It was a scorching hot North Carolina day in April when we arrived for the afternoon tour at…read moreSouthern Grace Distillery. We had paid in advance and made it just in the nick of time to join our group of about a dozen people. The crowd was a mix of adults and children; personally, I didn't quite understand the presence of kids on a jailhouse and whiskey tour, but the group was ready to dive into the history. The tour kicked off with chilling news of hauntings. Our guide mentioned that the show "Ghost Hunters" had even visited the site, certifying the old jail as haunted--though fortunately by "friendly" spirits. The sensory experience was a bit of a rollercoaster. I generally enjoy the scent of bourbon, and the initial aroma upon entering the distillery is quite pleasant. However, the main room where we spent a significant portion of the tour had a scent that was overwhelming and wholly unpleasant. That said, the content of the tour was good. It provided a well-balanced mix of intriguing historical facts about the prison and the technical side of whiskey making. The kids got restless during the tour and actually started brutally kicking each other in the shins. They each had on shell toed Crocs, so you could hear the crunch of bone and flesh beneath each kick. Their parents let it go on indefinitely. The hour passed quickly and was well worth the $14 adult admission. The tasting at the end is not for the faint of heart. They serve hard liquor, and I do mean HARD. My lips were numbing and my face was next. I had to tap out after the third swig! On the bright side, the gift shop is fantastic. They have the most darling items; we walked away with two tote bags and a delicious pink lemonade drink that will be perfect for sharing with friends this summer. This is a unique, affordable way to spend an hour, provided you can handle the heat and the high proof!

Wow this was a micro craft distillery at its best. Customer service, selection, and knowledge. They…read moretruly deserve being the face of the charlotte area whiskey. 1st entering, you walk into a small area with a gift shop area, bar area, and small separate sitting area on the first floor. The small sitting area also houses their original small still they currently produce their gin in. Pretty cool piece of history. So about the juice...They're really got some good stuff. You can do a curated flight for 10 dollars each pour, you can also do single pours of whatever they have available as well from their core products to the single barrels. I really love what they're doing with the "Story" line where they experiment with different finishes and blends. I'm not a huge rye guy but they are certainly doing it right. That says a lot for me to grab 2 to take home of their rye single barrels..my bartender was so cool and knowledgeable I even grabbed the one he actually picked. Overall 10/10. They're giving the bigger names a definite run for their money. You will not go wrong supporting and drinking local with them. Hands down the best in the charlotte area. They do offer shipping but, you NEED to go in for the full experience and the option to grab distillery exclusive bottles. #Foodierunner approved lol

My wife and I were at a popular event at the Bell Tower Park two blocks away and came here after…read more It was only $5 per adult to get in, and you can pay with your phone online while there. The two docents were so friendly and extremely helpful. There was only us and another couple there, so one docent took my wife and the other couple on the tour while I stayed in the entry with my granddaughter and the other docent. We had a great discussion about the history of the house, Salisbury, and President Jackson. Some of the furnishings are so rich with history. A very enjoyable and laid-back experience. Highly recommended if you like history.

I love taking tours in historical homes. We were spending the day in Salisbury and made it a point…read moreto take a docent tour of the Hall House Museum. Upon entrance, we were greeted by friendly ladies docents. They embodied Southern hospitality and were very knowledgeable. Hall House was built in 1820 and was originally a female academy and later bought and converted to a residence in 1825 by a businessman and his half sister. In 1859, it was purchased by Dr. Hall and turned it to a grand house as it sits today. Four generations of Hall lived in the house. It's amazing how original wallpapers, painted ceilings and furnishings were all in great condition and survived all these years. Andrew Jackson studied law in Salisbury in 1780 and the desk that he used is also in the house. We were told by the docent that he was a party animal and was told to leave Salisbury by the wealthy people! I would come back to tour the restored outside kitchen where enslaved workers lived and worked. We were told there's only a few kitchens survived and Hall House's kitchen's one of them. Our little granddaughter was tired and hungry and we had to leave before the tour ended.

This was an interesting and quaint little museum in the center of town…read more Salisbury is a very unique Town filled with history. This museum has curated a sweet collection of artifacts from several eras of American and indigenous history. The volunteers were friendly and welcoming as well as knowledgeable. We stopped in during the annual Cheerwine festival and were pleasantly surprised. If you're ever in downtown Salisbury you should definitely take a peek inside!

They have several sites preserving the county history. Bravo! The history continues on the…read moresidewalks and cemeteries of downtown Salisbury.

This is a nice area for viewing whatever exhibit they have on display at the time. We visited…read morewhile they had art on loan being shown and it was well done. The rooms are well lit and large enough to see multiple pieces but small enough to avoid getting loud or echoing heavily. The staff was super friendly and it looks like they are frequently offering different types of exhibitions or experiences for the community to share in - for free.

From the owner: Waterworks strives to be a leader and innovator in the exhibition of art and in museum education…read more We are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) as a non-collecting art museum. This highly honored accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. We are one of only 12 art museums currently accredited in North Carolina. We offer visitors a sculpture courtyard, sensory gardens, and three revolving exhibitions annually featuring some of the most creative and expressive artwork from regional and national emerging/established artists. Waterworks is handicapped accessible. We provide designated handicapped parking spaces, wide entrance doors and an elevator for access to the 2nd floor. Benches are provided throughout the galleries for those requiring the need to sit. Waterworks is a cultural asset and destination; a vibrant, collaborative space for lifelong learning, and an economic development engine for Salisbury-Rowan County. We are proud of our sixty-two year history and our ability to respond and adapt to the needs of the communities we serve. We look forward to your visit!

On the corner not far from downtown Salisbury, this marker points out some of the city's…read moreinvolvement in the Civil War. Now converted into a National Cemetery, it wasn't always this way. The marker reads, "Confederate Prison. Enclosure, 16 acres. Once held 10,000 men. Destroyed by Federals, 1865. Site one block south." The online essay has more information. It reads, " Shortly after Governor John W. Ellis led North Carolina out of the Union on May 20, 1861, the state assumed a prominent role in the Confederacy, providing soldiers and equipment to the rebel cause. While the its role as supplier endeared it to the Confederates, North Carolina became a target for Union raids designed to break southern supply lines and destroy key facilities, such as the Confederate prison in Salisbury. "Early in the war, the Confederacy purchased an old cotton mill in southeast Salisbury for $15,000 and converted the structure into a place of confinement. The prison's massive iron doors opened for the first time on December 9, 1861. Many of the incarcerated spent their time writing, whittling, or playing baseball--perhaps the first games hosted in the south. Indeed, one prisoner noted that life within the prison was "more endurable than any other part of Rebeldom." In time, however, the prison at Salisbury reached capacity, and in the autumn of 1864, contained almost 7,000 prisoners, far more than the facility was designed to accommodate. Statewide supply shortages and rampant disease led to a surge in death rates, forcing guards to prepare mass graves for deceased inmates, along with casualties from nearby hospitals. "Near the close of the war, conditions within the prison convinced leaders to conduct prisoner exchanges, the most notable of which occurred in February 1865. Three months later, Union General George Stoneman led his forces across western North Carolina. One of his main objectives was the liberation and destruction of the Salisbury prison. The prison had been abandoned and converted into a supply depot by the time the fire that consumed the complex was extinguished on April 13, 1865. Only the garrison house survived from the original prison camp, along with a few artifacts including a tattered Confederate flag. The Federal government acquired the makeshift prison cemetery in 1868, and two years later the sacred ground was designated Salisbury National Cemetery, honoring over 11,000 American soldiers, both Union and Confederate, who lost their lives during the war." This is marker L-2 and there is a parking lot here for an auto parts store. The prison is nearby and very much worth a visit. [Review 1135 of 2024 - 3630 in North Carolina - 22159 overall]

Located at the entrance to the cemetery, this marker remembers a Salisbury native who is laid to…read morerest here. The marker reads, "Christian Reid. 1846-1920. Pen name of Frances Fisher Tiernan, author of Land of the Sky and other novels. Her grave is 200 yards N.W." The online essay has more information. "Author Frances Fisher Tiernan was widely known by her pen name, Christian Reid. In a career spanning from Reconstruction through the First World War, Tiernan published forty-six books. Her best-known novel was Land of the Sky, a title that eventually gave western North Carolina its famous moniker." There is much more online. [Review 1161 of 2024 - 3652 in North Carolina - 22184 overall]

Very sweet people here. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Staff went above and beyond. Nice little gift…read moreshop and scavenger hunt for children.

We were visiting the Polar Express event and stopped in and what a treat! My daughter and I loved…read morethis musuem!! It has toys, dolls, trains and so much more! A doll collector would love this place because they have super old, antique dolls and even forgein dolls. They showed us some newer dolls they just got that come from Japan. They also have a small play area for kids to play with a train set, dolls, doll house and some more. The staff and volunteers were so friendly!

The North Carolina Transportation Museum has been on my list to visit for a while now, and I…read morefinally made it to Spencer, NC, to check it out. I love museums and have been to a lot of them, and some are better than others. This one felt disjointed and not cohesive. It could be improved. Tickets are purchased near the building near the train tracks. You get a wristband and a map to go on your way. The museum is on 60 acres, so there is a lot of walking. The Southern Railway Spencer Shops were once located here. 3000 people worked at Spencer Shops to keep the steam engines working properly. Spencer was halfway between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA, and the steam engines needed to be serviced about every 150 miles. They could run for about two hours, but then needed an hour of service to keep everything operating properly. I started in the Back Shop (look for the BE CAREFUL sign), which was built in 1905 for steam locomotives that required more extensive maintenance. The building is the size of two football fields. The building now shows all forms of transportation, from bicycles to fire trucks to cars to airplanes to rail cars to boats and canoes. This was a large building, and it wasn't clear which path we were to walk through it, as there were two aisles with items on both sides, along with empty areas. Building F housed the Roundhouse, which was the best of the buildings. It is the largest remaining roundhouse in the country. This was like a garage with 37 stalls to repair the steam engines. Now, inside it, you will find steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars, and a full-size replica of the Wright Flyer. There is an area where you can see people working on the cars, and at the end of the building, there are some train cars that you can enter. The exhibits in this building are well done, and you can read the storyboards about the exhibits. I started in the orientation room to watch the video about the site's history, but it wasn't available to me. I was just handed another map. I'm not sure if he didn't want to start it for just one person, but I would have liked to see it as it would have provided background on the complex. The staff member wasn't friendly and didn't seem like he wanted to answer questions. Building G was the wheel balancing exhibit in a shed. The scales made sure the weight was correct for being on the train tracks. Buildings C, D and E felt like a waste. C was decorated for the Easter events, so it didn't seem the building was being properly utilized. There were some dining car exhibits in there. Building D had a model train layout and is used for storage. Building E had more classic cars. More signage would help to get from the buildings, if they made a path to follow. I didn't see any signage for getting from building G to E, so I had to backtrack through buildings F and B to get there, as I wasn't sure where I was allowed to walk on the gravel and tracks. This is where a guide would have been helpful to direct guests. Then, the inside buildings could use better descriptions, like those used in building F. It would have been nice to have helpful, friendly guides to better understand the complex. The trains weren't running on the day of my visit, so that may have provided the background information that was lacking during my visit. I'd remove buildings D and E from the tour and relocate the exhibits to fit everything into two main buildings for better flow. If I returned, I would just focus on building F and spend my time in the building, better curated.

We had the best day at the NC Transportation Museum!!! We took the Amtrak from Charlotte to visit…read morefor the day (only wish there was some kind of shuttle from the Salisbury train station since the Amtrak doesn't stop in Spencer, but it was an inexpensive Uber). We started our visit with the train ride experience -- it took us all through the Spencer Shops property and they were playing a history explainer of the speakers (was a bit hard to hear with people talking but still interesting). Our two favorite parts of the property were the Roundhouse, which is filled with all kinds of different trains and train-related exhibits (like a real switchboard and a U.S. Army Hospital Car) and the Back Shop (literally has just about every kind of mode of transit you can think of on display, from bicycles to dugout canoes to fire trucks to boats and so much more). All the staff we met were so friendly and welcoming, too -- we had the best day! This would be the perfect place to take kids who are old enough to enjoy museums (especially those who are into planes, trains and automobiles)!!!

Rented a bike to transport to Mt. Airy, NC to ride the Granite City Greenway. They were most…read moreaccommodating. I had intended to rent an e-bike but they were concerned that my bike rack was not certified to carry the weight of the ebike. They did a search for my rack but could not find it and we agreed we would just rent a regular pedal bike. I appreciate their concern and ability to accommodate my change in bike rentals. Staff is most helpful and very friendly.

I can't say enough about how much fun our family had on our Triad Trolleys ride! Our family…read morerecently booked a trolley ride to transport us to Spencer NC's train museum for the Polar Express experience. We loaded up our whole family of 13, including 5 toddlers and we had a BLAST! The Trolley has been beautifully restored and incredibly comfortable. The owner, Hal, made sure we had a smooth and fun ride, playing Christmas music and making sure we were all having a fun time. He spent time with the kids showing them how different parts of the trolley worked and let them ring the bell. The excitement of riding the trolley honestly was as much fun if not more fun than the actual train ride to follow. We had such a wonderful time that we hired them again to take our family through Tanglewood's festival of lights. I can't imagine us going through the light show in any other way. Hal made sure to point out all of the displays that he knew the kids would enjoy. He also knew a great deal about the history of Tanglewood and shared a ton of interesting facts about how the park has changed over the years. The memories create on both of these rides will be cherished by our entire family and so happy we made the decision to go with Triad Trolleys! If you are looking for a fun way of exploring the Triad area or simply for a fun night out, I cannot begin to recommend enough renting one of their trolleys for your adventure! We will be using their services again and again!

I just came off a trip to Tunica MS, with Francis Tours and we used your company and your…read morewonderful, skillful, patient, driver Nichole. She went out of her way to accompany us in anyway we asked. That young lady kept us safe and drove with profession and road safety. Loved it and am suggesting you all to others in my church for their reunions and other needs. Next year for my family reunion I will also call upon you all to service us or have my cousin Mary Francis reset the service. Again can't say enough about how impressed I was. JoanE