Delightful little museum. Verify their hours before heading over since they are limited. Give…read moreyourself an hour to poke around - it is bigger than it looks from the outside. We lucked out and a couple volunteers were there when we stopped in so we got a lot of information about the various exhibits and the history of the museum. An amazing amount of local history in one place. Admission is free. Free parking is available off the side street behind the building.

The Hickory Museum of Art is located at the SALT complex which was once a high school gymnasium…read more Both admission and parking are free and if the lot in front is full there is a huge lot in the back. Hickory Museum of Art just celebrated its 80th Anniversary. The museum is on three levels and they have curvy staircases; regular staircases and an elevator. I used each during my visit as the curvy stairs made me dizzy so I opted for the elevator to the 3rd floor and found the regular stairs. Besides in the big open spaces there is also art to be found in the nooks and crannies of the art portion of the building. There are also hands on areas for children. I really enjoyed the In Memoriam exhibit of Joe LaFone. I do not believe I had seen his work before but I loved the vibrant colors of the work as well as the textures. It grabbed my attention and made me smile. I believe there are permanent and changing exhibits so that means a return trip to see the new artwork and discover another artist new to me.

I'm surprised that I'm getting the FTR on this wonderful museum. While it's not MOMA or the Getty,…read moreit's a great museum in a small town that is an exurb of Charlotte. Five stars because it's in a category all by itself. Y'all need to make the trip up here! The Hickory Museum of Art has a long-term exhibition of Southern contemporary folk art, showcasing the work of self-taught artists from around the region. North Carolina's second oldest museum, Hickory Museum of Art was established in 1944 when visionary founding Director, Paul Whitener, declared, "I am going to make Hickory, North Carolina an art center." Hickory Museum of Art first earned national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 1991. The museum is free to enter though they of course accept donations. When I visited, only the first and third floors were accessible as the second floor is currently having a changeover of exhibitions. You can easily tour the entire place in an hour. Today, the museum's permanent collection includes approximately 1,500 art objects, ranging from Hudson River School paintings, American art pottery, Glass Art, High-Speed Photography, and the work of regional artists. The third floor of "folk art" was interesting and enjoyable though not the type of art that I usually look for. On the first floor, more landscapes and portraits and a few pieces of contemporary art. Definitely more my speed. The museum has free parking and if you've come this far, check out the Ivey Arboretum two blocks away which features 50 different species of trees and plantings plus a few pieces of public sculpture, https://www.yelp.com/biz/ivey-arboretum-at-sally-fox-park-hickory?hrid=7Ncg9GcUykd7nIRM-MopeA. The museum shares the space with the Catawba Science Center. [Review 15882 overall - 3098 in North Carolina - 1386 of 2021.]

Great place to bring kids to play and learn. Location is in downtown Mocksville. There is some…read morelimited parking right in the front of the building. Cost, at the time of this review, is $5 per person, including the adults. There is an outside area (fenced in) but most of the kids displays are inside. They have several stations where kids can play and learn. A farm area, grocery store, restaurant, dentist and doctors office, and construction area. Kids can spend hours here. I normally have to pull the plug after 2 hours max, because I am done. :-) You can get a family membership, which is a good option if you go several times a year.

We were looking for a fun summer activity. We had never been to Cognition and wanted to check it…read moreout. It is a smaller children's museum in downtown Mocksville. It only costs 5 dollars a person and was well worth it. The staff was friendly, and the museum was clean and well maintained. My son had a blast. He loved the grocery store the best. Each area had a lot to do. I would highly recommend coming here.

The Catawba County Firefighters Museum is a hidden gem in Conover, NC. It is just open on…read moreSaturdays and Sundays as it is run by volunteers. Admission is free but they do take donations. I was warmly greeted when I arrived at the stone building and informed that the museum is the largest firefighters museum in the state. I have been to most of them so I would agree with that. I was given a guided tour of the museum but did have the option to go around on my own and did do that after my tour. But I wasn't going to turn down a guided tour by a retired firefighter 30 years experience. The museum pays tribute to those who lost their lives in service. The bell in the lobby has part of a pole from a fire station in the county. The wood work around it is amazing and the attention to detail is there. The museum is very organized into sections so you can see how each has changed and improved through time. I didn't count how many fire trucks were on display but there are a bunch of older ones that were donated. The museum covers everything about firefighting though from the the ways fires were discovered before the current technology. Alarms used to be on the streets and if pulled it would print out a punch tape with so many holes and they could look up which box it was coming from. Then there were pagers and walkie talkies to phones and there are phones from different times in history. Then there was the setup for what was used like 911 is today. Alarms, sirens and lights that were used are on display. Uniforms used to be like a rain jacket but have come along way since so they are lighter and keep the firefighters cooler. To dress a firefighter with everything needed runs about $4500 from boots to the helmet to pants to a vest to breathing equipment. The first breathing equipment was turned by hand to pump in fresh air so thankfully the machines are more efficient now. A large life net is on display where someone would need to jump into it. There are many ladders on display and the first ones were made of wood. The newer ladders are lighter and easier to maneuver. Fire extinguishers are on display as well as heat detectors and smoke detectors. Sprinklers would start when a part of the mechanism melted. Then various tools used from axes to wrenches ton alarm that would buckets when they used to put fires out by passing the bucket. The arson area of the museum was interesting as each fire is investigated to see where and how it started. So there is evidence of illegal fireworks to bombs made. The classroom area had scrapbooks with articles and photos and then some objects that burned from landline phones to a box of crayons to an alarm that would have melted on the wall. I'm not sure if I was allowed to touch these items but I couldn't resist. There are robots used to teach children fire safety and they will talk to them and explain what to do. I highly recommend a visit to the museum if near Conover.

Oh my goodness! The cutest play place ever! There is endless play and overall, the cutest decor…read more The owners are so sweet and this place is so clean. I'm glad mooresville has a place like this. My kids had endless fun and we will be back for sure! I love this play place!

A few moms and I from Tiny Tots & Teens of Lake Norman stopped by Cloud Nine on Monday right at…read moreopening to check it out before planning a future group playdate, and we had a really great experience. We had five moms and six kids, and even with a couple of other families already there, the space felt calm, comfortable, and easy to enjoy. As soon as we walked in, we were warmly greeted, and my children were immediately welcomed by Tina, the owner. She's originally from North Carolina, so it felt especially nice supporting a local. I had filled out the waiver ahead of time, but the other moms were able to complete theirs on their phones or use the iPad at the facility. Tina also mentioned they'll be adding a QR code soon, which will make check-in even smoother. There is an admission fee for both kids and parents, and grip socks are required. You can bring your own or purchase them there, which was super convenient. The space is thoughtfully set up with tables for families, cubbies and hooks for shoes and bags, and a complimentary coffee and popcorn station. The coffee is served in reusable, eco-friendly mugs (and they have the cutest ones to choose from), with a nice variety of flavored options. The play area is on the smaller side, which we actually loved because it made supervising easier. The kids had a blast with the interactive screen, slides, swing, indoor trampoline, mini obstacle course, and ball pit. There's also a carousel and a reading nook in the back. Bathrooms are adorable, spacious, and had changing tables. Overall, Cloud Nine feels warm, intentional, and very family-friendly. It's the kind of place where you can relax a bit while your kids play safely, and we're really looking forward to coming back!

We visited Key to Escape as a date day and it was an awesome experience! The puzzle to get in the…read moredoor was fun and just the right challenge to kick things off. Once inside Addison was very welcoming. We are relatively inexperienced with escape rooms so he gave us some basic tips to set us up for success. We did the Under Pressure room which is themed around a distillery. The room was fun and had some unique puzzles unlike others I had encountered in escape rooms. We definitely had a great time and are already talking about plans to come back!

I've played 70 escape rooms and this place is really top tier. The owner Roger has so much passion…read morefor his work and it really shines through. My group played all three back to back and they're all strong. If you can only play one, I recommend the distillery. Because it's in a historical building, everything has a unique feel. They really made the most of the space. I cannot recommend key to escape enough. Such an amazing hidden gem

lovley one of kinds finds prices are very good…read morei get lost and just feel so relaxed wandering the booths.

What a great place with reasonable prices. There is lots to choose from all the authentic antiques.read more

The Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center is where the Lucus Mansion is located. It is on the National…read moreRegister of Historic Places because of its unique history. The house was built in 1900 as a two story Queen Anne styled home as a wedding gift. The wedding was called off three days before the ceremony because of different political views. At some point, the house was cut in half, the second floor was raised to add an additional floor in between and it became a three story house. (there are photos of this) The second and third floors are free to visit but there was a small charge to have a guided tour of the Lucas Mansion. My tour was $6 and they do take donations for the other floors. The first story of the Lucus Mansion has period furnishings. The second story is an art gallery and an exhibit about cane and some history and photos of the Lucus Mansion and Diamond Jim. Diamond Jim was a diamond and gem trader. He was well traveled and eccentric. The third story has about 550 dolls on display. It is impressive. The museum has plenty to see and read about. There is a gift shop and an elevator was added when the Heritage Center was added on to the property. The fire hoses on each floor were unique as I had not seen anything like that before. The wood finishings were also explained how the patterns were put onto the boards. There was a bell system where someone could push the button and it would ring on the first floor. The staff is very friendly here and will answer all of your questions. If you visit this museum, you will learn something new.

This hidden gem (pun intended) in the heart of Hiddenite is extremely rich in history, not simply…read morehistory of this little town or even the state but also, history connected to other states, such as South Carolina and New York! The small town of Hiddenite and staff working at the Arts & Heritage Center have done an excellent job preserving this beautiful 3 story victorian style home and the history attached to it. Everyone is knowledgeable and they are all very gracious hosts. After all, it is a former home owned by one of the wealthiest men in the state of North Carolina and therefore, the staff ensures that you feel welcome as you tour the facility. The experience here brings to life the old sayings, "everyone has a story to tell" and "if these walls could talk". By the way, it is listed on the national registry of historical places! Annually, the center hosts a Christmas Tour where the center gifts guests with a themed decor and story. The center, also, offers an art gallery on the top floor displaying pieces from local artists and often hosts educational and musical events which are open to the community. These events are held at the Educational Complex just down the street. To help support the future of the center, guests can join via an annual membership to the center. This membership gives discounts on the community events and offers other annual treats. It is a privilege to know and share this local historical treasure! After all, the more you know...