4 Best Sights in Charlotte, North Carolina

Billy Graham Library

Airport/Coliseum
People from around the world come here to pay tribute to the life of beloved evangelist Billy Graham, a native of Charlotte. You can tour Graham's family homeplace and follow his 80-year-long ministry—including fascinating stories like his friendship with Johnny Cash—through films, memorabilia, and interactive exhibits. There’s also a serene prayer garden and the grave sites of Graham and his wife, Ruth.

Charlotte Museum of History

East Charlotte

A 1774 stone building forms the centerpiece of this museum that traces central North Carolina's history over the last three centuries. Settler Hezekiah Alexander and his wife, Mary, reared 10 children in this house and farmed the land. Learn about the lives of early residents in the area through exhibits and displays.

Historic Home
3500 Shamrock Dr., Charlotte, North Carolina, 28215, USA
704-568–1774
www.charlottemuseum.org
Sights Details
Rate Includes: $10, Closed Sun. and Mon., Tues.–Sat. 10–5, Sun. 1–5

Historic Latta Plantation

The last remaining Catawba River plantation open to the public, this living-history site interprets 19th-century farm life in North Carolina’s backcountry. James Latta, a traveling merchant, built the plantation’s Federal-style home in 1800 and soon became a cotton planter. According to family documents, the entire Latta family assisted with production on the 742-acre farm, but it would not have been possible to maintain the plantation without the back-breaking labor of more than 30 slaves. Today, visitors can tour the home as well as reconstructed slave quarters and a yeoman farmer’s home. Historically appropriate farm animals and special weekend programs, such as folk craft demonstrations, round out the experience.

Historic Home
5225 Sample Rd., Huntersville, North Carolina, 28078, USA
704-875–2312
www.lattaplantation.org
Sights Details
Rate Includes: $9, Closed Mon., Tues.–Sat. 10–5, Sun. 1–5

Recommended Fodor's Video

President James K. Polk State Historic Site

This 22-acre state historic site 10 miles south of central Charlotte marks the humble birthplace and childhood home of the 11th U.S. president, nicknamed "Napoléon of the Stump" for his excellent speeches. Guided tours of the log cabins (replicas of the originals) show what life was like for settlers back in 1795.