This is a small elegant museum, free to enter. It captures the history and evolution of Charlotte…read moreand North Carolina pretty well. It's a single floor, takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much time you spend on each topic. Lots of images, maps, explanation of milestone moments for the city and the state that shaped it over centuries. The two key events I remember from visit are Charlotte's role in ending segregation and the city became the a leader in banking world. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Charlotte for the first time.

Good museum to learn about charlotte's history. I wish there are more interactive activities than…read morejust post boards with information. Most of items are replicated. Information is really detailed though. I definitely learned something from this trip.

So fun with so much to do ! It does get crowded and bring a…read morecharged phone for all the great pictures. It is not very long so an hour and half or less is all you need. Marley and Jordan were so helpful and gracious with tips and tricks throughout the experience. There is also a gift shop with all the games that are at the end of the experience for you to test and play. Definitely something for a relaxed date or time with the family.

The museum concept was cool. We've always wanted to try so we took our kiddo one day. The space is…read moremuch smaller than expected and we were done with each area very quickly.

Came to the Museum for Father's Day since entrance for Dads was free today. Was excellent to see…read morethe Caravaggio special exhibit, so my fee was a bit higher $25. But my college age son got a student rate and my husband was free. Nice perk, they also do this on Mother's Day, in case you didn't know for next year. I didn't take too many photos of the artwork. The special exhibit is quite large and there is a lot to see. There are two floors full of different types of art and sculptures. Really has so much to see here. I love where the Mint is located, too. Across the street is a green space with a few restaurants and a beautiful church that we visited while waiting for the museum to open at 1pm. Sunday. The entrance fee is good for two consecutive days so if you are staying close by, go back and walk through again. Lots to see. There is also a restaurant attached to the building that was very busy. They had live music as well.

I would say this is a must-see if you're going to go to museums here in Charlotte. I love the fact…read morethat it had different types of art to view. It had something for everybody, even had a lighting exhibit, and I'm all about the lighting. We spent a good two hours here. It's in the middle of the city, so you can go to restaurants and shops when you're done or before. It was a $18 entrance fee for me, and they offered a senior discount as well for anyone 65 and older.

Beautiful gallery and amazing collections. We came in on Wednesday evening and discovered that…read moreentry was free. The front desk person was friendly and helpful. She explained the lay out of the gallery and we were on our way. We explored each floor and were met with incredible, thought provoking, pieces. I'm so glad that we found this space and we're able to spend time here.

We just happened to be in Charoltte for Fomo! So all the museums were free. Bechtler was by far my…read morefavoite. Such extensive collections that really dispayed the African American culture. I was very impressed and moved by the paintings on display.

I highly recommend!…read more The Harvey B. Gantt Center was an amazing experience this evening. Educators night was perfect evening as an educator to collaborate, connect and enjoy their beautiful exhibits. Mario Moore exhibit was captivating and breathtaking! The food provided was amazing: lemon pepper wing, fried cabbage, mac and cheese, veggie spring rolls and peach cobbler for dessert. Delicious! I enjoyed my time at the Gantt Center and I hope you enjoy their exhibits.

The galleries at the Gnatt Center are incredible. I love the stories shared from the various…read moreartists perspectives. Our group received a guided tour by one of the staff members and that amplified our experience greatly. We received a backstory on the former Charlotte mayor who the center Is named for, the history of its location and even the architect who developed the building plan and design motivations. The art is not just contained in the galleries, the building itself with its interweaving tapestry of metals makes quite the statement in the downtown Queen City vicinity. Highly recommend taking a visit.

As a first time visitor to Charlotte, this is 1 of 2 places that often gets recommended a must-see…read moreattraction. Other than watching Pixar's Cars, I have zero exposure to NASCAR, so I wasn't sure if it was worth visiting, but decided to visit anyways because it's popularity in the region. I bought my Starting Grid tickets online, so check-in was pretty easy. One of the first things you do is register your card with your name, and pick some identifying images and favourite drivers/teams. As you turn the corner, you'll see an huge welcome screen welcoming you by name. The first thing I did was go to High Octane Theatre, which gave me an intro to NASCAR, which was good, since I knew nothing about it. The next area was the Glory Road area, which is a neat layout of cars from the past, but is probably more interesting to NASCAR fans. It's the the next part containing the immersive experiences - specifically the race simulators and pit crew challenge that were really fun. The extra few dollars to get the Starting Grid simulator day pass was worth it. I went on the simulator multiple times and made the visit completely worth it. The next floor contains more historical artifacts and history of NASCAR. Again, as not a follower, this part was mildly interesting, but probably way more interesting for fans. Overall, I enjoyed my visit way more than I expected. The building and the exhibits are high-quality, well-designed and well laid-out. Even as someone who doesn't follow NASCAR, I appreciated the exhibits. But it's the simulators that made it really fun for me.

Nandy (my husband) being a racing enthusiast, this had to be our first pit stop. I would say if you…read moreare visiting Charlotte and loves cars and racing, just ensure to do this! Located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, this is a high-tech, interactive museum and entertainment attraction dedicated to honoring the history and heritage of stock car racing. Opened in 2010, the venue is designed to entertain and educate both die-hard racing enthusiasts and casual visitors by immersing them in the culture, science, and competitive spirit of the sport. My 7 year old was not tall enough for the simulation, but my husband came 2nd in the race. There is a section behind (when you walk past qualified section) where everyone (even kids) can race on a simulator. Ari (my 7 year old) ABSOLUTELY ENJOYED this museum. Key Features & Exhibits Glory Road: A major focal point featuring a 33-degree banked ramp that mirrors the extreme banking of the Talladega Superspeedway. It showcases a rotating lineup of 18 historic and championship-level race cars alongside displays celebrating dozens of current and past tracks. The Hall of Honor: The sacred centerpiece of the facility where all NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees--including iconic drivers, crew chiefs, owners, and broadcasters--are permanently enshrined and celebrated with individual 360-degree tributes. Interactive Simulators & Stations: The venue features more than 50 hands-on stations where guests can use a "smart ticket" to track their progress. Visitors can experience realistic, full-immersion driving simulators (powered by iRacing), practice a timed pit stop, or try their hand at calling a race from a broadcast booth. Heritage Speedway: An expansive exhibit area on the fourth floor that traces the multi-decade history of stock car racing. It holds a massive collection of authentic artifacts, historic gear, and unique pieces, including an authentic moonshine still built by racing legend Junior Johnson to honor the sport's bootlegging origins. High Octane Theater: A state-of-the-art, 278-seat subterranean screening room equipped with a 64-foot-wide curved projection screen and surround sound, which broadcasts a spectacular introductory film detailing NASCAR's history.

A photography gallery in Uptown, right next to the 7th Street LYNX Station. When I arrived, the…read moreplace was quite desolate. The security guard had me wait in the lobby while he went in to the gallery to turn the lights on. I got the impression that there wasn't a whole lot going on here. It's a good thing that it's free, because 30 minutes of looking at pictures wouldn't have been worth much. And even at 30 minutes, I was still moving pretty slow. When I visited, the exhibit was "Streetwise", a collection of pictures of America's troubled 60's. Capturing images of not just our troubled times, including Boston's "Combat Zone" and close-ups of the Black Panthers, there were also shots of just regular people and places. All in black and white, which gave it a feel of being very like a documentary. Pictures of the pictures are not permitted, but I took that as meaning not taking a picture of the individual pictures. Instead, my wide shot of the gallery doesn't give away the detail but helps you see what you're going to see there. I might come back for the next exhibit, but I think this is a "See it once" kind of thing.

I had never been to The Light Factory and saw there was a very interesting reception called A…read moreShared Elegy. I was so happy I made it out to see what it was all about since I live so close by. Great intimate space, the artist were so insightful and the crowd genuinely appreciated the artist panel and the photography. It was very well curated. Great space, seasoned artists. Well done.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg library district offers a number of very nice regional and special…read morelibrary settings: the South Park Regional, South County Regional, and the library collaboration with the Children's Theatre of Charlotte ... ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center on Seventh Street downtown to name just three. Each has specialties that make them individuals. The ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center collaboration between the library district and the Children's Theatre is a hands down wonder. While some libraries specialize in library things (games and toys) to engage kids and others specialize in library materials (books and puzzles), ImaginOn has it all ... including plays and story times. The library itself is free to enter, multi-story, newish, clean and easy to get to, with available parking that is free for 90 minutes with a stamped ticket. This facility absolutely had everything to stimulate kids of all ages ... probably 2 to 12 being the sweet spot. Do make a point of finding your way here for a visit someday ... you'll be glad you did. Highly recommended.

I love that the Mecklenburg libraries have story times for various ages throughout the week…read more We've been coming here since February and my toddler loves it. There is always some sort of craft, legos, toys and computers for her to play with/use. They also usually have monthly events and a theater. I prefer to download the CMLibrary app to keep up with events. We prefer to come here on the Saturday's but it's definitely more packed. It's about 40ish families at every session. They have a parking garage (under the library) which you can take the elevator directly into the library. They validate for 90 minutes. The issue is when it's full or days they have events parking can really be a pain. They may direct you to park at 7th street parking garage but they only validate after 5pm on weekdays or anytime on weekends.