary.

[Anonymous]

No offense, but Charlotte is not an exciting place. 3 nights is a lot of time in Charlotte.

If it's warm enough the U.S. National Whitewater Center is pretty awesome. The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont is nice. Crowders Mountain and Chimney Rock have good hiking and views.

Note, none of the things I can recommend are actually in Charlotte.

You can even take the car and spend of your days in Asheville. Or Black Mountain is a great, smaller town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You can even take the car and spend of your days in Asheville. Or Black Mountain is a great, smaller town.

*spend one of your days in Asheville.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, this is not exactly an interesting place. Is your spring break the week before Easter? If so, you'll luck out because schools here are off the week after so at least stuff won't be overrun.

There is an indoor water park with a lazy river and a couple of slides, and a big pool area. Ray's Splash Planet.

A couple of museums, but none remotely approaching what is available in DC. NASCAR Hall of Fame if that's your thing. ImagiOn has kid-focused plays, a public library, things geared towards kids of various ages including teens.

Discovery Place has three locations: Science (Uptown), Nature (Freedom Park, just south of Uptown), and Kids (Huntersville, a solid drive north with lots of interstate construction and resulting traffic).

There's a nature preserve on Lake Wylie on the southern edge of town that is free and has a small nature center and a nice selection of hiking trails. McDonnell Nature Preserve. Near the University is Reedy Park and Nature Preserve.

If you want to bore them out of their minds, the James Polk Presidential Birthplace.

[Anonymous]

My sister lives there. We enjoy the science museum - forget the name, Discovery Place maybe?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Confused now. I don't want kids to be bored. Looks like Ashville is better option. Now debating to move are stay to Ashville... . Hope I can find some nice hotel to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Confused now. I don't want kids to be bored. Looks like Ashville is better option. Now debating to move are stay to Ashville... . Hope I can find some nice hotel to stay.

Why did you pick Charlotte originally?

What are things your kids like? Is it three full days you have to fill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Confused now. I don't want kids to be bored. Looks like Ashville is better option. Now debating to move are stay to Ashville... . Hope I can find some nice hotel to stay.

Asheville is an infinitely better option. Charlotte is nothing more than a major suburban city that thinks it's big time because it has a couple of banks. And nothing else.

[Anonymous]

I live in Chapel Hill. We never go to Charlotte, though we do go to the Great Wold Lodge nearby. I haven't taken my kids to Asheville but think it's a better option because you have the mountains. Also, we've been to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge a few times. It's a majorly cheesy tourist trap, but the kids like it and we've always had fun. I can't remember how far it is from Asheville, though.

[Anonymous]

Can you check if the old PTL Club(Jim Bakers Place) is still there?

[Anonymous]

Last time I had to go to Charlotte, I vowed never to return. Booooring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Confused now. I don't want kids to be bored. Looks like Ashville is better option. Now debating to move are stay to Ashville... . Hope I can find some nice hotel to stay.

Asheville is an infinitely better option. Charlotte is nothing more than a major suburban city that thinks it's big time because it has a couple of banks. And nothing else.

This is so true. Oh my god, the collective freak out when Amazon didn't shortlist Charlotte for HQ2! Just because everyone keeps saying "we're a world class city!" doesn't make it so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you check if the old PTL Club(Jim Bakers Place) is still there?

I don't think it is. But you can go to the freaking Billy Graham Library on Billy Graham Parkway, voted "#1 attraction in Charlotte!" Which I think tells you all you need to know about Charlotte. (The wall-to-wall coverage of Graham the last couple of weeks made me want to barf. Or scream. The relentless cheerleading, every local news person tripping over themselves to deliver the most laudatory, sappy descriptions of a man who was a know anti-Semite, homophobic, power hungry, racist, and raised a person as thoroughly vile as Franklin Graham.)

[Anonymous]

Carowinds is likely still closed at that point, so really, there’s not much for kids to do in Charlotte.

[Anonymous]

I am from Charlotte. It's not a tourist destination. Unless you are visiting someone, there is no reason to go there. Do you already have flight? Go someplace else.