Amusement Parks/Amphitheaters

Paramount’s Carowinds

I-77 (Exit 90) on N.C./S.C. state line

Area theme park including many rides and attractions for family fun. Also includes a water park and campground

Open weekdays in summer. Open weekends late March through early fall.

Park opens at 10 a.m., closing times vary.

2007 admission fees: $19.95-$54.95

www.carowinds.com  (704) 588-2600, (803) 548-5300

Paladium Amphitheatre at

Paramount's Carowinds

Outdoor-covered amphitheater hosts a variety of popular entertainers in concerts throughout the year.

(704) 588-2606

Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Outdoor-covered amphitheater hosts a variety of popular-music concerts throughout the year.

Concert Information - (704) 549-5555

Ticket Ordering (Ticketmaster) - (704) 522-6500

www.verizonwirelessamphitheater.com/charlotte

www.ticketmaster.com

Fun Centers

Blast Extreme Fun Center

4301 South Blvd.

Indoor fun center with rock climbing wall, paintball shooting gallery, mini golf, arcade, billiards, inflatable bouncers,

preschool play day, parties.  (704) 525-5525

Chuck E. Cheese’s

Indoor play center, arcade, ballroom, animated stage show and pizza parlor.

5612 Albemarle Road  (704) 532-9570

7701 Pineville-Matthews Rd.  (704) 541-0106

7970 Lyles Lane, NW, Concord  (704) 979-1380

416 Cox Rd., Gastonia (704) 868-3821

www.chuckecheese.com

Jeepers

8321 Concord Mills Blvd., Concord

Indoor playground, rides, games, birthday party area, snack bar.

 (704) 979-8700

www.jeepers.com  

Laser Quest

5323-A Independence Blvd.

Laser tag and arcade for kids 7 and older.

(704) 567-6707

www.laserquest.com  

Queens Landing

1459 River Highway (Exit 36 off I-77, west on N.C. 150), Mooresville.

Bumper boats and miniature golf. Also site for dinner cruises on Lake Norman.

(704) 663-2628

www.queenslanding.com   

The Golf Village

500 N. Polk St., Pineville.

18-hole miniature golf course, par 3 golf course, lighted driving range, junior golf camps.

(704) 889-5086

Zuma Fun Center

I-485 and South Boulevard, 10400 Cadillac St., Pineville.

Indoor play center, two-story arcade, batting cages, bumper boats, go-carts, miniature golf, pizza parlor.

(704) 552-7888

www.zumafuncenters.com/charlotte  

Historic Sites

Hezekiah Alexander Homesite and Charlotte Museum of History

3500 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte

Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.

Admission: $3 children, $5 seniors and students, adults

(704) 568-1774

adults.www.charlottemuseum.org  

Carolinas Historic Aviation Museum

4108 Airport Drive

Housed in the original hangar built for Charlotte’s first municipal airport, numerous aircraft are on exhibit.

There are also rotating exhibits of aviation memorabilia and artifacts.

Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10-4, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 1-5. Fees: $5 adults, $3 seniors, $2 students, preschoolers free

(704) 359-8442

Charlotte Trolley Museum

2104 South Blvd.

Museum provides a historical look at Charlotte’s former trolley system and offers rides downtown on a restored trolley.

(Trolley rides resume February 2007)

Mon.-Sat. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Museum admission is free, trolley rides are 50 cents-$1, free ages 2 and younger.

(704) 375-0850

www.charlottetrolley.org   

Fort Dobbs

438 Fort Dobbs Road, Statesville

French and Indian War-fort site including archeological site, displays of artifacts, trails and recreation facilities.

Under renovation; call for an appointment. 

(704) 873-5866

Historic Brattonsville

1444 Brattonsville Road, McConnells, S.C.

775-acre living history village and Revolutionary War battlefield site. Eight miles of hiking, bicycling and horseback riding trails. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m. Adults $6, students $3, seniors $5, 4 and younger free.

(803) 684-2327

www.chmuseums.org/brattonsville  

Andrew Jackson Memorial & Museum of the Waxhaws

8215 Waxhaw Highway, Waxhaw

A regional history museum covering the area named after the Waxhaw Indians who once populated the region. It serves also as a memorial to the seventh U.S. president, Andrew Jackson, who was born nearby, and highlights the region’s Scots-Irish settlers. Museum hours: Fri-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 2-5 p.m. Admission $4; $2 ages 6-12; free ages 5 and under.

 (704) 843-1832

www.perigee.net/mwaxhaw

Latta Place

Latta Plantation Park at 5225 Sample Road (off Beatties Ford Road), Huntersville

Restored and furnished Catawba River Plantation House, circa 1800.

Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sun.1-4:30 p.m.

House tour fees: Adults $5; seniors and students $4; 5 and younger, free.

(704) 875-2312

www.lattaplantation.org   

Mint Hill Country Doctor’s Museum

4311 Hillside Drive, Mint Hill

Tours 11 a.m. Tues.-Sat.. Admission: Ages 60 and older, $1; ages 19-60, $2; ages 6-18, $1; ages 5 and younger, free.
 (704) 573-0726

www.minthillhistory.com

N. C. Auto Racing Hall of Fame

119 Knob Hill Road, Lakeside Park, Mooresville

Over 35 race cars, Goodyear mini theater and displays of auto racing memorabilia.

Open Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12:30-4:30 p.m.

Adults $5, seniors and children 6-12 $3; 5 and under free.

(704) 663-5331

www.ncarhof.com   

N.C. Transportation Museum at Historic Spencer Shops

411 S. Salisbury Ave., Spencer.

Train museum, steam  or diseal train rides and displays of cars through the years.
Hours vary by season. Free admission to museum; $5-$6 for train rides.
(704) 636-2889

www.nctrans.org   

James K. Polk Memorial

12031 Lancaster Hwy., Pineville (off I-485 at exit 65).

Reconstructed log house and furnishings circa 1800. Birthplace of 11th U.S. president.

Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission, donations accepted.

(704) 889-7145

www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hs/polk/polk.html   

Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site

9621 Reed Mine Road, Midland

Tues.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (April-Oct.) Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Nov.-March)

Gold mine tours and “talking rock trail” free; $1.50-$2 charge for panning. Some activities limited by weather conditions.

(704)721-4653

www.reedmine.com  

Historic Rosedale

3427 N. Tryon St.

Drop-in guided tours: Thurs.-Sun. 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Adults $5; seniors and students $4; free ages 8 and younger. 

(704) 335-0325

www.historicsedale.org

Hugh Torance House and Store

The oldest standing store building in North Carolina, this is one of Mecklenburg’s few remaining 18th-century structures.

Tours of the site focus on the life of Hugh Torance, a merchant and planter. Gilead Road, Huntersville.

Open for tours from 2-5 p.m. the third Sunday of every month from June to September. Call for fees.

(704) 875-6479

http://home.earthlink.net/~hughtorance1796   

Museums

Blue Planet Water Environmental Center

7980 Babe Stilwell Road, Huntersville

Tours by appointment. Free. A hands-on public education center devoted to drinking water, wastewater and the environment. Interactive learning stations and games present scientific information in a fun manner. Funded by an EPA grant.

(704) 621-0854

http://blueplanet.charmeck.org   

Carolina Raptor Center

6000 Sample Road, Huntersville

Dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured birds of prey.

Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. noon-5 p.m.

Admission: Adults $5; children and seniors $4; students $3; 3 and under free.

(704)  875-6521

www.carolinaraptorcenter.org   

Charlotte at PLAY

10504 McMullen Creek Parkway.

A museum for the young child, designed for 1- to 6-year-olds. Promotes learning through imaginative play.

Hours : Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun. 1 to 5 p.m.

Admission $6 per person, children under 1 are free. Annual family membership available.

(704) 542-0877

www.charlotteatplay.com   

Charlotte Nature Museum

1658 Sterling Road.

Live animals, nature trails, butterfly pavilion, “hands-on” activities, aquarium and shows.

Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m. Free for members and kids under 2. Others $5.

(704) 372-6261 ext. 605

Discovery Place

301 N. Tryon St.

A hands-on science museum in downtown Charlotte. Features an IMAX Dome theater, planetarium, exhibit halls, three-story rain forest, and challenger flights.

June 1-Labor Day: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. 12:30-6 p.m. Hours vary for rest of the year.

IMAX Dome theater and planetarium have extended hours.

Admission: $8.50 ages 14-59; $7.50 ages 2-13 and 60 and up; free ages 1 and younger, and members.

(704) 372-6261

www.discoveryplace.org   

EnergyQuest

Catawba Nuclear Station, 4850 Concord Road, York, S.C.

Hands-on fun for learning about electricity, energy and nuclear power. Kiosks and games demonstrate nuclear fission and energy production.

Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. by appointment. Free admission  

(800) 777-0006

Energy Explorium

13339 Hagers Ferry Road, Huntersville (1-77 to Exit 25).

Contains hands-on energy exhibits. Children can play video games and learn how electricity is made. Film titled “Lake Norman: The Great Inland Sea” shows how the area around Lake Norman grew. One-mile nature trail.

Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. noon-5 p.m. Free admission.

(704) 875-5600

www.dukepower.com   

Iredell Museum of Arts & Heritage

1335 Museum Road, Statesville

An educational and cultural facility founded in 1956 to serve Iredell County. The mission of the museum is to promote an interest in, and an enthusiasm for, the arts, science and history. Living history site, nature trails.

School tours and tours by appointment only. Call for admission fee. 

(704) 873-4734

Museum of York County

4621 Mt. Gallant Road, Rock Hill, S.C.

Take a safari through Stans African Halls and explore the universe in the Settlemyre Planetarium. Stimulate your senses in the art galleries or walk the cool and leafy nature trail.

Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun 1-5 p.m. Admission: $5 adults; senior citizens $4; students $3; free ages 4 and younger.

(803) 329-2121

www.chmuseum.rog/myco.htm

Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium

1500 E. Garrison Blvd., Gastonia.

Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.

$4 adults; $2 seniors and students; free for Gastonia residents, museum members and ages 2 and younger.   

(704) 866-6900

www.schielemuseum.org 

Zoos

Hollywild Animal Park

Inman, S.C. 

Safari through almost 100 acres meeting and feeding wild animals. Includes petting areas, picnic areas, gift shop, concessions

Open April-May all week (times vary); June-August (and March)  weekends only. Times vary. Closed November-February.

$9 adults; $7 ages 2-12; free ages 1 and younger.

(864) 472-2038

www.hollywild.com

Lazy 5 Ranch

N.C. 150 East, Mooresville

Home of 400 exotic animals from six continents. Take a safari ride or visit the petting zoo, playground and picnic area.

Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 1-7 p.m. $8.50 adults, $5.50 ages 2-11 and seniors.

(704) 663-5100

Metrolina Wildlife Park

Cook Road, Rockwell

See the white tiger or have your picture taken with baby lions and tigers.

April-October 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; Nov.-March 10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. $7 adults, $5 ages 2-12.

(704) 279-6363

North Carolina Zoological Society and Park

4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro.

This natural habitat zoo presents plants and animals in exhibits that closely resemble the habitats in which they would be found in the wild. Among its most popular exhibits are those that display polar bears, river otters, elephants, chimpanzees, rhinoceros, giraffes and zebras. The zoo is 90 minutes from Charlotte.

Open every day (except Christmas Day) 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $10 adults, $6 children 2-12, $8 college students and senior citizens.

(800) 488-0444

www.nczoo.org  

Riverbanks Zoo

500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, S.C.

Self-contained, metro-type zoo with animals close by for easy viewing.

Also includes an aviary, aquarium and a 70-acre botanical garden.

Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. summer weekends (April-September).

Admission: $8.75 adults, $7.50 students, $7.25 seniors, $6.25 ages 3-12, free for 2 and younger.

Two hours from Charlotte via I-77 South.

(803) 779-8717

www.riverbanks.org  

Recreation Centers

Parks

The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department manages the city and county parks and recreation facilities

Park admission is free, except at Jetton and McDowell parks, where a per-vehicle fee is charged.

(704) 336-3854

www.parkandrec.com    

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation operates over 150 facilities. The following are a few of the parks:

Clanton Park

1520 Clanton Road.

77 acres with playground and picnicking facilities and basketball complex

(704) 353-1165

Colonel Francis J. Beatty Community Park

4330 Weddington Road

265 acres, five soccer fields, six lighted tennis courts, two horseshoe pits, picnic shelters, playground and conference center. (704) 643-3405

Coulwood District Park

100 Coulwood Park Drive

29 acres, including amphitheater, lighted tennis courts, softball field, picnic shelter, concession stand

(704) 336-8096

Freedom Park

1900 East Blvd.

Softball fields, playgrounds, lighted tennis courts and a large lake. Freedom Park is the site of a number of annual events.

(704) 432-4280

Harrisburg Road Park

7701 Harrisburg Road

Formerly the Harrisburg Road Landfill, now an 18-hole golf course and a park with a playground and picnic shelter.

(704) 568-4044

Hornets Nest Park

6331 Beatties Ford Road

102 acres with BMX bicycle track, softball, fishing, picnic shelters, playground and tennis courts.

(704) 336-8096

Idlewild Road Park

10512 Idlewild Road

55 acres with playground, softball field, picnic shelters, 1.5-mile nature trail.

(704) 568-4044

Jetton Park

19000 Jetton Road, Huntersville

105 acres of beach on Lake Norman, playground, tennis, bike trail, walking trail.

(704) 896-9808

Latta Plantation Nature Preserve

5225 Sample Road, Huntersville

Covering 1,290 acres, Latta Plantation features the Carolina Raptor Center, wildlife displays, nature preserve, picnic area, canoe/sailboat launch, hiking and horseback trails, guided nature hikes by appointment. Public equestrian center, with two horse arenas, 80 permanent stalls and bridle trails.

(704) 875-1391

McAlpine Creek Park

8711 Monroe Road

Soccer fields, five-kilometer cross-country jogging course, 2-mile bicycle trail, three-acre lake, nature trails, picnic areas

Fishing allowed for a small fee.

(704) 568-4044

McDowell Park and Nature Preserve

15222 York Road. 1,108 acres on Lake Wylie.

Camping, hiking, fishing, picnicking. Free boat launch; paddleboat and canoe rental. From March 1 - Oct. 31 on weekends and holidays, Mecklenburg County residents are charged $3 per vehicle, noncounty residents $5 per vehicle.

(704) 588-5224

Mallard Creek Community Park

3051 Johnston-Oehler Road.

515 acres, playground, picnicking, concessions, soccer, softball.

(704) 548-8234

North Mecklenburg Park

16131 Old Statesville Road, Huntersville

98 acres with soccer, base-ball and softball fields, playground.

(704) 766-2220

Park Road Park

6220 Park Road

122 acres with ball fields, lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds, picnic shelters, nature trails.

(704) 643-3405

Ray’s Fetching Meadow

8711 Monroe Road. (McAlpine Creek Park)

The county’s first off-leash public area for dogs. Fee: $35/year or $4/day.

(704) 568-4044

Ray’s Splash Planet

215 N. Sycamore St.

This complex, a joint venture between Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, includes a water park and a fitness center. Fees apply.

(704) 432-4RAY

Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preserve

2900 Rocky River Road

727 acres, nearly all natural, with three lakes, ball fields, picnic areas, playground, dog park, environmental center.

(704) 598-8857

Renaissance Park

1200 W. Tyvola Road

Tennis, playground, picnic shelter, concessions, softball, volleyball, mountain biking, golf. Also, public golf course (342-1946). General information: (704) 529-1827

Revolution Park

2425 Barringer Drive.

122 acres, with basketball court, outdoor pool and picnic shelter.

(704) 353-1165

Parks Farther Afield

Andrew Jackson State Park

196 Andrew Jackson Park Road, Lancaster, S.C.

This 360-acre park honors the seventh president of the United States. The museum tells the story of Jackson’s boyhood during the Revolutionary War in the Carolina backcountry. The focal point of the grounds is an equestrian statue of young Jackson by famed sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington. A replica of a late 18th-century schoolhouse also is on the grounds. Recreational opportunities include a campground, fishing lake, picnic shelters and nature trails. Admission: $2 adults, $1.25 S.C. seniors, free ages 15 and younger. Hours: Standard time: Mon.-Sun. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; daylight saving time: Mon.-Sun. 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

(803) 285-3344

www.discoversouthcarolina.com/stateparks/parklocator.asp

Cane Creek Park

5213 Harkey Road.

This park southeast of Waxhaw features a 350-acre lake, fishing, hiking trails, picnic area and shelters, playground. Hours vary. Call for admission fee. 

(704) 843-3919

Chimney Rock Park

Highway 64/74A Chimney Rock, N.C.

Hiking trails and waterfalls; special seasonal events. Once private, the park has recently been purchased by the state of N.C. Open year round. $5-$14; under age 6 free

(800) 277-9611

www.chimneyrockpark.com

Crowders Mountain State Park

522 Park Office Lane, Kings Mountain.

This park features hiking trails, a lake for fishing and canoeing, camping, rock climbing, rappelling and picnic shelters.

(704) 853-5375

Kings Mountain National Military Park

2625 Park Road, Blacksburg, S.C.

National park is the site of 1780 Revolutionary War battle. Exhibits, bookstore, film, 1.5-mile battlefield trail.

(864) 936-7921

Kings Mountain State Park

1277 Park Road, Blacksburg, S.C.

The 6,800-acre state park offers more than 16 miles of hiking trails, a campground, lakes and a recreated 1850s history farm. Open year-round. $2 adults, S.C. seniors $1.25, under 15  free.

(803) 222-3209

Dan Nicholas Park

6800 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury

Nature center, miniature trains, petting barn, playground, paddle boats, fishing, volleyball and tennis courts.

(704) 636-2089

David B. Waymer Recreation Complex

14200 Holbrooks Road, Huntersville. Gymnasium, playground and softball field.

(704) 875-7009