Whether you like art, history, music, sports, or something else, there are a lot of great things to do in Winston-Salem.
Visiting Winston-Salem is incredible. With its amazing museums, interesting sights, great events, and much more, there’s always something to do in the city. From learning about history at a historic site to seeing a performance at a theater, there are activities for all ages and interests in Winston-Salem.
I made this guide to help you out if you’re wondering what to do in Winston-Salem. In this guide, I added a large variety of fun activities, including great museums, must-see sights, events, and more.
Best Things To Do in Winston-Salem
Go to Old Salem Museums & Gardens
Old Salem Museums & Gardens is a historic site where you can learn about history when you are in the city of Winston-Salem.
At this place, there are various museums and history attractions.
For example, you can find the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts here, which is a museum with a collection of furniture, ceramics, and many other types of objects.
In addition to that, there are many historic buildings at Old Salem Museums & Gardens, such as a historic house from the year 1829 and an old workshop.
You can explore the site on your own or you can do a tour. Throughout the year, various types of tours take place at this place.
Address: 900 Old Salem Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
See Contemporary Art at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, or SECCA, is a place where you can see and learn about art from the current time and contemporary art from local artists in particular.
Throughout the year, you can see many different types of contemporary art exhibitions by artists from the region, but also by national and international artists.
Seeing art here is also one of Winston-Salem’s free things to do as there is no admission fee to see the exhibitions of the center.
In addition to that, a variety of events take place at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. For example, there are talks, film screenings, and other types of events.
Address: 750 Marguerite Dr, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Attend a Performance at the Stevens Center
The Stevens Center is a performing arts venue that’s worth checking out if you’re looking for things to do in Winston-Salem. The center is a historic theater that used to be a silent movie theatre when it opened in the year 1929. The Stevens Center has a beautiful interior design, a capacity of 1,364 seats, and two levels.
A large variety of performances takes place at the center because it is the primary performance space for many different arts organizations.
Some of these organizations are the Piedmont Opera and the Winston-Salem Symphony.
You can attend great concerts, dance performances, and many other types of events at the center.
Address: 405 4th St NW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
See a Baseball Game at Truist Stadium
Truist Stadium is a ballpark that is located in the city of Winston-Salem. The Winston-Salem Dash, a team that competes in Minor League Baseball, uses the stadium for its home games. Truist Stadium has a capacity of 5,500 people.
Seeing a baseball game at the stadium is a fun activity in Winston-Salem.
What makes seeing a baseball game here great as well is that there are many good food concessions to choose from and that the stadium has a wonderful atmosphere.
Address: 951 Ballpark Way, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Go to Adventure Landing Winston-Salem
Adventure Landing Winston-Salem is an entertainment center that is located at 1600 South Stratford Road.
At the park, you can find all sorts of fun attractions that are especially great to check out when you are in looking for things to do in Winston-Salem with kids.
One of the attractions that you can find here is an arcade with 35 interactive games.
You can also find three different miniature golf courses at Adventure Landing Winston-Salem that all have a unique design and are great for all skill levels.
There are also bumper boats. Keep in mind that this attraction is only open during certain months of the year.
Address: 1600 S Stratford Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Go to the Reynolda House Museum of American Art
The Reynolda House Museum of American Art is a museum where you can find an incredible collection of American art.
The collection includes works from many periods of time from the colonial period to the present day. In addition to the art, you can find more than 6,000 other historic objects at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
The collection of art includes works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Stuart Davis, Any Warhol, and many others. You can see a rotating selection of the works when you visit the house.
Besides that, there are special temporary exhibits at the Babcock Gallery.
The historic house itself is very interesting to see as well.
Address: 2250 Reynolda Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Visit the Winston Cup Museum
The Winston Cup Museum, a museum where you can learn about the Winston Cup Series, which is a 33-year period of NASCAR that started in the year 1971, makes for a great thing to do in Winston-Salem.
The museum opened in 2005 and can be found in downtown Winston-Salem.
You can find exhibits here with interesting photos.
In addition to that, there are cars on display that were driven by Dale Earnhardt and many others. Lovers of car racing will certainly enjoy going to the Winston Cup Museum.
Address: 1355 N Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
See a Movie at A/perture Cinema
A/perture is a movie theater that you can find in downtown Winston-Salem at 311 West 4th Street. This movie theater has 4.5 screens and 231 seats in total, and the movie theater has an intimate atmosphere.
At the movie theater, you can see art house films, which are films you can’t see at regular movie theaters.
Each year, you can see more than 200 films at the a/perture, and there are special events as well. In total, there are more than 4,000 film screenings.
In addition to that, you can get great drinks and snacks at a/perture, including beer and wine.
Address: 311 W 4th St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Do a Guided Tour of Historic Bethabara Park
Historic Bethabara Park is a place where you can find historic buildings that remain from a Moravian settlement that was founded in the year 1753. It was the first European settlement in the Piedmont and the park is a National Historic Landmark.
You can do a guided tour of the Gemeinhaus, which is a 1788 German colonial church. Besides its role as a church, the building also functioned as a town hall and school.
During a guided tour of the building, which lasts about 1 hour, a guide will show you all the rooms through which you can learn about the building’s history.
Besides that, there are often events at the Historic Bethabara Park, such as events during which you can see demonstrations of what life was like in the 18th century.
Address: 2147 Bethabara Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
See a Race at the Bowman Gray Stadium
The Bowman Gray Stadium is the first and longest-running weekly track of NASCAR, and it dates back to the year 1949. Many famous race car drivers competed at the track in the past.
You can find the race track in downtown Winston-Salem, and one of the best things to do in Winston-Salem is to go here to see a race. You can do so every Saturday night. There are four classes of competition each week.
One aspect of the stadium that makes it great to visit is the affordable ticket prices. For adults, the admission fee is 12 dollars.
Address: 1250 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Winston-Salem, NC 27107
Buy a Book at Bookmarks
Bookmarks Winston-Salem is a nonprofit bookstore that was founded in 2004. It is an independent bookstore with a book selection that is very diverse. From nonfiction to sci-fi to cookbooks, you can find it at Bookmarks.
So if you want to find a great book, Bookmarks is a wonderful bookstore in Winston-Salem to check out.
In addition to that, the bookstore often organizes interesting events, such as events where you can meet with authors.
Bookmarks also organizes the annual Festival of Books & Authors, which is a festival with many different events, including workshops, storytime events, and many other types of events. All the events of the festival are free for the public to attend.
Address: 634 W 4th St #110, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Check Out Kaleideum
Kaleideum is a museum in Winston-Salem where children can learn about a variety of disciplines through fun exhibits. The museum offers exhibits related to science, engineering, mathematics, technology, and arts. When visiting Winston-Salem with kids, going to Kaleideum is a must.
One of the exhibits at the museum is focused on dinosaurs, and it is possible to see real and replica fossils here.
There’s also an exhibit about the science of sound where children can play a floor piano, make music with a wave machine, and do much more.
Another one of the exhibits lets children make models of a variety of molecules using atoms.
In addition to that, Kaleideum also organizes fun events throughout the year.
Address: 400 W Hanes Mill Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105
See a Show at Hanesbrands Theatre
The Hanesbrands Theatre is a performance venue with an intimate atmosphere that is located at 209 North Spruce Street on the campus of the Arts Council.
The theater has a capacity of 228 people. Lots of different types of events take place at the theater and these can be great to check out if you’re wondering what to do in Winston-Salem. The events include concerts, dance performances, and film screenings. That’s because the theater is the home of several dance and theater groups in the city.
The Hanesbrands Theatre is the home of The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, and other organizations.
You can also get great concessions at the venue, including popcorn, sodas, candy, and much more.
Address: 209 N Spruce St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Attend the RiverRun International Film Festival
The RiverRun International Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in the city of Winston-Salem.
At the Academy Award-qualifying film festival, you can see a wide variety of film screenings, including documentaries, animated films, and other types of films. These are films from all around the world by both established as well as emerging filmmakers.
In addition to that, the festival presents a variety of events, such as regional premieres and panel discussions.
Go to an Event at the Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden
Located near Winston-Salem, you can find the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden. This is a beautiful botanical garden with a wide variety of themed gardens with flowers, plants, and much more.
Many different types of events take place at the garden, including storytime events for children, gardening workshops, and events during the holiday season.
The John and Bobbie Wolfe Concert Series also takes place at the Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden.
Address: 215 S Main St, Kernersville, NC 27284
Play Games and Have a Drink at the Reboot Arcade Bar
The Reboot Arcade Bar is a video arcade that is located at 534 North Liberty Street in Winston-Salem. At this arcade, you can find more than 60 pinball machines and arcade games which is a very fun thing to do in Winston-Salem.
Reboot Arcade Bar is an 80s and 90s-style classic arcade, where it feels like you step back in time.
In addition to the many games that you can find at the arcade, there’s also a full-service bar where you can get local craft beers, cocktails, and all kinds of other drinks.
Keep in mind that you need to be 18 years or older to enter the arcade bar after 9 PM. Before that time, Reboot Arcade Bar is open for all ages.
Address: 534 N Liberty St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Have Fun at Rockin’ Jump Winston-Salem
Rockin’ Jump Trampoline Park is an indoor trampoline park that you can find in Winston-Salem. It is located at 7840 North Point Boulevard.
At the trampoline park, you can find a variety of fun attractions, including an area with wall-to-wall trampolines to jump on. It is also possible to jump on trampolines here during “After Dark” jump sessions, during which there are lasers, black lights, and much more.
There is also a stung bag, you can climb an indoor rock climbing wall, and there are other fun attractions.
Address: 7840 North Point Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Go to an Event at the LJVM Coliseum
The LJVM Coliseum, or the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, is an arena in Winston-Salem where a large variety of events take place.
The arena has a capacity of about 15,000 people.
The LJVM Coliseum is the home of the basketball teams of Wake Forest University, and you can often attend basketball games of the university here.
Besides sporting events, you can often attend concerts, comedy shows, monster truck events, and other types of events at the Coliseum.
Address: 2825 University Pkwy, Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Go to Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park
The Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park is an indoor family entertainment park at 200 Summit Square Road. You can find a variety of fun attractions at this place.
One of the attractions at the park is a ropes course with all kinds of attractions.
There are also climbing walls at the Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park in Winston-Salem.
Another fun attraction at the park is the “Virtual Reality” attraction where you can play all sorts of virtual reality games. These games are great for all ages and for all skill levels.
Besides that, there are many trampolines that you can jump on when you go here.
Address: 200 Summit Square Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Go to a Concert at The Ramkat
The Ramkat is a concert venue that you can find on West 9th Street in Winston-Salem. The venue has a capacity of 1,000 and is a great place if you want to listen to live music in the city.
At The Ramkat, you can listen to music from many different artists, including both emerging as well as established artists. For example, you can go to performances of rock bands.
The venue also has a good bar and a great atmosphere.
Address: 170 W Ninth St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Attend a Concert at the R. J. Reynolds Auditorium
The R. J. Reynolds Auditorium is one of the city’s oldest performing arts venues and one of the best landmarks in Winston-Salem. The venue dates back to the year 1924 and has a beautiful exterior design. Also, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The R. J. Reynolds Auditorium has a capacity of about 1,800 people.
You can attend a variety of events at the venue, such as classical music concerts of the Winston-Salem Symphony.
Besides that, there are also film screenings that are accompanied by music by the Winston-Salem Symphony.
Address: 301 N Hawthorne Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27104
Go to Total Escape Winston-Salem
Total Escape Winston-Salem is a place where you can play an escape game. This is a popular type of interactive game during which you are locked inside a room and have to escape by finding clues and solving puzzles. You have one hour to escape.
At Total Escape, there are several types of escape rooms to choose from. Each of these rooms has a unique theme, which makes them completely different.
One of the rooms at Total Escape is the “Prison Break” room, during which you have to “escape from prison”.
For each room at Total Escape, you need at least 2 players, and some rooms can be played with up to 10 players.
Address: 280 Charlois Blvd #200, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Attend the Tanglewood Festival of Lights
The Tanglewood Festival of Lights is an annual event that takes place at Tanglewood Park and attending it is a very fun activity in Winston-Salem.
During the holiday season, you can see a huge number of Christmas lights during a drive-through show. There are more than 75 light displays that are amazing to see.
In addition to that, you can do other activities during the festival. For example, you can shop for gifts at the Tanglewood Festival of Lights.
You can also get delicious food at the festival.
Attend Winston-Salem Open
The Winston-Salem Open is a tennis tournament that takes place at Wake Forest University Tennis Complex. The tournament belongs to the US Open Series and is the final ATP Tour stop before the US Open.
The Winston-Salem Open usually takes place in August.
During the tournament, you can see both singles and doubles matches.
Go to Surge Adventure Park
Surge Adventure Park is a trampoline park that is located at 2051 Griffith Road in the city of Winston-Salem.
At the park, you can find a large area with wall-to-wall trampolines that you can jump on. There are also vertical trampolines to jump against.
In addition to the main jumping area, there are other attractions at Surge Adventure Park.
For example, there is a ninja course with all sorts of obstacles, there’s a dodgeball area, and there is a trampoline basketball court. Next to the jumping area, you can also find an arcade with all kinds of fun games.
Surge Adventure Park is also a great place for a birthday party.
Address: 2051 Griffith Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Go to the Carolina Classic Fair
The Carolina Classic Fair is an annual fair that takes place in September and October. It is held on the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.
The fair dates back to the year 1882 when it was a grain exposition. The fair has been held every year since then, except for a few years.
At the Carolina Classic Fair, there’s a lot to see and do.
There are many different types of rides at the fair, including a large Ferris wheel, many thrill rides, and lots of other rides. On the website of the Carolina Classic Fair, there’s a list of all the rides.
At the fair, you can also enjoy great music at The Grandstand.
In addition to that, there are many food options and great free entertainment acts, such as an exotic animal petting zoo, a close-up magic show, and much more.
Explore the Reynolda Gardens of Wake Forest University
The Reynolda Gardens of Wake Forest University are gardens that are located next to the Reynolda House and the campus of Wake Forest University. The gardens can be visited for free making it perfect if you’re looking for an affordable thing to do in Winston-Salem.
The garden, of which the first design took place in 1915, is home to beautiful plants, flowers, structures, and much more.
Lots of events take place at the gardens, including workshops and lectures.
Address: 100 Reynolda Vlg Wy, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Bowl at Creekside Lanes
Creekside Lanes is a bowling center that is located at 1450 Trade Mart Boulevard in the city of Winston-Salem. The bowling center has many bowling lanes and it is possible to bowl here during every day of the week.
In addition to regular bowling, you can also enjoy cosmic bowling at Creekside Lanes on Saturday nights, during which there black lights.
Besides that, the bowling center has a large menu with many food options to choose from. For example, you can get great pizza, sandwiches, pizza, and much more here.
There are also special events at Creekside Lanes, such as “all you can bowl” on Friday nights, during which you can bowl for an affordable price.
Address: 1450 Trade Mart Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27127
Have Fun at BATL Axe Throwing
BATL Axe Throwing is a place where you can experience the increasingly popular activity of axe-throwing. This is an activity during which you have to throw axes at a target. It is similar to darts, but then you use an axe.
BATL Winston-Salem is located a bit outside of the city center.
You can throw axes at a target with a digital scoring display. This is especially a fun activity to do with friends, and it is also a great activity for an adult birthday party.
BATL Winston-Salem is also a bar and there’s a food menu, so you can throw axes and enjoy a drink and food after that.
Address: 109 W Ninth St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
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What To Do in Winston-Salem Tips
There’s a lot to see and do in the city, so you’ll have to plan a few days to see everything the city has to offer. Also, I recommend choosing what to do in Winston-Salem in advance, such that you can see as much as possible in one day without wasting any time between activities.
Winston-Salem Things To Do Map
As you see, there are many great activities in the city. I hope you liked the things to do in Winston-Salem!