Charlotte: Here Are Some Great Museums To Explore
Most of us would agree that the NASCAR Hall of Fame is one of the best museums in Charlotte. But it’s not the only museum in our city. Here in the Charlotte area, there are many museums. You may not be familiar with all of them.
History of The Museum
The world’s oldest museum was built by a Babylonian princess 2,500 years ago. Early museums began as private collections of wealthy individuals, families, or institutions of art and rare or curious natural objects and artifacts. These were often displayed in so-called “wonder rooms” or “cabinets of curiosities.”
Some of the oldest public museums in the world opened in Italy during the Renaissance, but the majority of them opened during the 18th century.
We did a deep dive into the great institutions and museums in the Charlotte area.
Five Museums You May Not Know Are In Charlotte
The Historic Charlotte Trolley Museum is located in North Charlotte and is run by Charlotte Trolley, Inc., a non-profit organization. Originally, Charlotte offered electric streetcar service from May 20, 1891, to March 14, 1938. Later in the century, Charlotte Trolley, Inc. began buying up the old trolley cars which had come to a state of disrepair.
The Billy Graham Library is a public museum and library documenting the life and ministry of Christian evangelist Billy Graham. The 40,000-square-foot complex opened to the public on June 5, 2007. The library is located on the grounds of the international headquarters of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, North Carolina, a few miles from where Graham was raised.
The Levine Museum of the New South is a history museum located in Charlotte, North Carolina, whose exhibits explore issues relevant to the history of the greater Charlotte metro area.
The Sullenberger Aviation Museum, formerly the Carolinas Aviation Museum, is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.
It is one of a few aviation museums located at an airport, which serves as a major hub (Charlotte is the #2 hub for American Airlines).
The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, formerly known as the Afro-American Cultural Center, is in Charlotte, North Carolina, and named for Harvey Gantt, the city’s first African-American mayor and the first African-American student at Clemson University.
Conclusion
Some museums are free, but most in Charlotte have a fee to enter. Most museums are open 9 to 5 weekdays and sometimes closed on Sundays. Many are open on Saturday for tourists and city residents. A lot of the museums also have shops and even places to eat. The best thing to do before visiting a museum in Charlotte is to check out the website, see the rules, see what they have to offer, and of course, their hours of business.
Museums can be so much fun and so educational. We often take our children to the museum to share what our city has to offer and its origins.
