10 Things to Do in Greensboro, NC, this Summer
Enjoy the best of both worlds in Greensboro.
It was voted as one of the top 100 places to live by Livability, but we happen to think Greensboro is THE place to live—especially during the summer months! We’ve got all the perks of both big city and small town living.
Gate City gets its nickname from its once prominent placement between the north-south and east-west railroad routes that crossed through it. Today, however, there’s no need to travel far to have fun. There are plenty of reasons to stay close to home and enjoy all that this beautiful city has to offer. Here are 10 things to do in Greensboro this summer.
1. Art Museums
Get inspired by visiting some of the art museums Greensboro has to offer.
The Weatherspoon Art Museum offers free admission to visitors to view their exhibitions and collections. They also offer weekly events such as Mindful Mondays.
Greenhill is a nonprofit exhibition space that supports artists throughout their careers. This summer they have a food art installation on display appropriately called Sweet. They even offer summer camps for kids, and every third Thursday an arts and wellness class.
Elsewhere is a museum and artist residency here in Greensboro that calls itself “part residency, school, playground, meeting ground, theater, project space, and laboratory for creative ideas.” Open Friday to Sunday, the museum offers behind-the-scenes tours of its creative spaces.
2. Science/Learning Museums
Learn something new by adding a trip to Greensboro’s science and learning museums to your calendar.
The Greensboro Science Center + Aquarium is an aquarium, museum, and zoo all in one. There is so much to see your family will be begging you to come back again. Visit SKYWILD, the treetop adventure park, to experience life from an animal’s perspective. Meet penguins, otters, sharks, and other sea critters at the aquarium. The museum has exhibits on dinosaurs, the human body, and weather.
Little ones will love a trip to the Greensboro Children’s Museum. The Outdoor Play Plaza consists of two 30-foot-tall climbers connected by a 25-foot suspended net tunnel. Water Wonders has interactive learning stations for children to play with and learn how to control water. The Our Town exhibit allows kids to play pretend work on Main Street through a variety of realistic hands-on installations. Tot Spot is for children under two to explore and play.
3. History Museums
Step back in time for a day by visiting historic museums around Greensboro.
At the Greensboro History Museum you can view the Dolley Madison exhibit, Zenke’s miniature rooms, and an exhibit exploring WWI through the lives of nine different people.
Explore Guilford Courthouse National Military Park by walking the battlefield and visiting the farm. You can take a self-guided tour or join in on a guided one available every Sunday until Labor Day.
The Blandwood Mansion operates as a museum featuring 19th-century art, architecture, furnishings, and landscapes. You can take a guided tour of the mansion and its beautiful gardens.
4. Gardens and Greenery
Spend the day taking in the fresh air and soaking up the sun at one of Greensboro’s many parks.
Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden is a 7.5-acre garden with annual plantings and bronze sculptures to admire. It also has an interactive sensory garden to explore.
The Greensboro Arboretum is another park with free admission and a lot to offer. A 17-acre site, it boasts 14 plant collections and specialty display gardens.
Or take the pedal boats for a spin around Country Park. There are two stocked fishing lakes, a playground, picnic shelters, and trails. Dog lovers can bring their pooch to run around the Bark Park.
5. Antique Market Place
Operating for over 20 years, the Antique Market Place inhabits a 45,000 square foot shop. Filled with over 120 vendors, wares range from collectibles, antiques, furniture, and so much more.
They are one of 79 members part of the North Carolina Antique Trail—you might just set off on a whole new adventure collecting treasure from years past.
6. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Hops Burger Bar boasts 4.5 stars from 1,000 Yelp reviews, which is certainly impressive. All of their burgers are made from certified Angus beef and locally grown ingredients. You can pair your burger up with a craft beer. Stop in to try their regularly changing featured burger.
Dame’s Chicken and Waffles also has 4.5 stars on Yelp from 563 reviews. Many reviewers admitted skepticism about the praise Dame’s has received but were converts as soon as their plates were delivered. Unique waffle offerings like sweet potato, blueberry, and gingerbread can be paired up with their “shmears”, flavored butters like vanilla-almond, orange-honeycomb, and maple-pecan.
7. Something Sweet to Eat
Make time to indulge in something sweet.
Cheesecake by Alex has classic cheesecake flavors, like the New York style brownie turtle, in addition to unique combinations like mint chocolate chip and pineapple. Of course, you’ll also find coffee, tea, and frozen drinks on the menu to pair with your treat. Not a fan of cheesecake? They also have decadent layer cakes, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and turnovers.
Cherry Pit Cafe & Pie Shop is a one-stop shop for a meal out. Whether you are looking for brunch, lunch, or dinner they have specialized menus for each time of the day. But be sure to leave room for dessert because there is plenty of pie on the menu too. Choose from classic fruit flavors like cherry, apple, and berry, or cream pies like peanut butter, chocolate, or blueberry. Other classics on the menu are key lime pie and Boston creme pie.
8. Make Time to Play
Cool down at the Greensboro Ice House. Join public skating, or sign up for private lessons. On Tuesdays they offer adult hockey skills and drills practice. They also run figure skating and hockey skating classes for all ages. Kids can spend the day learning and practicing during their summer camps.
Celebration Station is a great day out for families. Play a friendly game of miniature golf and get competitive on the bumper boats. Budding athletes can practice their skills at the batting cages. There is also an arcade and go-karts, which are always crowd favorites. Be sure to check out their website to take advantage of their (often themed) specials.
9. Become a Regular at the Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Boxcar Bar + Arcade has something for everyone with events almost every night of the week.
The musically inclined can enjoy open mic nights on Wednesdays, while those who are feeling more playful can swing by Tuesdays for board game nights. Competitive types can join in on the Skeeball tournaments each Thursday or the air hockey tournaments on Tuesdays. Looking to relax? On Sundays they have Namaste for Mimosas yoga classes to stretch out your stress from the week.
10. Explore Downtown Greensboro at Night
Visit all Downtown Greensboro has to offer after dark.
Spend a night out on the town and enjoy live music performances. There are plenty of summer camps available to keep the kids busy over their vacation. Or stop by The Tap for Trivia Tuesdays with friends.