Charlotte has an amazingly rich history and played an important role in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and Civil Rights Movement. From the history of enslaved people and plantations in Charlotte NC to the region’s gold mining period, you’ll find so much to discover by visiting the many history museums in Charlotte NC.
Ready to dive into history? Here are the eight best Charlotte history museums to visit. Don’t forget to check out our guide to the best North Carolina museums to find even more things to do in the region!
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The Charlotte Museum of History – An 8-Acre Campus to Explore History in Charlotte NC
The largest Charlotte museum dedicated to history, the Charlotte Museum of History sits on a sprawling eight-acre campus with tons to explore. The museum features six galleries with permanent and temporary exhibits plus several Revolutionary War-era buildings on the 1774 homesite. One of the highlights of the museum is the Alexander Rock House, the last standing home of one of the framers of the North Carolina Constitution and Bill of Rights and Charlotte’s only standing structure from the Revolutionary period.
Charlotte Museum of History Tickets & Hours
- Address: 3500 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215
- Phone: (704) 568-1774
- Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm
- Admission: $10 for adults; $7 for seniors (62+), students, and children (6-17); free for children 5 and under, and free for museum members. There is an additional $8 cost for the guided Rock House tour for patrons 6 and older.
Levine Museum of the New South – Museum in Charlotte NC Exploring Life After the Civil War
The Levine Museum of the New South in Uptown Charlotte was founded more than 30 years ago to confront challenging social issues that continue today through their historical context to foster empathy, understanding, and change. The Levine Museum explores history in Charlotte NC after the Civil War through permanent and rotating interactive exhibits and stories from North Carolina civil rights leaders.
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Current exhibits at the Charlotte museum include Climates of Inequality exploring environmental injustice and displacement, Charlotte’s Men of Change honoring local Black leaders, and Grier Heights: Community is Family exploring more than 140 years of the community’s history.
The Levine Museum of the New South Hours & Location
- Address: 401 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
- Phone: (704) 333-1887
- Hours: Tuesday and Thursday through Friday 11 am to 5 pm, Wednesday 11 am to 9 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm
- Admission: Free
Museum of the Alphabet – One of the Most Unique Charlotte History Museums Exploring the World’s Alphabets
In Waxhaw, about 30 miles out of downtown Charlotte, is one of the most interesting Charlotte NC museums exploring a different type of history: the written word and its impact on culture. The museum is operated by JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Radio Services) which was founded by William Townsend, a missionary who first founded two organizations in the 1930s to facilitate the translation of the Bible into obscure languages.
The Alphabet Museum in Waxhaw was established in 1991 and features 12 galleries providing a fun, chronological look at the history of written language throughout the world. Each gallery is dedicated to a language family or category like Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, and Cyrillic with exhibits on everything from cuneiform, tonal languages and Native American language syllabaries to Braille and other forms of writing including music and mathematics.
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The JAARS museum focuses on the people behind the languages such as Sequoyah, a Cherokee man who spent 12 years developing 85 symbols to represent the sounds of the Cherokee language. The museum and parent organizations continue the work of Townsend to document and preserve languages of the world, including about one-third still without written alphabets.
Museum of the Alphabet Hours & Location
- Address: 6409 Davis Rd, Waxhaw, NC 28173
- Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm
- Phone: (704) 843-6066
- Admission: Free
Historic Rosedale – Explore the History of Charlotte NC at the Historic Rosedale Plantation
Also known as Frew’s Folly, the Rosedale plantation is an historic plantation home built in 1815 on 9 acres of land. The Rosedale house and gardens are now open to the public as a Charlotte history museum.
The Rosedale plantation features a recreated blacksmith shop, gardens, and the restored plantation home, a Federal-style building with 2-and-a-half stories. It’s one of several plantations in Charlotte NC that offers a unique look at the history of North Carolina, slavery in America, and life in the early 19th century.
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The Historic Rosedale Foundation is committed to inspiring visitors to the plantation to think about the history of the region and the country by focusing on interpreting three themes:
- The enslaved and freed African Americans who lived and worked on the land over generations
- The ancestral families who owned the Rosedale plantation
- The architecture of the home and artistic details including original French hand-blocked wallpaper and hand-carved fireplaces
Just three miles from downtown Charlotte, Rosedale offers one of the most unique North Carolina plantation tours for anyone interested in learning more about Charlotte NC history.
Historic Rosedale Plantation Tours & Hours
- Address: 3427 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28206
- Phone: (704) 335-0325
- Rosedale Charlotte plantation tour: $15 ($13 for seniors 65+, students, military/veteran, free for children under 5)
- Admission to Rosedale gardens and grounds: $5
- Rosedale hours: Wednesday to Friday and select Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm; tours are held at 11:30 am and 1 pm
Sullenberger Aviation Museum – Charlotte Museum Exploring the History of Aviation
Formerly the Carolinas Aviation Museum, the Sullenberger Aviation Museum at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the only aviation museums at a major hub airport. It may not be a traditional Charlotte history museum, but it’s still a great place to learn about local history and the history of aviation.
The aviation museum will reopen in 2023 after construction of a state-of-the-art facility is complete. Visit to explore aviation history in Charlotte NC with beautifully restored commercial and military aircraft. The most famous exhibit is the award-winning Miracle on the Hudson exhibition with the passenger jet that safely landed in the Hudson River in 2009.
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Sullenberger Aviation Museum Hours & Admission
- Address: 4672 1st Flight Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208
- Phone: (704) 997-3770
- Admission: $8 to $12
President James K. Polk State Historic Site – One of the Best History Museums in Charlotte NC to Learn About Early Presidential History
The historic Polk House commemorates the life of James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States. The James K. Polk ancestral home has been carefully reconstructed with a log cabin, barn, and kitchen fully furnished with 19th century items. The museum and grounds are located on 21 of the original 150 acres of land owned by President Polk’s father. The museum chronicles Polk’s early life with exhibits on his childhood, entry into politics, and the Mexican-American War.
One of the latest additions to the James K. Polk birthplace and historic site is The Enslaved Polks, a project that currently contains a partial list of people enslaved by President Polk and the Polk family. The project also includes a timeline with important moments in the lives of the enslaved Polks and a narrative about African Americans who fought during the Civil War.
James Polk House & Historic Site Hours & Admission
- Address: 12031 Lancaster Hwy, Pineville, NC 28134
- Phone: (704) 889-7145
- Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm
- Admission: Free (special events may have an admission fee)
- Polk House tours: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm ($2 for adults, $1 for children aged 5 to 12, and $1 for seniors 62+)
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Fort Mill History Museum – Local Charlotte History Museum Dedicated to the History of Fort Mill, SC
The Fort Mill History Museum is one of a handful of small, local Charlotte history museums. The center is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Fort Mill, a South Carolina town and large suburb of Charlotte. The museum is made up of several galleries:
- The J.B. Mills Gallery & Gift Shop features exhibits of Fort Mills schools, businesses, and Main Street
- The Samuel Elliott White Gallery displays photos, artifacts, exhibits, and renderings by local artists of historic Fort Mill, including a timeline of important events and people
- William Bradford Hall displays newspaper clippings, magazines, photos, and print artifacts
- The John & Mary Sanders Research Library houses the museum’s collection of research volumes, original documents, and photos
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The Fort Mill History Museum is in the historic downtown area of Fort Mill. After a visit, explore the rest of the town by taking the Fort Mill walking tour!
Fort Mill History Museum Hours & Location
- Address: 107 Clebourne St, Fort Mill, SC 29715
- Phone: (803) 802-3646
- Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm
- Admission: Free
Carl J McEwen Historic Village – One of the Best History Museums in Charlotte NC for Unique Local History + Exhibits
Maintained by the Mint Hill Historical Society, the Carl J McEwen Historic Village preserves the history of Mint Hill, NC. The unique Charlotte history museum began in 1985 when a group of citizens purchased the old country doctor’s building and began restorations.
Today, the historic village is comprised of several buildings:
- The Country Doctor’s Office is restored to display the small office of the country doctor with exhibits and artifacts of rural America’s early medicine
- The Ashcroft Schoolhouse is a one-room schoolhouse built before 1895
- The Ira V. Ferguson Country Store was the center of the community with the post office and a cellar that allowed the store to sell fresh vegetables, fruit, cheese, eggs, and milk
- The Gold Assay office where miners brought their ore to be assessed
The Gold Assay office is one of the most interesting ways to explore the Charlotte history of gold mining. Prior to the California Gold Rush, Mecklenburg County was one of America’s top gold producers. The Surface Hill gold mine in Mint Hill is one of the region’s oldest gold mines.
The Carl J McEwen Historic Village also hosts the weekly Mint Hill Farmers Market. Visit on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm, May through October, for artisan goods, local produce, prepared food, and music.
Carl J McEwen Historic Village Hours & Location
- Address: 7601 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd, Mint Hill, NC 28227
- Phone: (704) 573-0726
- Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 1 pm (Mint Hill Farmers Market: Saturday 9 am to 1 pm)
- Admission: Free
Map of Charlotte History Museums
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