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Photo: Mark Clifton, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Features a regular schedule of cultural events and exhibits, including theater and gallery productions.
The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, formerly known as the Afro-American Cultural Center, is in Charlotte, North Carolina and named for Harvey Gantt, the city's first African-American mayor and the first African-American student at Clemson University. The 46,500 sq ft, four-story center was designed by Freelon Group Architects at a cost of $18.6 million — and was dedicated in October 2009 as part of what is now the Levine Center for the Arts.
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An offshoot of the Mint Museum of Art with a particular emphasis on craft and design that has a much more accessible location in the center of the city. Its collection is outstanding and its staff quite knowledgeable. Visitors often express surprise that the museum's "niche" can be so interesting, especially due to its contemporary design collection.
Housed in a striking bright orange building across from the Mint Museum and facing The Green, the collection includes works from some of the biggest names in modern art. Outside the front door is the dazzling Firebird sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle.
A fascinating literacy-themed park tucked between an historic church and an apartment/shopping center. Children love the highly interactive landscaping (including ceramic sofas and a splash fountain) and adults can appreciate the literary references. It is surrounded by restaurants and a small library branch.
The local NFL team plays in the 73,000-seat Bank of America stadium. Due to a sudden surge in popularity, it is becoming more difficult to find tickets to home games. This is especially the case late in the season, when the team is expected to be in the playoff hunt. Scalpers roam the sidewalks in front of the stadium, so it is possible to find game day tickets at a premium cost. It is illegal to charge more than a small percentage above the face value of a ticket, though this law is generally unenforced.
Housed in a cylindrical building across the street from the convention center, this slick museum has many interactive exhibits on the history of NASCAR, race cars, and simulators.
At the center of Uptown surrounding the intersection of its two main streets, this plaza is the bustling heart of the business district, hemmed in on all sides by towering buildings and holding fountains, statues, benches and food carts among its crowds of people.