family things to do in Charlotte (Huntersville, Spencer: crime, home, theater)

[jofus1981]

My family of 4 is looking to move to the Queen City. What is there to do for cheap or free for a 4 and 2 year old child? Not looking for it all but for some nice parks, kid museums, trials for hiking and biking...and is the crime that bad?

All I have seen is the crime in Charlotte is like the worst in the country??>? Really? I visited Huntersville and that northern part and it seemed nice.

Comments anyone? BTW, we both are in healthcare so are not too worried about job placement.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by jofus1981

My family of 4 is looking to move to the Queen City. What is there to do for cheap or free for a 4 and 2 year old child? Not looking for it all but for some nice parks, kid museums, trials for hiking and biking...and is the crime that bad?

All I have seen is the crime in Charlotte is like the worst in the country??>? Really? I visited Huntersville and that northern part and it seemed nice.

Comments anyone? BTW, we both are in healthcare so are not too worried about job placement.

Not sure where you heard our crime is the worst in the country - that's just not true.

There are plenty of places for young families to take their young children in and around Charlotte. First of all, we have a lot of nice parks scattered all around. Some of my favorites are Reedy Creek, Boyce, Freedom and Francis Beatty.

Home (http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Home.htm - broken link)

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Parks/Home.htm (broken link)


In addition, we have a very nice nature perserve on Lake Wylie in the Steele Creek area - McDowell Nature Preserve - with nice little trails, fishing and playground. Up on Lake Norman you can check out Jetton Park.

Oh, and several of our parks have "spraygrounds" which kids just love - they run around a neat water feature with all kinds of fountains and spray hoses. My favorite is at Veterans Park off of Central Ave.

And you HAVE to check out Ray's Splash Planet - an indoor water park. Little kids especially just love it.
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Aquatics/Rays+Splash+Planet/Home.htm (broken link)

In certain shopping centers (Stonecrest in the south and Birkdale in the north) during the summer there is free music and a picnic type atmosphere every Friday evening for families to enjoy.

The Mint Museum of Craft + Design is free on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pick up the family guides and scavenger hunts at the front desk, and don’t miss the kid-friendly, hands-on activities on the mezzanine level. Also, from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Tuesday of the month, parents and children ages 1 to 4 can drop in for a free art-making experience. 220 North Tryon Street, 704-337-2000, Mint Museum of Art - Home.


Airport Overlook Park. Pack a lunch and come here to watch the planes take off and land at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. Off Old Dowd Road near the intersection with Besser Drive.

ImaginOn. This uptown magnet of family fun is part children’s theatre, part library, and it’s always free. While Children's Theatre productions require tickets, in other areas kids can put on a puppet show, play with trains, try on costumes, play computer games and, of course, check out books. The facility has lots of free storytimes each week, as well as rotating exhibits in its lobby. 300 E 7th St. 704-973-2780. ImaginOn Home Page.

The Energy Explorium at Lake Norman. Located at McGuire Nuclear Station, the Explorium features hands-on exhibits and interactive games designed to introduce kids to the wonders of electricity and nuclear power. They can even use the power of a treadmill to operate a TV. The explorium also offers a mile-long nature trail, a picnic area, and a large deck that overlooks Lake Norman, the Cowans Ford dam and two nuclear silos. No admission fee. 13339 Hagers Ferry Road in Huntersville. 704-875-5600.

Our greenways are great for biking on - try the McAlpine Greenway, which also has a set of trails thru the woods that will connect you with Boyce Rd Park. You park at the greenway parking lot on Sardis Road and can ride for miles.

Childrens Theatre Charlotte puts on some great entertainment for the little ones, and it's usually very affordable. Children's Theatre of Charlotte

Hope this gets you started

[bs13690]

You can also check out things to do here: Leaving Facebook... | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=52879014351&h=vu46j&u=YyNmO - broken link)

[mullman]

Originally Posted by bs13690

You can also check out things to do here: Leaving Facebook... | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=52879014351&h=vu46j&u=YyNmO - broken link)

linky no worky.

[sleedog95]

I was here on Saturday...a good place for the ages of your children. My 2 year old enjoyed it.

DISCOVERY PLACE | igniting wonder since 1981 | CHARLOTTE NATURE MUSEUM | IMAX | Discovery Place with the Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theater and the Charlotte Nature Musuem are the things to do in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. Visit the Discover (http://www.discoveryplace.org/home/nature_museum-general_info.php - broken link)

[Plan R]

Lazy5Ranch

Parks, especially splash parks as mentioned above, are great. Nature museum (part of Discovery Place membership, located in Freedom Park) is very nice. What else . . . Imaginon, a kids-only library; Children's Theater; millions of summer activities/camps through Discovery Place, Mint Museum, YMCA, churches, etc. Lots of great road trips for a Saturday -- Lazy 5, NC Zoo, Carolina Raptor Center, Whitewater Center, Transportation Museum at Spencer, others. This a very kid-friendly city -- lots of people have them, and there are many activities & much that revolves around family life here.