Spectrum Center

Charlotte


The Charlotte venue of choice for the biggest music tours, this 20,000-seat arena is also the home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Charlotte attractions

1. Levine Museum of the New South

0.21 MILES

Tracing the story of the ‘New South’ that emerged from the ashes of the Civil War, this committed museum explores the years of Reconstruction, Jim Crow…

2. Discovery Place Science

0.28 MILES

Illustrating simple scientific principles with eye-catching displays, Discovery Place is targeted largely at kids. It centers on a steamy rainforest that…

3. NASCAR Hall of Fame

0.4 MILES

The race-car simulator ($5) at this rip-roaring Uptown museum hurtles you onto the track and into a 15-car race that feels surprisingly real. Elsewhere,…

4. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

0.47 MILES

An Uptown landmark, thanks to sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle’s huge mirror-tiled Firebird out front, this showcase for 20th-century art was donated to the…

5. Romare Bearden Park

0.49 MILES

This small park celebrates the African American artist and writer Romare Bearden, born in Charlotte in 1911. A pretty spot to admire the Uptown skyline or…

6. Mint Museum Uptown

0.5 MILES

A stunning modernist edifice tucked between mighty skyscrapers, the Uptown portion of Charlotte’s Mint Museum consists of two distinct halves. One makes a…

7. Harvey B Gantt Center

0.53 MILES

This thriving Uptown art museum was named in honor of former city mayor and civil rights champion Harvey Gannt. Its three small galleries host changing…

8. Mint Museum Randolph

2.38 MILES

The US Mint opened its first-ever outpost in Uptown Charlotte in 1837, using gold mined from the mountains nearby. Transported 3 miles southeast a century…