charlete NC with children

North Carolina’s largest city is a blend of southern hospitality and cosmopolitan style, featuring chic shopping, renowned museums and a rich cultural arts repertoire. Visit Charlotte’s Mint Museum of Modern Art for exquisite fine and contemporary collections and Mint Museum of Craft and Design for a look into Charlotte’s craft traditions. Be sure to check out Discovery Place, a premier hands-on science museum with 300 exhibits and a live rainforest.

Other Charlotte attractions include the 1.5-acre nature and art park, The Green, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the Charlotte Bobcats basketball arena.  

Situated in the heart of Uptown Charlotte North Carolina, the Charlotte Marriott City Center is a 438-room luxurious hotel located approximately nine miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. This Charlotte hotel is located in the heart of Charlotte's business district and is easily accessible to the Charlotte Convention Center, Bank of America Stadium, and Charlotte Bobcats Arena.Dine at Savannah Red, a fine dining restaurant and wine bar, or stop by Champion's Sports Bar to catch a game on one of the flat-screen TVs. Convention and event attendees enjoy over 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and the Grand Ballroom seats up to 1,200 individuals. Charlotte City Center also provides a swimming pool and fitness center. Onsite parking is 4 hourly and 12 daily. Valet parking is 18 daily.Each of the 438 hotel rooms are luxuriously appointed with new Marriott Revive beds with 300 thread-count linens and thicker mattresses. Spectacular views of Charlotte are available from many rooms at this North Carolina hotel.Please note that this hotel is non-smoking.

This uptown takeout kitchen supplies the working people of Charlotte's Center City with all the southern-fried soul food they can eat. Choose from staples like blackened pork chops, salmon cakes, or a plate of fried chicken. Mert's also features a selection of "Low Country favorites" like shrimp and grits, fried catfish, and soft shell crab on a hoagie bun. Eating on the run? Opt for a Po' Boy sandwich of shrimp or fish. See website for full menu and online ordering.

Discovery Place is a paradise of kid-friendly science exhibits and presentations. The museum's "Discovery Halls" are lined with seasonal attractions such as "Action! An Adventure in Moviemaking," permanent exhibits like the aquarium, the stuffed and mounted North American animal collection, an amateur radio education center, and the machine shop where kids can learn how planes work. The museum also offers a number of live programs and demonstrations, not the least of which is a chemistry experiment wherein children receive freshly made scoops of liquid nitrogen ice cream. If that is not enough, attend the daily "Rat Basketball" game, one of many aquarium feedings, or experience a rainforest animal encounter. Adult admission is $10, children ages 2-13 are $8. See website for group discounts, package deals, and membership information.

The Mint Museum of Craft & Design is located in a historic downtown building that was recently renovated to celebrate the rich legacy of Charlotte's craft tradition. The permanent collection holds a wide range of items made from ceramic, jewelry, glass, fibers, metal, and wood. Their special glass commissions alone make it worth the visit! For those who enjoy an interactive experience, the museum offers many workshops, lectures, artist demonstrations, and travel guides to enhance the trip. Also, it is located within the heart of the business district and nearby many shopping centers and restaurants. Make sure to also take a look at the Mint Museum of Art, full of fine and contemporary art.

Adults: $6; Seniors: $5; Students: $3; Children: Free

What better way to explore the historical facets of the city than by traveling across it in one of the oldest and most-loved modes of transport? Charlotte Trolley Inc. takes you around the area in vintage streetcars ensuring a pleasurable learning experience. Choose from tours best suited to you; you can even arrange to have a private party on one of them! After a tour on this mobile museum, stop at the gift shop and pick up a memoir or two. Check the website for details.

In addition to being the oldest park in Charlotte, this 24-acre parcel in the heart of Charlotte's Elizabeth neighborhood serves your every recreational need. For athletes, Independence Park has a batting cage, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, a volleyball court, and three hiking trails. Families make good use of the sheltered picnic area and the playground. If romance is in the air, stroll by the relecting pool or through the rose garden. A number of shelters, including the rose garden's gazebo, are available for private events. See website for reservation information.

A slice of New Orleans has come all the way to North Carolina. But hey, so what if you don't have the Mardi Gras, you will be treated to live jazz every night of the week! The B.B.Q. Shrimp, Cajun Popcorn, Red Beans and Rice, Crawfish Scampi, all will make your tummy happy. By the way, it has been voted as the best Cajun restaurant in Charlotte.

There's no way you can get bored at the 105 acre Paramount's Carowinds, whatever age group you belong to. This amusement park has it all, from 60 rides like Nickelodeon Central and Vortex, to events and live shows. Also part of the Carowinds is the Boomerang Bay Waterpark Resort and the famous "Scarowinds" event. Accommodation too is not a problem, as you and your family can just camp out in the fully equipped 25 acre Camp Wilderness Resort. Spend a day of absolute fun, frolic, thrills and maybe even some chills! Check the website for further information.

What do you when you want slices of crusty pizzas with lots of cheese and bell peppers and chicken and cajun sauce and...hey wait a minute, yes, Lasagne pizza; you trudge to Fuel Pizza on the Green. It is simple as that and even simpler are the prices! Go for the White pizza, which is a classic New York style pizza with blended mozzarella, shredded tomato, chevre goat cheese and just a touch of garlic. All ye from the Big Apple, thou shall not feel homesick in here! You can even fuel yourself with Chicken Fingers and Boneless Buffalo Wings. Kids meals are available too. Catering can be arranged for parties and events with prior intimation.

This facility aims to help protect and conserve birds of prey, and is located inside the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve, a short drive from Charlotte. It seeks to educate people about raptors, erasing misconceptions that society has towards these creatures, and tends to injured, sick and orphaned birds. Due to imprinting and contact with humans, birds at the center cannot survive in the wild. They are, therefore attached to their handlers, and pose no threat to visitors. For volunteering opportunities and other information, check the website.

Visit this old-world cotton plantation, about 12 miles from the city, for a delightful and educational day with the family. Get a dose of the lives of poor planters, yeomen farmers, and slaves of the days gone by. For a small fee, visitors get to experience a kaleidoscope of events that bring out the struggles of the past—Civil War re-enactments, art and craft festivals, home life and ghost walks, to name a few. A crude cabin with meager furnishings and curios serves as an original exhibit of the slave culture. There are even summer camps, workshops, a myriad of nature- and animal-based games and activities for kids as well as adults. Al of this is likely to leave a mark on any guest, American or not. Hit the website for some knowledgeable reading and information about guided tours before making a trip down.