25+ family-friendly activities to check out this summer around Charlotte

Editor's note: This list includes activities for children from babies and toddlers through teenagers. It’s not a comprehensive list of all the fun stuff to do with your family this season, though.

• Also, many of the places in this roundup have special prices for members and seniors. Be sure to check out their respective websites for the latest pricing.

Head to ImaginOn

Details: ImaginOn is a partnership between the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Children’s Theater. The center's Spangler Library offers a free, 30-minute family storytime for young children (1-5 years old or so) several days a week, filled with stories, dancing, music and socializing.

• Stick around or come early for the interactive exhibits at the library, fitting for kids of all ages.

Stop by: 300 E. Seventh St.

Cost: Free

• Several libraries, including SouthPark Regional, similarly offer storytime and other free programs for kids of all ages.

Explore a local nature preserve

Details: Take an urban hike, for instance, through the 1.8-mile loop at Evergreen Nature Preserve in east Charlotte. It’s not a strenuous hike, and you’ll see plenty of runners and bikers on the trails, too. Some of the other nature preserves in Mecklenburg County include:

• Latta Nature Preserve in Huntersville: 1,460 acres
• McDowell Nature Preserve in south Charlotte: 1,132 acres
• Reedy Creek Nature Preserve in north Charlotte: 927 acres

Cost: Free

Watch cartoons at the Independent Picture House

Details: Every month on a Saturday, the Independent Picture House near NoDa hosts free cartoons at 10:30am with free cookies and milk for the kids and coffee for the grown-ups.

Stop by: 4237 Raleigh St.

Cost: Free, but RSVP is requested.

Airport Overlook

Details: The newish $8 million overlook at Charlotte Douglas International Airport has something for everybody (not just kids) — playgrounds, educational exhibits, room for food trucks and lots more.

Stop by: 5130 Airport Overlook Dr.

Cost: Free

A local splash pad

Details: If you’re looking for an easy, free way to cool off this summer, a splash pad is a great option that kids love. The one at First Ward Park, for instance, is sprawling. The park also has a playground and grassy area for picnicking.

• Many public parks around Charlotte have splash pads, including Latta, Romare Bearden and Elizabeth.

Go deeper: Nine free spray grounds and splash pads to check out in Charlotte

Cost: Free

Stream Park at Ballantyne

The six-acre park behind The Ballantyne Hotel has a covered pavilion, interactive playground, greenway connection and water features, including a natural stream.

• Pro tip: Head to the Bowl at Ballantyne afterward to refuel.

Stop by: 14105 Stream Way.

Cost: Free

Run a race

Details: Sign up the kids for a short-distance road race, like Around the Crown's Kids' Run on Saturday, Sept. 5, a 9-and-under race on a 0.277-mile course near Truist Field.

• If your kids are small enough, take them on a stroller run as you compete in the Around the Crown, a 10K that takes you on I-277 on Sunday, Sept. 6.

Stop by: Uptown. Race info here.

Cost: Varies

Seoul Food Meat Company Mill District

Details: Why not combine playtime and happy hour? Seoul Food offers plenty of activities for the kids — from a splash pad to a playground to games — and for the adults, a full menu of craft beer, soju cocktails, wine and mocktails, plus karaoke.

• It's a fun spot to meet/hang with other families with kids.

Stop by: 421 E 26th St.

Cost: Varies

North Carolina Zoo

Details: The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro is in the middle of the state, a roughly 90-mile drive northeast of Charlotte. The state-supported zoo is home to more than 1,700 animals from around the world, from baboons to lions to African elephants. Animal habitats are divided by region. Check out the zoo’s website for animal feeding times.

Stop by: 4401 Zoo Pkwy. Hours vary by season.

Cost: Varies depending on the experience you’re going for. It’s $20 for general admission for adults, $16 for children 3-12. Children under 2 get in free.

Head to the farm for berry picking

Details: When you decide to go will dictate the produce you'll find — in June and July, we're in blueberry and blackberry season in North Carolina. Head to a farm like Wise Acres, which also offers U-pick flowers, or Carrigan Farms (more on that below) for seasonal berry picking.

Cost: Varies

Lazy 5 Ranch

Details: The Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville is one way to see both farm and exotic animals — from cattle to kangaroos — without driving too far. The family-run ranch is home to over 750 animals from six different continents, and per its website, aims to support the recovery of several endangered species, including the Grevy Zebra, Scimitar Horned Oryx and Ring-tailed Lemur.

Stop by: 15100 Mooresville Road.

Cost: Varies. General admission for adults is $15; it's $11 for kids 2-12.

Darby Acres Farm & Safari

Details: Darby Acres is a family-owned and operated business, run by the husband-and-wife duo of Dwayne and Jennifer Collins, who have been taking in rescue animals for over 15 years. At the northwest Charlotte farm, you can have personal encounters with various exotic animals, including a capuchin monkey, lemurs and baby otters.

Cost: General admission is $25, which comes with one generous bucket of fruits and vegetables to feed the animals.

Of note: Darby Acres is open year-round, but you must make an appointment to visit.

Carolina Raptor Center

Details: The nonprofit educational center in Huntersville features outdoor trails with all kinds of birds, flight shows, STEM-focused educational programming and indoor exhibits. The center, founded in 1981, provides rehabilitation services for injured birds of prey, admitting up to 1,000 birds annually. Most of the raptors taken into the center’s hospital are released back into the wild.

Stop by: 6000 Sample Road.

Cost: Ages 22-64 $16; ages 13-21 $14; ages 3-13 $12. Under 3: Free.

Tweetsie Railroad

Details: Opened in 1957 as North Carolina’s first theme park, Tweetsie is located about two hours west of Charlotte, between Blowing Rock and Boone. The park features historic steam locomotives that transport passengers around a scenic, three-mile Wild West-themed loop. The park also offers live shows, amusement rides, the Deer Park Zoo and dining.

Stop by: 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock.

Cost: $65 for adults ($13+) and $45 for children ages 3-12. Children 2 and under get in free.

Food halls

Food halls like Optimist Hall and Urban District Market often host family-friendly events.

• Urban District Market at the intersection of NoDa, Villa Heights and Optimist Park has a toddler-friendly supermarket setup at the entrance, a larger play area for kids at the center, a splash pad open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and private bathrooms with changing tables for breastfeeding mothers.
• Alley 51 in Pineville has a mini arcade and "Kidz Zone."
• Gibson Mill in Concord also hosts family-friendly activities, often inside its food hall, The Market, and at the vintage car showroom, AutoBarn Classic Cars.

Quarry at Carrigan Farms

Details: Carrigan Farms is a family-owned property in Mooresville that grows fresh produce and offers the public daily open swims at its natural spring quarry during the summertime. During open swim, you can jump off the rocks, swing off the rope swing, fish in the pond, relax on the quarry beaches or dine at the onsite restaurant.

• Reservations are required for open swim.
• All swimmers must wear a life jacket unless they pass a swim test, which is open to people 12 and older.
• Children under 12 must wear a life jacket at all times.

Stop by: Enter at the west entrance at 1213 Oakridge Farm Hwy. in Mooresville.

Cost: Pricing varies by date, starting at $25 per person. Only cash is accepted at the door.

Go deeper: Guide to swimming at the Quarry at Carrigan Farms

Family programs at the Mint Museum

Details: The Mint Museum hosts family-friendly programs at both its Uptown and Randolph locations — from the NexGen Mint program for teens to Wild Wednesdays, an indoor/outdoor event during which Stevens Creek Nature Center educators teach kids about native wildlife.

Stop by: 2370 Randolph Road (Randolph) or 500 S. Tryon (Uptown)

Cost: Free

U.S. National Whitewater Center

Details: The Whitewater Center has a range of activities, whether your family’s into hiking, listening to music, going whitewater rafting or enjoying a serene stand-up paddleboard ride.

• Wildwoods is a more than 2-acre activity area for kids made up of a treehouse village, slides and climbing rocks. A Wildwoods activity pass costs $18 and is included in a day activity pass ($79 for adults; $69 for kids) and an annual activity pass ($159).
• Head to the USNWC during cold-weather months for seasonal activities like ice skating.

Stop by: 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy. Check out the center's daily activities schedule for more details.

Cost: Depends on the activity. It's free to just walk in, but parking is $13.

Go deeper: 15 ways to spend a day at the U.S. National Whitewater Center

Freedom Park

Details: One of Charlotte's most prominent and popular public parks, Freedom Park has a large pond, trails that connect to Little Sugar Creek Greenway, baseball fields, tennis courts, soccer fields, volleyball courts, walking trails, an NFL KidZone and two playgrounds — off Princeton Drive and near the KidZone. It's another great (and free) option for nature- and sports-loving kids.

Stop by: 1908 East Blvd.

Cost: Free

Discovery Place Science

Details: This science and technology museum in Uptown has hands-on labs for children of all ages, science exhibits, live shows and an IMAX theater.

Stop by: 301 N Tryon St.

Cost: General museum admission for those 14-59 is $24 and $19 for those 2-13. Kids 2 and under get in free. It's $21 for seniors (60+)

Discovery Place Kids

Details: Another facility in the Discovery Place family, this Huntersville museum is geared toward families with young children. The museum has a kids’ science lab, puppet shows, story time, dance parties and hands-on exhibitions for children of all ages.

Stop by: 105 Gilead Road.

Cost: Adults and children (1-13) $15 online, $19-$20 at the door. Kids under 1 get in free.

Of note: Free parking is available in the Huntersville Town Center parking deck behind the museum.

Slick City

Details: This is a 34,000-square-foot indoor slide park in south Charlotte that opened in February — the first North Carolina location for the Denver-born business.

• The slides are for customers 4+ (grown-ups welcome too!), and the soft play area is for kids 0-3.
• Stop by: 9535 South Blvd. in Carolina Pavilion.
• You can book 90 minutes ($29.99) or 120 minutes ($34.99).

Stop by: 9535 South Blvd. in Carolina Pavilion.

Carowinds

Details: The popular amusement park is open for the summer, featuring more than 50 rides at varying thrill levels. One especially popular warm-weather attraction at Carowinds is the Carolina Harbor Waterpark, which features water slides and two wave pools.

Stop by: 14523 Carowinds Blvd.

Cost: Reservations are required, so book your tickets in advance. Day passes start at $39 online.

Greenways

Details: For a free, refreshing way to enjoy the outdoors in Charlotte — walk, bike, skate, scooter or run along Charlotte's greenways.

Cost: Free

Go deeper: How to bike from Elizabeth to Pineville on Charlotte's greenways

Wing Haven

Details: A quiet sprawling property in the heart of Charlotte, Wing Haven features two gardens — The Elizabeth Lawrence House & Garden (a world-renowned garden writer's living laboratory) and the Student Environmental Education and Discovery (SEED) Wildlife & Children's Garden, which provides hands-on learning about native plants and animals.

Stop by: 248 Ridgewood Ave.

Cost: $10 for nonmembers. Children 10 and under get in free.

A Knights game

Details: You don't have to be a baseball lover to have a ball at Truist Field watching the Knights, a Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Vendors offer a variety of ballpark fare, including hot dogs, street tacos, local craft beer and wine. Check out the Knights' website for special theme days, like Bark in the Park April 30, when you can bring your dog.

Stop by: 324 S Mint St.

Cost: Ticket prices vary. See the Knights' schedule here.

• Parking isn't easy in Uptown. Instead, leave the car at one of CATS' park-and-ride locations and take the light rail.

Museum of Illusions

Details: The Uptown museum, which opened in 2022, features entertaining and photo-worthy installations and interactive exhibits that are "very kid-proof," according to Charlotte Parent. A good option for those extra-hot (or rainy) days.

Stop by: 601 S. Tryon St., but the entrance is on Good Samaritan Way.

Cost: $37.97 for adults, $28.42 for children over 4, $30.70 for seniors. Kids under 4 get in free.

Schiele Museum

Details: This natural history museum in Gastonia features a range of comprehensive visiting and permanent exhibits, from one highlighting the Catawba Indian culture to others showcasing North American wildlife, like bears, bison and elk. This is another great option for a rainy day, and if you’re willing to make the quick drive.

• The museum has seasonal events.

Stop by: 1500 E Garrison Blvd.

Cost: $12 for adults and $10 for children 4-18. Children 2 and under get in free.

• Special programming may require a separate ticket.

Additional resources:

30+ best outdoor activities within 2 hours of Charlotte

21 places to take your kids before they grow up (Visit NC)

10 kid-friendly restaurants in Charlotte that parents also love

Editor's note: This list was originally published in June 2023 and last updated in April 2026. Have any go-to spots or hidden gems to add? Reach out: [email protected].