22 Best history museums in Charlotte
Many of us love traveling on the Wanderlog team, so naturally we're always on the hunt find the most popular spots anytime we travel somewhere new. With favorites like Mint Museum UPTOWN, Levine Museum of the New South, and Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and more, get ready to experience the best places in Charlotte.
We scoured through the internet and read through 10 reputable sites and blogs like Condé Nast Traveler and Culture Trip so you don't have to! We gathered all the results in one place and ranked them by how many times they were mentioned so you know you're getting the best of the best. Just look for the "mentioned by" tags on each place like these:
See the list of all 10 sites we checked out.
Condé Nast Traveler — 8 Best Museums in Charlotte
Culture Trip — The Best Museums & Galleries In Charlotte, North Carolina
QC Life — 6 Charlotte Museums You Can See Free of Charge
lyft.com — Top 10 Most Visited Museums in Charlotte
TripSavvy — The Top 8 Museums in Charlotte
Wheretraveler — The Best Museums in Charlotte
Charlotte On The Cheap — Update: Reopening plans of 18 Charlotte area museums
Let's Roam Explorer — The Best Museums in Charlotte, NC | Let's Roam
10Best — Museums
fun4charlottekids.com — Museums and Galleries
Visiting Charlotte? See our Charlotte Trip Planner.
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Mint Museum UPTOWN
$$$$expensive
Museum showcasing international art, plus live performances & educational programs for all ages.
The Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally-renowned Mint Museum of Craft + Design, as well as outstanding collections of American, contemporary, and European art. Conveniently located in uptown Charlotte's Levine Center for the Arts, this striking facility features expansive galleries and a range of visitor amenities, including public spaces for learning, shopping, and dining. Reflect on exceptional works of art with a cell phone audio tour of the permanent collection and special exhibitions, release your child's inner artist in the Lewis Family Gallery, and discover what inspires you through a myriad of educational offerings.
10Best: Museums
+8 other lists
500 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•http://mintmuseum.org/
Levine Museum of the New South
Interactive exhibits on post-Civil War Southern history & the people that prompted social change.
For an in-depth look at Charlotte's history, head to the Levine Museum of the New South. The museum's permanent exhibits explore the history and culture of the South from the Civil War to today, including the award-winning "Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers: Reinventing Charlotte and the Carolina Piedmont in the New South." The exhibit includes more than 1,000 artifacts, images, and oral histories as well as interactive displays like a sit-in lunch counter and a one-room tenant farmer's home. During the week, the museum validates parking for two hours for visitors using the Seventh Street Station parking deck.
TripSavvy: The Top 8 Museums in Charlotte
200 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
African-American art, history & culture celebrated in an institution with a striking, modern facade.
The Gantt Center has been around since 1974, presenting, preserving, and celebrating excellence in visual and literary arts, music, film, and more; but in this new building, designed by Philip Freelon, one of the designers of the Smithsonian National Museum for African American History and Culture, the museum is finally an appropriate anchor in the city's center. It has everything, from community programs to dance performances to theater, but most visitors are here to view the art, especially the nationally lauded John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art, which includes works by Charlotte native Romare Bearden, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jonathan Green.
Condé Nast Traveler: 8 Best Museums in Charlotte
551 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•http://www.ganttcenter.org/
Shrine to stock-car drivers past & present plus a museum with interactive exhibits & a theater.
In Charlotte, race fans get their fuel fix at this museum, dedicated to the sport of stock car racing. The NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum features hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art theater and, of course, the Hall of Fame with plaques honoring inductees. History buffs can follow NASCAR's growth from dirt tracks to super-speedways and see artifacts like the first helmet with a radio, Bobby Allison's Miller High Life uniform and the first trophy Kevin Harvick won in Rick Childress' Chevrolet—after he stepped in to fill Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s seat after Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500.
Wheretraveler: The Best Museums in Charlotte
400 E M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•http://www.nascarhall.com/
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Modern art museum
Mid-20th-century modern art displayed in an elegant 4-story building filled with natural light.
Part of the Levine Center for the Arts in Uptown, this stunning museum was designed by Mario Botta, a Swiss architect who also designed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The four-story, 36,500-square-foot terra cotta structure is defined by a central glass atrium that provides natural light throughout the space, which houses the works of several influential 20th century artists, including Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Alberto Giacometti, and Jean Tinguely. The Bechtler offers guided audio and docent-led tours as well as special events like film screenings, art lectures, jazz concerts, and more.
420 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•http://bechtler.org/
Discovery Place Science
Kids' science & tech museum with interactive exhibits, an aquarium, rain forest & IMAX theater.
Science, nature, and technology come to life at this hands-on museum in the heart of uptown Charlotte. From learning labs and an onsite aquarium to virtual reality tours of the human body and a simulated rain forest, the museum offers hours of interactive fun for school children of all ages. Discovery Place also offers a series of rotating live shows with up-close animal encounters and chemistry experiments, as well as films at the largest IMAX theater in the Carolinas.
301 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•https://science.discoveryplace.org/
The Charlotte Museum of History
Historical landmark
Features exhibits & docent-led or cell-phone-guided tours of a restored Colonial home & grounds.
Located on eight wooded acres in east Charlotte, this museum campus features Mecklenburg County's oldest surviving home: the 5,000-square-foot Hezekiah Alexander House. The stone structure is on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public. Other exhibits in the museum include photography, maps, and educational collections that explore the city's creek system, music scene, sports traditions, and historic neighborhoods.
3500 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215, USA•http://www.charlottemuseum.org/
Carolinas Aviation Museum
A collection of commercial, military & civil aircraft, plus aviation artifacts & memorabilia.
The Carolina Aviation Museum has an incredible collection of aircraft to learn about. You can see a replica of the Wright Flyer and other small civil aircraft. There are some larger commercial aircraft on display as well like the US Airways Flight 1549 which was made famous as the "Miracle on the Hudson" when Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles successfully landed in the Hudson River after both engines shut down when the aircraft hit a flock of Canadian Geese.
Let's Roam Explorer: The Best Museums in Charlotte, NC | Let's Roam
4672 1st Flight Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208, USA•http://www.carolinasaviation.org/
Discovery Place Nature
Kid-oriented education center with live animals, nature trail & a play area, plus music events.
Formerly the Charlotte Nature Museum, the Discovery Place Nature is a museum to explore nature including both plants and animals. Take the Paw Paw Nature Trail to learn more about all the native flora and fauna. The Creature Cavern is home to many different animals that you can see up close like opossums, turtles, snakes, and more.
1658 Sterling Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209, USA•https://nature.discoveryplace.org/
McColl Center for Art + Innovation
Arts organization
At this sanctuary-like contemporary arts center and art residency program housed in one of uptown Charlotte's most iconic church buildings, the public is often invited to peek in on the action—the working studios are fascinating, revealing glimpses of modern pieces as they come to life. The collection is far from permanent; instead, there's a shifting display of current work by resident artists; you might see sculptures, mixed media, dance performances, musical compositions, and even paintings meant to be "consumed" with pastries. McColl is also much smaller than many of the other museums around town, so you can make the rounds in about an hour.
4.5(96) •
721 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•http://mccollcenter.org/
Large library dedicated to religious leader Billy Graham, plus his original home with tours.
Billy Graham was an American evangelist that was born in Charlotte. He was a spiritual advisor to many different U.S. presidents and held large indoor and outdoor rallies that were broadcast on radio and television. Because he spent so much of his life in Charlotte, the family opened the Billy Graham Library and Museum to allow visitors to learn more about him.
4330 Westmont Dr, Charlotte, NC 28217, USA•https://billygrahamlibrary.org/
Charlotte Urban Design Center
Urban planning department
Design institute
Charlotte Trolley powers that transformation through its ambitious new museum devoted to the history of streetcars in the Queen City. Address:1507 Camden Rd, Charlotte, NC 28203
lyft.com: Top 10 Most Visited Museums in Charlotte
1507 Camden Rd, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA•http://charlottenc.gov/planning/urbandesign
Wells Fargo Museum
Interactive displays tracing the history of Wells Fargo bank & gold mining in North Carolina.
This Uptown museum is another who offers free admission year round. Pop in and learn about gold mining in North Carolina Tuesday through Saturday from 9 A.M.
QC Life: 6 Charlotte Museums You Can See Free of Charge
401 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•https://www.wellsfargohistory.com/museums/charlotte?utm_campaign…
Morrison Motor Car Museum
Vintage & antique vehicles plus racing memorabilia showcased in a roomy space with a gift shop.
This museum may be a bit on the small side but, nonetheless, it has some amusing attributes. With a variety of cars from the 1920s and on, Backing Up Classic Auto Museum also has a row dedicated to Mustangs. You will find a wide variety of cars here, including both muscle and standard.
4545 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, NC 28027, USA•http://www.morrisonmotorcarmuseum.com/
Matthews Heritage Museum
Matthews Heritage Museum 232 N Trade Street, Matthews, NC 28105. Matthews Heritage Museum has reopened. It's a small museum and only 5 visitors can enter at a time.
Charlotte On The Cheap: Update: Reopening plans of 18 Charlotte area museums
232 N Trade St, Matthews, NC 28105, USA•http://www.matthewsheritagemuseum.org/
President James K. Polk State Historic Site
A log house, kitchen & barn have been re-created & furnished on the former president's family land.
President James K. Polk State Historic Site 12031 Lancaster Highway, Pineville, NC 28134. The Polk Historic Site has reopened to the public, including the buildings. Interactive exhibit features have been paused or modified.
12031 Lancaster Hwy, Pineville, NC 28134, USA•https://www.jameskpolk.net/
Latta Park
32-acre county park with sports facilities, hiking/biking trails, a playground & a picnic shelter.
601 E Park Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA
Mint Hill Historical Society
The Mint Hill Historical Society Office is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am until 2 pm.
fun4charlottekids.com: Museums and Galleries
7601 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd, Mint Hill, NC 28227, USA
Hendrick Motorsports Museum and Team Shop
Stock car–racing organization's history museum, with a shop selling merchandise.
Hendrick Motorsports is located in Concord, N.C., one mile from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
4425-4471 Papa Joe Hendrick Blvd, Concord, NC 28027, USA•http://hendrickmotorsports.com/
300 N Poplar St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA•https://www.discoveryplace.org/
Shain Gallery
Founded in 1998 by Gabrielle Shain-Bryson, the Shain Gallery reflects Bryson's discerning eye and consideration of local talent. Shain is one of the premier contemporary art galleries in the country that showcases native artists and hosts rotating solo show exhibitions, and these shows last for several months in order to give the artists a viable time frame to establish themselves and/or promote their work. This gallery represents over 40 regionally and nationally acclaimed artists, including the face of Shain's current exhibition Karen Hollingsworth, who specializes in large oil windowscapes.
Culture Trip: The Best Museums & Galleries In Charlotte, North Carolina
2823 Selwyn Ave suite k, Charlotte, NC 28209, USA•http://www.shaingallery.com/
Modern Craft Collective, a Small Hands Big Art Lifestyle brand
In possibly the most 'artsy' neighborhood, with the largest number of galleries in Charlotte, is the Ciel Art Collective at South End. This gallery is part of the renowned South End Galley Crawl that tours the entire area on the first Friday of every month from 6pm until 9pm. Ciel was founded in 2008 by local Pamela Goode and has expanded to two gallery spaces, housing mainly elaborate mosaic pieces.
8025 Ardrey Kell Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277, USA•http://www.smallhandsbigart.com/
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