Friday, May 3, 2024

Top Free Things to Do in Charlotte, North Carolina

free museums in charlotte nc

You’ll find a variety of auto racing represented here, ranging from stock cars to drag racing. Sign up for a tour of the site’s cabins, which are a recreation of what the Polk family is believed to have inhabited. Tours are $2 for adults and $1 for children, payable when you arrive for the tour.

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free museums in charlotte nc

Discovery Place is an incredible STEM-based museum in Charlotte for kids of all ages. After the Civil War, Charlotte embraced the concept of the “New South.” The Levine Museum of the New South is a history museum in Charlotte that shares the stories of the people of Charlotte post-Civil War. Explore the work of masters of modern art, including Picasso, Miró, Calder and Degas. The building is a stunning work of art itself—only the second in the country designed by postmodern Swiss architect Mario Botta.

Free days at Charlotte museums

The neighborhood covers approximately 30 blocks between N Tryon St and N Graham St. The expansive 4th Ward Park sits in the middle with community playgrounds and walking paths throughout. Beyond the park, you’ll discover Victorian-style homes, Gothic Revival-style churches and more beautifully restored architecture. For more FREE live music in the Charlotte metropolitan area, check out this complete list.

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We’ve featured these museums in Charlotte NC and nearby in many of our NC Travel Guides. The NC Music Hall of Fame recognizes, promotes, and commemorates the musical heritage of North Carolina. The museum in Kannapolis has been housed by Mike Curb’s Records and Motorsports Museum since 2009.

This museum near Charlotte has an outdoor wildlife garden, an interactive farm exhibit, and the second-largest collection of Catawba pottery in the nation. The Carolina Raptor Center is in Huntersville and offers world-class rehabilitation for raptors and injured birds. More than 30,000 people walk the Raptor Trail annually to see 30+ live birds.

Through 2018, the Billy Graham library features special exhibits of memorabilia and photos from Graham’s life, including examinations of his wide international reach, legacy, and embrace of technology. Throughout the year, many events take place at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. From events with live music to exhibitions to tours, there’s an event for everyone’s liking.

The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture

There are many live music events at the festival, including events with jazz music. Located just outside of Charlotte, the President Jame K. Polk Historic Site is located on land that was formerly owned by President Polk's parents. The site features a log cabin, plus an authentically furnished barn and kitchen. The site's visitor center shows a film on Polk's life and has exhibits on his family (and his rocky presidency). The Levine Museum of the New South is free to visitors on the first Sunday of every month from noon to 5 p.m. Be sure to park at 7th Street Station for parking validation for two hours on weekdays (and all day on weekends).

The Billy Graham Library

Our efforts to make our website, buildings, galleries, and programs more accessible are continually ongoing. Lots of great events take place at the museum, and some of these events are free to attend for the public, so it can be great to check out the events at the museum if you’re looking for free activities in Charlotte. Usually, the museum has an admission fee, but it is possible to see the collection of the museum for free when you go to the museum on Wednesday nights from 5 PM to 9 PM. During this event, which takes 30 minutes starting from noon, you can learn about a work of art from the collection of the Mint Museum from one of the docents of the museum. Usually, the museum has an admission fee, but you can visit Mint Museum Uptown for free every Wednesday night from 5 PM to 9 PM. Wells Fargo has their East Coast operations headquartered in Charlotte, and their museum of history is free to visitors.

Amtrak Charlotte: 10 Things To Know About This Station & Its Famous Carolinian/Piedmont Routes - TheTravel

Amtrak Charlotte: 10 Things To Know About This Station & Its Famous Carolinian/Piedmont Routes.

Posted: Sun, 06 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Get up close and personal with a variety of biodiversity, including horseshoe crabs. This hands-on museum makes science come alive for guests of all ages, including adults. Investigate Hildur Jónsson’s monumental woven paintings inspired by Iceland’s landscape. Students will learn more about the artist’s process and then create their own collaborative works weaving together photos of spaces important to them. Students will be required to share images of spaces important to them prior to their visit.

From viewing Dale Earnhardt’s #2 car that won him his first Winston Cup Championship to gold record awards and autographed posters, there are many things to explore here. The Curb Motorsports Museum for Music and Motorsports exhibits are spread over 20,000 square feet in the same building where you’ll find the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. As mentioned, the indoor rainforest is a huge highlight of Discovery Place. Two levels include a large waterfall, tropical birds, and unique plants. Located in Plaza Midwood, the Charlotte Museum of History is a fascinating place to reconnect with the area’s history.

Multiple murals continue to appear in town, making poetry and art out of walls, bike trails, and underpasses. To make your own mural crawl, visit NoDa and look up your choice. If the images prove to inspire your creative side, The Center also runs several educational classes, such as an Introduction to Digital Photography and Black and White Darkroom, for an additional fee. The touching of any works of art is strictly prohibited in order to best share art with the community for many years to come.

Enjoy a packed event calendar with brews at Crown Station Coffeehouse & Pub. This is an open mic event with comedian Mimi Benfield as the host. It is a night full of laughter and one of the best free things to do in Charlotte. Alternatively, you can fish on the wooded lake in the center of the park—as long as you have a valid fishing permit.

This historic site in Pineville was the home of the 11th president of the united states. On this former property of the Polk family, a tour guide in 19th-century attire takes you around buildings similar to the ones that were there in the 1800s. Back in the 1920s, these buildings were used for the production of Model T Fords.

The festival takes place at various places in the city, with most events happening in Charlotte’s Uptown. Moreover, most events of the festival are free for the public to attend, although some have fees. During the event, you can visit the museum for free, and you can enjoy fun activities. At the library, you can see all kinds of interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations, and memorabilia. The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture celebrates the contributions of Africans and African- Americans to American culture.

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Elton John In Charlotte: Dates, Tickets To Farewell Tour Charlotte, NC Patch

elton john tickets charlotte nc

Proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test, or a face covering is NOT required for entry.

Young Sheldon Welcomes Octavia Spencer, 16 Years After Her Big Bang Guest Stint — Exclusive Sneak Peek

September 26, 2018 – Due to overwhelming demand, superstar Elton John, recently crowned by Billboard as the most successful performing male solo artist of all time, added 25 additional North American concert dates to his sold out Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. The tour will make stops in Salt Lake City, Tacoma, Memphis, Charlotte and Western Canada as well as return dates in Toronto, Philadelphia, Nashville, Cleveland and more. Sir Elton John is in the midst of his long-running “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour. According to a press release, these mark the final shows added to the North American leg of the tour. Become a Rocket Club member and exclusive news will make its way directly to your inbox.

North America Tour Dates Rescheduled for 2022

The final stretch will kick off on May 27, 2022 in Germany, then move to North America, beginning in Philadelphia in July, and will wrap in November with a pair of dates at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the site of an iconic Elton performance some 47 years earlier. 2023 kicks off with two shows in Auckland New Zealand on January 27 and 28, followed by soon-to-be-announced dates in Australia before the tour formally concludes there later that year. The tour will end nearly five years after its opening date in Allentown, Pennsylvania on September 8, 2018. For the US, Canada and UK dates, American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public. Public on-sales begin Tuesday, June 29 in Europe and Wednesday, June 30 in North America.

Elton John will bring his ‘Tammy Faye’ musical, with its Carolina ties, to Broadway - Charlotte Observer

Elton John will bring his ‘Tammy Faye’ musical, with its Carolina ties, to Broadway.

Posted: Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Rocket Man: Elton John announces Bank of America Stadium concert

The latest dates on sale are arena shows which were rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour will conclude with a series of select stadium performances taking place worldwide. Additional information on these concerts will be announced at a later date.

elton john tickets charlotte nc

I am an Elton fan till I die

It was originally slated to run for three years, but the pandemic forced it off the road in March 2020. Two Auckland, New Zealand, shows are also planned for January 27th and 28th, 2023, with the four-year tour concluding sometime in 2023 in Australia with a string of shows to be announced at a later date. The legendary musician will be bringing his farewell tour to the Queen City on September 18, 2022.

Rocket Man: Elton John announces Bank of America Stadium concert - WBTW

Rocket Man: Elton John announces Bank of America Stadium concert.

Posted: Wed, 23 Jun 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Be the first to know where Elton will perform next and get your hands on pre-sale tickets. Elton John has announced the final North American leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which takes place in 2022. ALL GATES ARE OPENAll three main gates will be open at Bank of America Stadium including North Gate, Lowe's East Gate and South Gate.

elton john tickets charlotte nc

He returns to North America for an extensive stadium tour starting on July 15th in Philadelphia on a run that features his first of the recently-revealed dates including East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 24th and Foxborough, Massachusetts on July 27th. An exclusive pre-sale of tickets will be held June 29 for fans who sign up here, the Carolina Panthers said Wednesday. Ahead of the stadium run, Elton will mark his return to the stage this Fall in Europe on September 1st at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin, then later to North America on January 19, 2022 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. More details on the previously announced arenas dates on sale now are available on /Tours.

Setlist History: John Lennon Joins Elton John for his Final Show

Click the link below for in-depth instructions on accessing and managing your mobile tickets on the Ticketmaster app. BE PREPARED & ARRIVE EARLYTo make your concert experience as smooth as possible, we encourage all ticket holders to access their tickets prior to event day to avoid confusion and issues at the gate. HEALTH INFORMATIONThe health and safety of our fans, guests, players, and employees is our top priority. Bank of America Stadium is following the Mecklenburg County Health Department and CDC guidelines.

"I'm going to go out in the biggest possible way, performing at my very best, with the most spectacular production I've ever had, playing in places that have meant so much to me throughout my career," John said in a statement announcing the 2022 tour dates. "Whether it's next summer in Frankfurt or at the legendary Dodger Stadium for the grand finale in the United States, I can't wait to see you all on the road one last time." After more than half a century on the road and an unparalleled career that has redefined the cultural landscape and seen Elton John claim his place as a true global icon, the superstar announced his final tour called “Farewell Yellow Brick Road”. Kicking off in the U.S. on September 8, 2018, the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour will consist of more than 300 shows across five continents, hitting North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australasia before reaching its conclusion in 2021. Elton’s new stage production will take his fans on a musical and highly visual journey spanning a 50-year career of hits like no one has ever seen before. Following his recently announced dates in Europe, beginning September 1, 2021 in Berlin (tour dates here), the tour will kick off again in North America on January 19, 2022, in New Orleans, making stops in major markets, including Houston, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Miami and more.

The newly announced final dates include 30 stadium shows, with a run of performances in Europe from May to June before he heads to North America. Tickets to those dates sold out quickly but there are seats available through VividSeats.com. The new dates kick off at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 15th and culminate with a two-night stint at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 19th and 20th.

Tickets go on sale on June 30th, with presale tickets available to American Express card members beginning on Wednesday at noon local time. CHARLOTTE, NC — Elton John’s final tour, which kicked off last summer, is coming to Charlotte this year. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Thursday, September 27 at 10am local time through Monday, October 1 at 10pm local time. A limited number of exclusive VIP packages will also be available starting Thursday, September 27 at 10am local time. These exclusive offers can include premium tickets, on-stage photo opportunities at Elton John’s piano, backstage tours, limited-edition lithographs, custom merchandise and much more. See Elton John’s full list of tour dates below, and get tickets to all of his upcoming concerts here.

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour presale is powered by Ticketmaster Verified Fan; a fan-first technology that was built to help artists combat ticket bots and get tickets into the hands of fans that intend to go to the event. Tickets for these events will be available through registration using Ticketmaster Verified Fan. Members of The Rocket Club will receive priority access to Verified Fan tickets at the beginning of the official presale period (Verified Fan registration is required.) For events on sale October 5, registration is available now through Friday, September 28 at 10pm local time. Verified TM fan presale will begin Tuesday, October 2 at 10am and run through Wednesday, October 3 at 10pm local time, supplies are limited. In September, John announced makeup dates for the tour, which was postponed due to the pandemic.

New section of Cross Charlotte Trail opens Thursday, connects NoDa to SC state line

cross charlotte trail

“I run about 50 miles a week, and I cycle about 200 miles a week,” Bollinger said. He says the best workouts happen when he has an unfettered, free range of trails, paved walkway and greenways. “I’ve just become accustom to figuring out what the perfect out and back is,” he said. Learn more about this and other segments of the Cross Charlotte Trail at charlottefuture.com/xclt. The 30-mile-long pathway is part of Charlotte’s strategic mobility plan; investing in multimodal travel options that promote health and sustainability.

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Now that the Brandywine-to-Tyvola segment finished, the Cross Charlotte Trail will be open from Pineville to NoDa. Crews were working to extend the Little Sugar Creek Greenway from Brandywine Road to Tyvola Road in August 2022. Megan Huggins, who was bicycling on the greenway with her two-year-old son in tow, told WCNC Charlotte she's excited for the construction to be done so she can ride from the Park Road Shopping Center to Park Road Park. Officials said the newest part of the plan cost more than $26 million, and six other segments have work going on right now. (WBTV) - The newest section of the Cross Charlotte Trail will officially open Thursday morning. The Signal Mountain fire and police departments were called to Rainbow Lake Trail on Sunday evening after two people were reported underwater, authorities said.

Charlotte Building The Longest Biking Trail in NC – The XCLT

A gigantic improvement project is underway, and the result — according to the city and county — will be a widened greenway, better flood control and a restored stream bank. Until then, however, there’s a detour that runs along Kings on regular ol’ sidewalk. Last month, I spent a total of about four hours running a total of nearly 30 miles — roughly from the top of north Charlotte to the bottom of south Charlotte.

9 things to do along Charlotte-area greenways (in addition to biking, hiking or running) - Charlotte Observer

9 things to do along Charlotte-area greenways (in addition to biking, hiking or running).

Posted: Thu, 13 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Charlotte Center City Partners Talks Upcoming Events

cross charlotte trail

And there’s not a single point where you have to cross a public street or contend with a motor vehicle (other than the occasional park employee trundling past in a golf cart). The City of Charlotte is partnering with Mecklenburg County to create a 30+-mile trail and greenway facility that will stretch from the City of Pineville through Center City and on to the UNC Charlotte campus and Cabarrus County line. Once completed, the Cross Charlotte Trail will allow residents to travel seamlessly from one end of Charlotte to the other. Approximately 140,000 residents and 130,000 jobs will be within walking distance of the proposed trail and the adjacent greenways that connect to it. Construction has been underway on a section of the trail that’s near Archdale Park in south Charlotte. That’s in addition to work happening between 7th and 10th Streets in Uptown.

Presently, however, that segment is still in the design phase. So if you go looking for it — like Charlotte Observer visual journalist Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez and I did — you’ll find a labyrinthine subdivision, an apartment complex, maybe a Walmart. Target completion dates on at least one section are three years away. There are wayfinding guides up to help people get to the SouthPark Loop and the Cross Charlotte Trail, according to the city. Click here to see complete map of the trail, including which sections are complete and what has yet to be done.

At this point, logistical issues were starting to become a hindrance. I floated the idea of taking surface streets for 6 miles to get to the next completed part of the XCLT in NoDa, but with little conviction. One, there’s not yet any signage (on this side of the street, anyway) indicating that the greenway continues on from here. An asphalt path off to the left heads up UCity Boulevard but leads nowhere. Across the street, the only thing in sight, really, is cookie-cutter development in the form of a Dunkin Donuts, an Arby’s, a Starbucks, an Orangetheory, etc. The day is coming when the massive City of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County project known as the Cross Charlotte Trail (aka the XCLT) will seamlessly string together several greenways to create a looong, winding, 30-plus mile route from University City to Piper Glen.

Once completed, XCLT will officially be the longest paved biking trail in North Carolina – you’ll be able to ride seamlessly from one end of Mecklenburg County to the other. The longest current trail is the American Tobacco Trail extending 22 miles from Durham to down to Wake County. This signature 31-mile greenway traversing Mecklenburg County is the epicenter of the Carolina Thread Trail and is critical to advancing regional trail development. The Cross Charlotte Trail is being completed through a partnership between the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

cross charlotte trail

I ran from one end of Charlotte to the other using only greenways — or tried to, at least

Longer-term, the county still hopes to connect those two points via trail. I feel like I have to blame the maintainer of the XCLT map on the City of Charlotte’s website for this one. If you look at it (which I did, closely and several times, in the Polk parking lot), you’ll see green all the way from Tyvola to Rea Road. Green corresponds to “Cross Charlotte Trail Existing” in the map key. But I found zero evidence of the continuation of a trail, anywhere.

— Cyclists, walkers and runners will one day have 26 miles of uninterrupted trail that will span Mecklenburg County, from the Cabarrus County line all the way to the South Carolina border. But construction to connect the Cross Charlotte Trail has been bumpy, to say the least. The trail is part of Charlotte’s strategic mobility plan to make areas of Charlotte more accessible. The Queen City's greenways are a space to get active but they're also designed to connect residents to restaurants, shops, and offices. The current interim plan involves installing “continuous sidewalk for that whole distance.” That is tentatively scheduled to be completed by mid-2024.

And, city council just approved the start of construction on a third section. (News Release) —  The City of Charlotte has completed a new trail connecting the McMullen/McAlpine/Four Mile Creek Greenway system to the Cross Charlotte Trail (XCLT) and Little Sugar Creek Greenway. The .75-mile-long trail, called the South Charlotte Connector, runs parallel to I-485 between McMullen Creek and Park Road near the Pineville City Limit. It features a boardwalk system and bridge over McMullen Creek near Charlotte Water’s McAlpine Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant. The trail expands access to the Cross Charlotte Trail by approximately six miles and to thousands of users.

As for this stretch of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, which was largely new to me, it’s breathtaking — full of hidden-gem urban green spaces and eclectic points of interest from tiny to huge. Within a few hundred yards from the crest of the hill, we were on the regular sidewalk that runs along Rockland Drive. Around the 3-mile mark, after navigating gentle bends and concrete boardwalks through/over a pretty, peaceful swath of wetlands, we came to the street crossing at Rocky River Road West. In the not-too-distant future, the northernmost tip of the XCLT will be the trailhead at North Tryon Street, just around the corner from PNC Music Pavilion. A run (or, more precisely, a pair of runs, since I decided to save my legs by spreading it over the course of two days) packed with surprises and pleasures, as well as a few pains.

There are 11 total segments of the Cross Charlotte Trail, plus a bicycle boulevard that improves connectivity to the trail in North Charlotte. Freedom Park will always be the crown jewel of the county park system. It’ll always be one of the most attractive pit stops on the XCLT. But the brand-new section that starts a mile to the south is going to steal away a lot of attention this year.

While the Cross Charlotte Trail is one part of the greater Thread Trail network of trails and greenways, we have a stake in ensuring this continuous greenway is built as promised and planned. The Cross Charlotte Trail will be a 30-mile-long trail through Mecklenburg County that expands Charlotte's greenways. We’ve pulled together details and an interactive map to show you its planned route, offer updates on which segments are built or under construction, and detail plans for future segments. Use the arrows to navigate from the southwestern end of the trail south of Pineville and continue all the way to the Cabarrus County line.

I’m also a veteran of nearly three dozen marathons and a five-time Boston Marathon qualifier who has been excited about the prospect of an end-to-end jaunt for years. I recently set out to see how much of the XCLT was runnable (walkable, bike-able) as of right now. There were, literally, multiple detours; and, figuratively speaking, a variety of bumps in the road. See more information about the SouthPark trail projects here. Segment two of the Cross Charlotte Trail opened to the public this past July, and it lets you walk or bike from the Park Road Shopping Center all the way to the South Carolina state line. CHARLOTTE — An extension has opened with a new path from Park Road Park to the Cross Charlotte Trail.

Top Free Things to Do in Charlotte, North Carolina

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