Ten Things You Must Do in Charlotte

Charlotte Car Rental

Known as both the queen’s city and the hornet’s nest, Charlotte seems to have a bit of a personality conflict when it comes to its rich history. While the town was named in hopes of winning favor with the British royalty, it was rules imposed by this same royalty that caused the city to declare its independence in 1775. Here are a few things to do if you visit Charlotte.

1. Cheer your favorite driver on to victory at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Charlotte is one of the country’s major NASCAR hubs with about 75 of its workers and drivers living within two hours of the city’s downtown area.

2. Go bird watching at the Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuary. Created in 1972 by Elizabeth and Edwin Clarkson, this garden and bird sanctuary offers a quiet repose from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Visitors are also allowed to tour the former home of the Clarkson’s.

3. Catch a thrill ride at Paramount’s Carowinds. Attention all trekies - this theme park is the only one in the world with a Star Trek themed ride. While there, the whole family can also enjoy the stage shows, water park and family rides offered at this regional amusement park.

4. Visit the Carolinas Aviation Museum. Flying and static airplanes as well as missiles and rockets can be viewed at this location.

5. Take in a football game at the Bank of America Stadium. This stadium is home to Charlotte’s own NFL team, the Panthers.

6. Visit Reed’s Gold Mine: Reed’s Gold Mine is one of the most significant sites in the history of gold mining in the United States. This was one of the first few gold mines in the United States and today is a major tourist attraction in the city.

7. Visit the Mint Museum of Art: This is Charlotte’s main museum and features American art, American ceramics, costumes and other artifacts from all over the world as well as pre-colonial and colonial art.

8. Visit the Discovery Place: Discovery Place is one of the most popular and acclaimed museums for Children in the United States. The museum focuses primarily on sciences. Some of the features at the museum include live experiments. At the museum you can enjoy a rainforest, see a hydrogen balloon explode, and other exciting activities.

9. Visit the Carolinas Aviation Museum: This museum can be reached car or by plane. At the, museum you can witness airplanes taking off and landing. The museum also features restored airplanes. This is one of the major attractions among airplane fanatics in the city.

10. Enjoy a movie at the Discovery Place IMAX: Located at Discovery Place this is a theatre that has a large dome and usually features documentaries.