Charlotte is an incredible city to visit and because of all the free things to do in Charlotte, the city is also great if you’re on a budget.
From doing a free tour to seeing art at a museum to attending fun events, you’ll be surprised by all the things you can do in the city without spending anything. Whether you like nature, music, history, or something else, there’s something for your liking.
It may be hard to find activities that won’t cost you a penny and to help you out, I made this Charlotte free things to do guide with the best free activities!
Free Things To Do in Charlotte
See the Collection of Mint Museum Uptown for Free every Wednesday Night from 5 PM
One of the best museums in Charlotte is Mint Museum Uptown. This is one of the two branches of the Mint Museum.
This museum, which you can find at the Levine Center for the Arts, has a collection of craft and design objects, American art, very old works of art, and contemporary works.
One of the collections of the museum includes about 2,500 works from the ancient Americas, and some of the works that you can see here are close to 5,000 years old.
You can also sometimes go to an event at the museum.
Usually, the museum has an admission fee, but you can visit Mint Museum Uptown for free every Wednesday night from 5 PM to 9 PM.
Address: 500 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Do a Tour of the NoDa Brewing Company
The NoDa Brewing Company is a brewery that was founded in 2001, the brewery is located in North End. The brewery produces great craft beers.
A great free activity in Charlotte is doing a free guided brewery tour of the NoDa Brewing Company. During such a tour, you can learn about the brewing process of the NoDa Brewing Company. You can also see and learn about the different ingredients that are used to make the beers.
It is possible to do these tours twice every week and every tour takes 45 minutes in total. You don’t need a reservation when you want to take part in the tour.
Address: 150 W 32nd St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Visit the Billy Graham Library
The Billy Graham Library is both a museum and library that is all about the life of Billy Graham, a person who was a civil rights advocate and an evangelist.
You can visit the Billy Graham Library for free as there’s no admission fee. This is also one of the best things to do in Charlotte.
At the library, you can see all kinds of interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations, and memorabilia. You can do a self-guided tour of the museum.
You can also go to Ruth’s Attic Bookstore. This is a bookstore inside the Billy Graham Library where you can find gifts, books written by the Graham family, and many other items.
Address: 4330 Westmont Dr, Charlotte, NC 28217
Do a Free Lunchtime Tour at The Mint Museum during ArtBreak
ArtBreak is a free event that takes place at Mint Museum Uptown.
During this event, which takes 30 minutes starting from noon, you can learn about a work of art from the collection of the Mint Museum from one of the docents of the museum.
The ArtBreak event takes place once a month and is usually on the third Thursday of each month.
Address: 500 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Attend a Free Event at Camp North End
Camp North End is an area in Charlotte with a history that goes back to the year 1924 when a factory for the Ford Motor Company was built here.
The site was also used by the US Army during World War II by building five large warehouses to supply soldiers at training camps throughout the Southeastern United States.
During the Cold War, Camp North End was used for the production of missiles and later the site was used by a pharmaceutical company.
The site was transformed in 2017, and nowadays you can find all kinds of businesses at Camp North End.
There are also many events that take place at Camp North End, and some of these events are free.
For example, sometimes you can enjoy live music at the site, and sometimes you can enjoy free movie screenings.
Using the calendar on Camp North End’s website, you can see if there’s a free event that you would like to attend.
Address: 300 Camp Rd, Charlotte, NC 28206
Learn About History at the Levine Museum of the New South
You can go to the Levine Museum of the New South to learn about the history of the greater Charlotte metropolitan area.
The Levine Museum of the New South is great if you’re looking for free things to do in Charlotte as you can visit it for free.
At the museum, you can learn about the stories of the people of Charlotte and nearby places through rotating exhibitions that focus on all kinds of issues that happened in the past.
The museum has both permanent and traveling exhibitions, and each exhibition focuses on a specific part of the region’s history.
There are also lots of different events that take place at the museum. For example, one of the events is the “Author Talks” series, during which the general public can talk with authors.
Going to this museum is also one of the best rainy day activities in Charlotte.
Address: 401 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
See Metalmorphosis
At the Whitehall Corporate Center, you can find the unique sculpture that is called “Metalmorphosis”.
This is a sculpture that is made of stainless steel plates and it was designed by the famous Czech sculptor David Cerny.
A unique aspect of the sculpture is that the different horizontal plates of the sculpture can rotate 360 degrees. When the plates are all pointed in the same direction, they together form the shape of a head.
You can see the sculpture for free by going there.
Enjoy Free Admission at Mint Museum Randolph on Wednesday
Mint Museum Randolph is the original branch of the two branches that make up the Mint Museum. This branch opened in 1936 and you can find it in Charlotte’s Eastover neighborhood.
Usually, the museum has an admission fee, but it is possible to see the collection of the museum for free when you go to the museum on Wednesday nights from 5 PM to 9 PM.
Mint Museum Randolph has a diverse collection of all kinds of works of art. The collection includes art from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and there are many different types of objects at the museum.
Address: 2730 Randolph Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207
Go to an Event at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is a museum with a collection of works of art from the 20th century that is located at the Levine Center for the Arts in Charlotte’s Uptown.
The collection of the museum has works from any major art movement from the 20th century.
Lots of great events take place at the museum, and some of these events are free to attend for the public, so it can be great to check out the events at the museum if you’re looking for free activities in Charlotte.
One of these free events is the “Wednesday Night Live” event. This event takes place on Wednesday night from 5 PM to 9 PM.
During the event, you can visit the museum for free, and you can enjoy fun activities.
Address: 420 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Attend an Event at Charlotte SHOUT!
Charlotte SHOUT! is a multi-week festival that is about celebrating Charlotte’s art, music, food, and ideas.
The festival takes place at various places in the city, with most events happening in Charlotte’s Uptown. Moreover, most events of the festival are free for the public to attend, although some have fees.
There are many live music events at the festival, including events with jazz music. You can also enjoy great local music during the festival.
In addition to that, you can see incredible art installations at the festival and there is more entertainment.
There are also food vendors at Charlotte SHOUT!, but getting food and drinks at the festival is not free.
Go to an Event at Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is a cultural center with a museum to present, preserve, and celebrate the art, history, and culture of African-American people and people of African descent.
The center was named for the first African-American mayor of Charlotte Harvey Gantt.
There’s a lot to do and see at the Gantt Center, including events, and some of the events are free to attend.
For example, you can sometimes go to a free talk at the center. Throughout the year, there are also celebrations at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture that you can attend for free.
Address: 551 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Listen to Live Music During the Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops
Summer Pops is an annual event series by the Charlotte Symphony that takes place during summer and that thousands of people from Charlotte attend.
During Summer Pops, you can enjoy great free concerts at Symphony Park and see fireworks, which is an amazing free thing to do in Charlotte if you love music.
The concerts of the Summer Pops series take place weekly and the type of music that you can listen to at each concert differs every week, from jazz to famous music from movies.
On the website of the Charlotte Symphony, you can see which type of live music you can listen to at each weekly concert.
Attend a Free Event at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Close to Charlotte, you can find the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. This garden is home to many different types of plants and flowers, such as orchids and tropical plants which you can find at the conservatory of the garden.
Throughout the year, many events take place at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. From events with live music to exhibitions to tours, there’s an event for everyone’s liking.
Some of the events that take place at the garden are free to attend.
For example, during summer the Garden Nights event takes place which is an event that is free for the public. During this event, you can see the garden, listen to music, and enjoy other types of entertainment. The events here can also be great if you’re looking for date ideas in Charlotte.
Address: 6500 S New Hope Rd, Belmont, NC 28012
Attend a Free Event at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is the public library system of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The library has many branches throughout the Charlotte metropolitan area that you can go to.
The library has a large collection of materials that you can borrow, from e-books to books to many other types of items.
Residents of Mecklenburg County can get a free library card.
Besides going here for the material of the library, you can attend an event for free in Charlotte at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. The library hosts many different types of events throughout the year for all ages at its many branches.
From workshops to storytime events to exhibits to talks, there is a large variety of interesting events that you can attend for free.
Go to a Free Event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex that consists of various tracks, including an oval and a 2.25-mile course.
The complex hosts two NASCAR events each year, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Bank of America Roval 400, and there are other events related to cars at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
There are also free events that you can attend.
One of these free events is “Cars and Coffee”. This is a monthly event that usually takes place on the third Saturday of the month. During it, car owners and car enthusiasts gather and look at classic cars, customs, and other types of cars.
There are also food vendors at the Charlotte Motor Speedway where you can get food and drinks for a small fee.
Address: 5555 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, NC 28027
Explore The Sleepy Poet
The Sleepy Poet is an antique mall where you can see all kinds of unique items.
From vintage furniture to books to clothing, there’s much to see here.
The mall is home to many vendors selling unique objects, including handmade items.
You can explore the antique mall for free and browse the offerings of the many vendors. However, if there’s an object that you like, you can buy it!
There’s also a coffee shop where you can get some food and drinks for a low fee, which can make your experience at The Sleepy Poet a much more comfortable one.
Address: 6424 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28217
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Charlotte Free Things To Do Tips
The activities that I mentioned in this Charlotte free things to do guide are all great if you want to have a fun time in Charlotte without spending anything.
However, when doing the activities I recommend also getting food and drinks at a spot near the place that you are going to. For a small fee, you can often have a much more comfortable time.
I also recommend finding out the opening hours of the places that I mentioned in this article at the last moment, as opening hours might change.
Free Things To Do in Charlotte Map
This was my list of free things to do in Charlotte. As you see, you can have a lot of fun in the city without spending anything!