The Harvey B. Gantt Center offers exhibits and educational programs that explore the experiences and celebrates the triumphs of people of African descent in the United States. October 2009 marked the opening of the Afro-American Cultural Center as the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture. The name of the facility honors Harvey Bernard Gantt, a community leader and businessman. Gant was a trailblazer, the first African-American student admitted to Clemson University and Charlotte's first African-American mayor. The Center is a dedicated space to present, preserve and celebrate excellence in the art, history and culture of African American and people of African descent. Included in the permanent collection are several works by Romare Bearden. While there has never been an exhibit dedicated to Bearden exclusively, The Gantt Center has several Bearden works on display in its permanent collection. One painting by Bearden is featured prominently in the lobby of The Gantt Center. It sets the tone for the whole museum.
Charlotte’s Mint Museum Uptown makes up the second part of the city’s Mint Museum, and plays a vital role in Charlotte's Levine Center for the Arts. The Mint Museum Uptown was established in 2010, and is one of two branches which make up Charlotte's Mint Museum, the first art museum in the state of North Carolina, founded in 1936. The Mint Uptown’s exterior is strikingly beautiful, its five-story, 145,000-square-foot facility having been designed by the illustrious Machado Silvetti design firm of Boston. The museum houses a number of cutting-edge exhibits, an internationally renowned Craft + Design collection, and exceptional collections of American, European, and contemporary art, among other things. While it is one of two branches which make up the Mint Museum, the Mint Uptown houses different collections and exhibitions than the Mint Museum Randolph. Anchoring Charlotte’s main cultural district, The Mint Museum Uptown opened its doors in 2010 and is home to its internationally acclaimed Craft + Design collection as well as important collections of American, contemporary and European art. A popular attraction at The Mint is the Romare Bearden Gallery which is located on the fourth flour and showcases work by the artist and offers an excellent retrospective of Bearden’s work.
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art houses a unique and rare collection of 20th-century modern pieces of artwork. Amassed by a North Carolina resident family and donated to the museum, the permanent and rotating exhibits demonstrate significant contributions to art from this time period.The museum building itself is unique, created by a well known Swiss architect, and designed specifically to showcase the pieces of work. The Betchtler Museum is visited by thousands of art enthusiasts each year who are welcome to view the collection and rotating exhibits. Distinguishing itself from Charlotte's other Uptown museums, The Bechtler is Charlotte’s boutique cultural space. The distinct red terracotta tiled building was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Mario Botta and opened in 2010. This jewel of a museum houses the personal collection of the Swiss industrialist family, The Bechtlers. Found in the museum are works by the most important and influential artists of the mid-20th century including Miro, Giacometti, Picasso, Calder and Warhol.
This museum is located within the Wells Fargo Center, the 7th tallest skyscraper in Charlotte. The building houses the professional offices of Wells Fargo and other companies, but for visitors to the city, the building is most significant as the home of the Charlotte branch of the Wells Fargo History Museum. This interactive and educational museum illustrates the company’s growth from servicing 1850’s pioneers to becoming one of the nation’s top financial institutions. The museum exhibits educate guests about the history of money and banking as well as the role of the Wells Fargo company within the nation's economy.
Built in 1914, the Latta Arcade is surrounded by modern office buildings and is one of the last remaining buildings from the early 20th century in this part of downtown Charlotte. The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and holds a gallery of shops, restaurants, and offices.
The 22 story skyscraper is located in Uptown Charlotte, at a location known as “The Square”. Comprised of the intersection at Trade St. and Tryon St., along with an adjacent park, the Square is a well known focal point in downtown Charlotte. The Tryon Plaza was formerly the First National Bank Building. The First National Bank Building had a significant historical role in Charlotte’s past, and is now considered a historic landmark.
Dedicated in 1995 and located on each corner at the intersection of Tryon and Trade Streets in Uptown Charlotte, three of the Four Corner Statues symbolize factors that have contributed to the city's historic growth (commerce, industry, and transportation) while the fourth statue represents the future. The four statues were commissioned by an organization of Charlotte philanthropists known as the Queen's Table and designed by sculptor Raymond Kaskey of Wahington D.C.
The oldest cemetery in Charlotte, the Old Settlers’ Cemetery was in use between the years of 1774 and 1886. The cemetery is host to the graves of some of Charlotte’s most influential characters and families, including founding citizens, political figures, numerous soldiers and individuals enslaved to these notable families. In the late 1990’s the cemetery was granted a revitalization, and much of the landscaping, groundwork and paving were updated. Today the cemetery is a successful preservation project and centralized reminder of the city’s history.
The first non-military hospital in the state of North Carolina, St. Peter’s Hospital was built to address contagious diseases by treating patients and removing the sick from the general population. The hospital opened in 1876 and in its early years, gained a reputation for "kidnapping" some of its non-willing patients. Reform came quickly and by the early 1900s, the facility had cared for thousands throughout the state of North Carolina. Today, the building remains significant due to its partially renovated and partially persevered architectural structure, with much of the internal structure dating back to it’s original work. However the building's interior is currently serving as condos, and is not open to the public.
Spanning an area greater than thirty city blocks, the historic Fourth Ward offers a blend of Victorian homes, modern day condos, shops, and thick, tree lined streets that offer visitors and residents a view of Charlotte’s historic past. Accessible via a walking tour, the path leads past many of Charlotte’s oldest and most historically significant buildings. The Friends of the Fourth Ward Organization and the city of Charlotte have developed literature to educate visitors of the historical significance of many of the buildings. Maps and literature can be picked up at INFO! Charlotte, the visitor center, located at 501 S College St, several blocks from the Fourth Ward, or online.
The Frederick Apartments is a three-story apartment built in 1927. The apartments were constructed at at time when Charlotte was experiencing a population increase and residential building boom. The building is also noteworthy for being the former residence of journalist W.J. Cash, author of "The Mind of the South," a classic work of Southern history.
Once one of the finest hotels in Charlotte, if not the South, the Barringer Hotel hosted Hollywood greats and the politically powerful between its opening in 1940 and closure in 1975. Following a long period of decline, the hotel was converted into an apartment home for the elderly. The building now serves a residence for homeless women and their families.
Discovery Place has interactive exhibits for children of all ages and adults. The complex includes an IMAX Theater as well as several other theaters and several floors of interactive exhibits along with shows about everything from dinosaurs to the science of fire. There are play areas for the youngest children and even some exhibits that adults will love. For example, guests will encounter organisms and creatures from across the globe in World Alive, an exhibit that includes learning laboratories as well as an aquarium and rainforest.
Built in 1927, during the age of grand "movie palaces," the Carolina Theater was a vital part of Charlotte's entertainment scene until it closed in 1978. The building was partially damaged by a fire in 1980 and sat empty and in disrepair for a number of years. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 and is currently undergoing restoration.
Although it was officially incorporated in the state of North Carolina in 1991, the Levine Museum of the New South didn't officially open its doors at the state-of-the-art 200 East Seventh Street location until 2001. With 40,000 square feet of exhibit space, this interactive museum houses the nation's most comprehensive interpretation of post-Civil War Southern history. The permanent exhibit, Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers: Reinventing Charlotte and the Carolina Piedmont in the New South, traces the history of the region from the end of the Civil War to the present, using a number of interactive tools. Seasonal and special exhibits complete the experience and focus on certain aspects of Southern culture and history. The Levine Museum of the New South has won numerous awards, including the National Award for Museum and Library Service.
Charlotte Coliseum was home to the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association, as well as the Charlotte Sting, one of the first WNBA teams in the league. The stadium was built in 1988, and opened in August of that year. It was the largest stadium built specifically to host a professional basketball team at the time, seating 24,000 people. The Coliseum hosted the 1991 NBA All Star Game and the 1994 Men's Final Four. The Coliseum struggled after the announcement that the Hornets would be relocating to New Orleans in 2001. Although the NBA returned to Charlotte in 2004, the building was deemed out-of-date. The Charlotte Bobcats played at the Coliseum during the 2004-2005 season while construction was completed on Time Warner Cable Arena. The Charlotte Coliseum was demolished in 2007. In it's place, the new Spectrum Center would take over as the home arena of Charlotte sports.
Dedicated in 1902, Grace A.M.E. Zion Church is one of the oldest African-American churches in Charlotte. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is an 86,500 square foot state-of-the-art facility with over five acres of exhibits and interactive displays which not only share the history of the sport but preserves it. Exhibits allow fans the perspective of drivers, crew members, team owners and others that have shaped the sport. The NASCAR Hall of Fame includes exhibit spaces, a Hall of Honor, interactive entertainment, a restaurant, retail outlet, and a media center. There is even a race-car simulator and on rare occasions, scheduled visits from drivers.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour includes historic buildings and landmarks along Tyron Street and a quick walk through Charlotte's historic fourth ward. The tour also includes several museums such as the Levine Museum of the New South.
