If you're a history buff, this might be worth a stop. Actually, even if you're not, this might be a…read moregood stop once at least. The grounds are beautiful and very peaceful. We visited on a Tuesday afternoon and hardly anyone else was there, so it was really quiet and relaxing. Most of the grounds have are shaded by trees, so even though it was a hot day (in the high 80s), it was pleasant walking around. What was a disappointment was that we couldn't enter any of the buildings, so the self tour was only to see the exteriors. The exhibits upstairs were interesting, too. One was on political cartoons and the other was on philanthropy; both worth a visit!

Parking is a breeze. It's a lovely structure. There is a flow to this place…read more We arrived about 2PM on a sweltering Friday in August. What a lucky day that for this entire month admission is free, and we were just in time for a guided tour! We viewed the grounds of Hezikiah Alexander's homestead. Our tour guide and group were all terrific. Everyone was eager to learn and respectful of the exhibition and each other. The tour lasted about an hour with great sensory experiences in the garden and it was just the right level of audience interaction. As an African American person, I was appreciative to the mention of the enslaved people who ran this massive house. The kitchen area was really interesting to me, but there were so many spider webs and bugs all around.... I was concerned. The maintenance/cleaning staff should come in there for a quick visit. At the end our tour, the guide rung a gigantic bell and explained the symbolism of the hornet for Charlotte, North Carolina. It was inspiring and quite bad a$$ery. As a British soldier beat a retreat out of town he remarked "this place is just a hornets nest of rebellion!" As an independent colony from the crown, Charlotteans have proudly sported the symbol of the hornet since then. The plight of indigenous people was very lightly addressed with a terrible exhibition of a red dress to bring awareness to missing and murdered indigenous women. They really should seek to create an exhibit more inclusive, relevant and respectful to the original inhabitants of this land. That too is the history of Charlotte.

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 offerings of Dale Earnhardt Inc. are definitely well-kept secrets in Mooresville, NC…read more Visitors can visit the facility: - Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. From the company's website: "DEI has a retail store and showroom open Monday through Friday (9 - 5) and Saturdays (10 - 4) that are both free of charge for visitors. They are also open some special hours during race time, so be sure to call ahead before visiting. The showroom contains one of a kind items that are a must see for Dale Earnhardt Fans. Some of these items include all 7 championship trophies, some of Dale's old fire suits, some of Dale's old race cars, and much more!" Right now (December 2012), the building is decorated in a vibrant shade of red for the holidays! Also on the DEI campus are the offices of the technology group and The Dale Earnhardt Foundation. Though these are not open to the public to visit, these offices are a wonderful testament to the work still being down around the NASCAR industry. For more information about The Dale Earnhardt Foundation, visit: www.dalearnhardtinc.com/foundation

It's shut down no longer in business thanks to Theresa Earnhardt I recommend going to Richard…read moreChildress instead

Even if you don't follow racing, the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown is easily one of the most…read moreengaging, well-run spots in Charlotte. It feels a lot more like a hands-on motorsport and tech showcase than a quiet, stuffy museum. Walking in along Glory Road with the banked curves mirroring real track turns immediately sets the tone, and seeing the life-sized Lightning McQueen display is a highlight no matter how old you are. The hands-on activities make the visit: the iRacing driving simulators and the pit crew tire-changing challenge are genuinely competitive and fun, even if you know basically nothing about car mechanics going in. Even the kiosks add flair, with small interesting quizzes like the career match quiz. Joining as a member this year has paid for itself many times over. Beyond unlimited visits, their race watch parties in the High Octane Theater are a massive highlight. They are super well-organized, welcoming, and packed with perks like trivia, generous giveaways, and raffles. The staff and community make race weekends really enjoyable to just come hang out. If you are planning a visit, definitely give yourself at least 2 to 3 hours so you do not have to rush through the simulators and upper levels. The on-site Pit Stop Café is also super convenient and reasonably priced for a quick sandwich, snack, or drink without having to leave the building.

Overall, a great experience for anyone interested in NASCAR history or those who have a deep…read moreconnection to the sport. There is so much to see and do that even a few hours isn't enough time to take in and read through all of the curated NASCAR history, memorabilia, and exhibits. The only downside is the additional cost for parking. While it isn't much, it's still a bit of a bummer considering how much time you'll want to spend exploring the Hall of Fame.

Magnificent free museum. The front desk check-in lady was incredibly flattering, she thought I was…read moreactually playing in the Charlotte FC game when she asked why I was in town, and me being in town "for the game" was delightfully read by her as me playing in the game, which was an "I wish" moment. Number of people who think I look like a MLS player that are not my mommy: we're up to one now, but men remember every compliment they receive (most don't get that many) so obviously I will remember this forever. The museum has a large footprint in the building for being an overall relatively small museum. There is a lot of empty floor space which is for vibes I guess, or the Southern deep fried ambiance that you need adequate room to maneuver yourself around the wide open walkways when Bojangles is sufficiently well-loved around these parts. The museum is very similar to the STL Gateway Arch Museum, in terms of set up, focus on limited time periods, lewks, and content depth. This free museum is an introduction to a very interesting, historically rich city that gives you a taste of the history (but isn't a dissertation on every little thing) and gets you excited about the future of the city based on some key moments in modernity. While the state government was very particular about which bathroom you used up until it was repealed in 2020, CLT had originally passed local protections that the state got threatened by and made an international spectacle of for years of high profile constitutional litigation and appeals. If you read somewhat fast you can get through the entire museum in under 30 minutes; it is closer in size to the Bechtler rather than the Mint. It is well situated on S. Tryon (the city so far has resisted the obvious name change to Trigon, for all my Teen Titans bros, bro-ettes, and non-binary brxs) to hop, skip, or frogger across the street to the Bechtler and Mint for further museum experiences nearby. They have weird hours and occasional closure days (put actually tell you about it in advance) so be sure to check their webpage to plan ahead for when you can drop in. The gift shoppe is very small but every purchase helps support the free museum so I picked up a shirt for my next volunteer shift at the food bank this week. When you visit here too I am sure you will want to contribute something (voluntarily) to help support the free museum. That is when you know you have a free museum that actually works as intended. A great place to start to realise why Charlotte is one of my favourite American cities, and it could be one of yours too.

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.

We walked in to complete our America 250 stamp book and to check out the museum. When you walk into…read morethe front, go to the right and down the hall a bit and you will see the sign above your head. At first I thought it was small, but saw that there was a lot packed into the space. We paid our 3$ entry free and Francis asked us if we wanted a tour. We said yes and are very glad we did! We learned so much and honestly it was the BEST museum experience we have had in Gaston County. The inventions were particularly interesting, military uniforms and physician equipment. If you have an hour to go find Francis and take the tour. It is worth the 3$ just to hear the information that she gave. It was a real treat!

A must stop when in town! Great little museum honoring all of our veterans... but the best part is…read morebeing able to talk to the vets that go there daily. We met phenomenal people that did extraordinary things to keep us a free country. So happy to find this living museum!

Stopped in unannounced so there was nobody available for the meet and greet and tour. Since the…read morebuilding appears to be locked up tight I gave it a wide berth to avoid arousing suspicions (I imagine NRC-jail being 7200x worse than airport-jail which I assume is 20x worse than regular jail). Like everything else around here it looks to be in good repair and the deck is in fabulous condition. Nice views of the lake and the grounds and there's large circular plaques with information on Lake Norman and the generating stations attached to it plus there's a trail for hiking nature nearby, little maps are provided that highlight additional information stations along the route.

This was a beautiful area to hike to the woods. It was a fun area to be educated about the…read moredifferent types of trees that they have here in North Carolina. I know they have a nuclear plant and a dam close by but it was very educational and gorgeous to be outside on this beautiful North Carolina day. I WOULD recommend if you have a chance to go here and check it out yourself.