2018 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Charlotte
Best Places for Kids in the Charlotte region!
The best places to take kids in Charlotte, based on KidsOutAndAbout's annual reader survey. But there is LOTS more to do in Charlotte! Get great ideas here! What is listed below are far from the only opportunities for family fun and learning; they're just what was voted this year.
Carolina Raptor Center
Carolina Raptor Center is dedicated to environmental stewardship and the conservation of birds of prey, through education, research, and the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned raptors.
ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center
A collaborative venture of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Children's Theatre of Charlotte. This 102,000 sq. ft., with cutting-edge services and library collections, award-winning professional theatre, innovative education programs and the "Studio i" makerspace, ImaginOn brings stories to life through extraordinary experiences that challenge, inspire and excite young minds.
Funtasticks Charlotte
Funtasticks Charlotte, formerly Adventure Landing is proud to serve families across the Charlotte area. Located in Pineville, NC, Adventure Landing Charlotte features Rookie Karts, Bumper Boats, Go-Karts, Miniature Golf, Batting Cages, and Video Arcade!
NASCAR Hall of Fame
Located in Uptown Charlotte, N.C., the NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, opened May 11, 2010 and includes artifacts, interactive exhibits, and a 278-person state-of-the-art theater.
Jump for Joy Equestrian Center
Jump For Joy Equestrian Center is named for the feeling of excitment and jubilation that a student feels when learning new skills and accomplishing goals while riding a horse or pony.
SEA LIFE Charlote Concord Aquarium
SEA LIFE is an indoor aquarium located inside Concord Mills Mall. This one-of-a-kind experience will get you up close and face-to-face with amazing underwater creatures such as sharks, stingrays, sea stars, sea horses, jellyfish and thousands of colorful fish! This fascinating underwater world is waiting for you to explore
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is the Carolinas’ Garden for all seasons, providing guests a chance to reconnect with nature and to create lifelong memories with friends and family. Located within 380 acres on the banks of Lake Wylie, spectacular gardens, sparkling fountains, a conservatory dedicated to the display of tropical plants and orchids, a visitor pavilion, a garden store and nature trails await the visitor.
Sky Zone
Jump into Sky Zone - the world's first all-walled trampoline playing court! Sky Zone features an array of fun, fit and low-impact activities ranging from Freestyle Jump, Ultimate Dodgeball and SkyFit fitness classes to birthday parties!
Carowinds
Proudly located on the North & South Carolina state line in Charlotte, Carowinds is the premier entertainment destination of the Carolinas. Our lineup of homegrown family fun is full of unique experiences you won't find anywhere else. Complete with over 60 rides and attractions, live entertainment, authentic regional cuisine and Carolina hospitality - you'll see why Carowinds is frequently recognized as one of the best theme parks in the nation.
Mallard Creek Recreation Center
Mallard Creek Recreation Center offers a fantastic indoor play center to keep the little ones busy!
Great Wolf Lodge Water Park (Concord)
Our 84-degree indoor water park offers the best in weatherproof North Carolina family resort fun with over 80,000 square feet of indoor waterpark action including a massive water fort tree house with a 1,000 gallon tipping bucket! Experience jaw-dropping thrill rides like the Howlin' Tornado along with zero-depth-playgrounds including Cub Paw Pool for smaller kids. Make your family vacation unforgettable when you swim and splash the day away here.
Tiger World
Tiger World is a different kind of Zoo. We are dedicated to the conservation and education of all threatened and endangered species. Our educational tours personally guide visitors throughout the preserve learning about each animal providing an individual hands on experience. You will see the animals in a natural setting and have the opportunity to observe them running, playing, swimming, eating, sleeping, and interacting with their handlers.
North Carolina Transportation Museum
Carolina's Aviation Museum
Founded in 1992 and located at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the Carolinas Aviation Museum is home to aircraft and artifacts from the advent of aviation, including the iconic award-winning "Miracle on the Hudson" exhibition featuring the famed passenger jet that crash-landed safely in New York's Hudson River in 2009.
Land of Oz
This family-owned property now opens to the public for limited occasions including the annual Autumn at Oz Festival and Journey with Dorothy Tours. Come to Land of Oz™ where fans from all over the world celebrate author L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in all its glory.
North Carolina Zoo
World's largest natural habitat zoo. At the North Carolina Zoo, connect with wildlife from two different continents as you explore 500 acres of exhibits carefully constructed to resemble natural habitats. Walk from Africa’s grasslands to North America’s Arctic coast.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League, as a member club of the league's National Football Conference South division.
Defygravity
DefyGravity is North Carolina's Ultimate Provider of Extreme Air Sports Parks! The Charlotte Facility features a Cutting-edge Trampoline Arena, Aerial Obstacle Courses, Slack Lines, Olympic Foam Pits, and Trampoline Dodgeball!
University City Regional Library
The University City Regional Library serves the University City area of Charlotte, one of the fastest growing business, health care and academic areas of the county. This 24,500 sq. ft. library has expanded its facilities to better serve its growing community.
