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Carowinds, Charlotte, NC

Photo: Mahesh Gudladona, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

AttractionsFamily FavoriteIconic

Carowinds

14523 Carowinds Blvd · Charlotte, NC

Why you should go…

Opened in 1973, Carowinds covers 407 acres on the North Carolina and South Carolina border, and a painted state line runs through the main entrance. The park has more than 60 rides, including Fury 325, a 325-foot giga coaster, the double-launch Copperhead Strike and the inverted Afterburn. Carolina Harbor, the water park, is included with admission. In fall the park runs its SCarowinds Halloween event on select nights.

  • #amusement park
  • #roller coasters
  • #water park
  • #theme park

Good to know

General attractions guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Book the time slot, not just the ticket

    Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.

  • Grab the daily schedule on arrival

    Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.

  • The first hour is the quietest

    Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.

  • Budget past the ticket price

    Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Carowinds, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Billy Graham Library

    Free

    Follow the Journey of Faith tour through the evangelist's life in a barn-shaped building, then visit the prayer garden.

    6.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    NASCAR Hall of Fame

    $25–$50

    See historic stock cars on a banked ramp, try racing simulators and walk the Hall of Honor for NASCAR's inductees.

    9.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Discovery Place Science

    $25–$50

    Try hands-on physics demos, meet live animals and watch a film in the IMAX Dome at this Uptown Charlotte science museum.

    10 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Charlotte Motor Speedway

    Under $25

    Watch NASCAR races on a 1.5-mile quad-oval, or take a guided van tour of the banking, garage and pit road.

    23 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Kings Mountain National Military Park

    Free

    Walk the paved battlefield trail past monuments where Patriots defeated Loyalists in a 1780 Revolutionary War battle.

    25 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Quirky Fun

    Peachoid

    Free

    Spot a 135-foot water tower painted as a giant peach, a roadside landmark beside I-85 in Gaffney.

    42 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing