6 Top-Rated Museums To Visit In Charlotte (2024)

Charlotte is a sprawling and charming Southern city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Situated between two lakes – Lake Wylie and Lake Norman, Charlotte is the most populous city of North Carolina. Though, the city of Charlotte has all the facilities that a big city provides but still retains its small-town vibe. There are plenty of activities which you can do here and numerous amusement parks, quality restaurants, water parks, nature trails, and shopping places. Charlotte has some of the really great museums in North Carolina if you want to dig deeper into the history of any region. The most important institutions of any country are its museums. A good museum displays lead to reflection, creates a sense of appreciation and generates ideas for those who have come before. It is characteristic of a good museum that shows us the past and also contextualizes it. Charlotte has museums which will fit the interests of children too making it a perfect place for family outing. We have gathered some of the best museums in Charlotte below, where you can spend quality time with your pals, family as you explore them.

6 Top-Rated Museums To Visit In Charlotte

So, if you’re planning to visit Charlotte anywhere soon then definitely keep on reading this article.

1. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art:

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art was delineated by Mario Botta. He is a Swiss artist who also designed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This museum is an art in itself. The four-story building with a unique terracotta structure framed with concrete and glass and soaring glass atrium that allows flows throughout the space. It is scattered over 36,500 square feet of area. Works of several famous artists like Joan Miro, Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Jean Tinguely, and Barbara Hepworth are displayed here. You will get to see drawings, paintings, tapestries and even encompassing structures. To understand the premier modern art, you should definitely visit this museum. They also have an outdoor terrace area for the amazing view of the city. In the museum, you can get yourself docent led tours and audio tours. Apart from it, many events like jazz concerts, art lectures, and film screenings are conducted here. A 17-foot-tall sculpture of Firebird created by Niki de Saint Phalle is one of the major attractions here. The museum offers half hour docent-led tours with rotating views on every third Thursday of each month.

Best Time To Visit Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte: Opening hours- Wednesday: 10am to 9pm, Thursday to Saturday: 10am to 5pm, Sunday: 12pm to 5pm, and Monday: 10am to 5pm. It remains closed on Tuesday.

2. Mint Museum Uptown & Randolph:

Mint Museum Uptown was opened in 2010. This Uptown branch is a part of the Levine center campus, and the other branch is known as Mint Museum Randolph. Together these two have a huge collection of pieces that showcases culture, design, and art all around the world. The Mint Museum is one of the oldest museums of art in Charlotte. Mint Museum Uptown has the best craft + design collection, which is focused on the works of studio jewelry, metal, furniture, glass, fiber work of the 20th and 21st century. It has collections in wood, glass, ceramics, and contemporary art. There is also a great variety of American, contemporary, and European art on display here. It is scattered over 1,45,000 square feet of area and is a five-story building. The museum also offers free entry on Wednesday evening between 5-9pm. Mint Museum Randolph was established in 1936 and was actually the first art museum of North Carolina. It has collections that feature the art of ancient Africa, America, and Europe. There is also a great collection of decorative arts and ceramics. It is surrounded by a beautiful park and contains a lot of history.

Best Time To Visit Mint Museum Uptown & Randolph in Charlotte: Both the branches of the museum remain closed on Monday. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, it opens from 11am to 6pm. On Wednesday and Friday, it opens from 11am to 9pm. To avoid the rush, visit it after 2pm. On Friday, don’t visit during lunchtime.

3. Discovery Place Science:

Opened in 1981, Discovery Place Science is a museum of technology and science for all age groups and is located in the heart of Uptown, Charlotte. You can visit the indoor rainforest where you will be able to learn more about the plants and animals that live there or you can try sewing, printing, 3D, and basic woodworking at the Thinker Space Work Lab. They also offer various other interesting and unique activities such as looking at the different ways that our brains and computers interact with the world. The IMAX Dome was opened by The Charlotte Observer in 1991. Cost of an entry ticket for adults is $19, $15 for kids and $17 for seniors.

Best Time To Visit Discovery Place Science in Charlotte: Opening hours- Monday to Friday: 9am to 4pm, Saturday: 9am to 5pm and Sunday: 12pm to 5pm.

4. The Charlotte Museum of History:

The Charlotte Museum of History was first established on 3rd July 1975. It is located on Hezekiah Alexander Homesite’s property in Charlotte. It offers various exhibits and covers everything from the history of culture, music, art in the city to the experiences of soldiers during the 1st World War. It is the site of the oldest surviving home in Mecklenburg County and is spread over eight acres of land. It is the only remaining structure from the American Revolutionary Time. On the tour to the museum, you will be able to see how the people lived during the revolutionary period and their culture. It’s a type of museum which both kids and adults will like. Here, the cost of an entry ticket is $8 for visitors of age 6 and above.

Best Time To Visit The Charlotte Museum of History in Charlotte: It remains closed on Monday and Sunday. You can visit it between 11am to 5pm from Tuesday to Saturday.

5. Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture:

Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture is a museum located on Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina. It was established in 2009 on October 24. The four-story museum has spread over 46,490 square feet. The building is designed in a modernist structure wrapped in metal and glass with absolutely excellent ambience. It exhibits and depicts the history, culture, and art of the African American community. It is also a part of the Levine Center of Arts. John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African American Art can be seen here. The collection of art pieces featured here are Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden and Henry Ossawa Tanner. At the Gantt Center, various performances and events happen mostly all the time. If you’re a person who likes to know about the history of various places, then it is a museum that you cannot skip whenever you visit the city.

Best Time To Visit Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture in Charlotte: It remains closed on Monday. Opening hours- Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday: 12pm to 6pm, Wednesday: 12pm to 9pm, Saturday: 10am to 6pm.

6. Hezekiah Alexander House:

Hezekiah Alexander House was built in 1774 by the Alexander family. It is located on Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina. It is scattered over 8.3 acres of land. The Hezekiah Alexander House is the oldest surviving infrastructure in Mecklenburg County. The house is accompanied by a reconstructed two-story springhouse, a reproduction log kitchen, American Freedom Bell and Barn but the “rock house” remains the main spectacle. It’s a great place to check out if you’re interested in colonial history. There’s an abundance of interesting and important things awaiting eager minds in the Museum of History, so be sure to take time to visit it. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 17,1970.

Best Time To Visit Hezekiah Alexander House in Charlotte: It remains closed on Monday and Sunday. It Opens from 11am to 5pm (Tuesday to Saturday).

These are some of the best museums that you can find in Charlotte, North Carolina. Be sure to visit these museums the next time whenever you are here with your family or friends, where you can enjoy, as well as become more informative about everything these museums have to offer. Hope this article gave you an insight about the top famous museums in Charlotte.