What you need to know and what you need to do in Winston-Salem 2024 edition
Winston-Salem -> the Camel City, the 5th most populated city in North Carolina and a city full of historic roots tied with modern finishes. When it comes to Things to do in Winston-Salem, there seems to be endless options!
If you are looking to take a trip to a town rooted in history, elegance, art, delicious food, incredible scenes, beautiful homes, southern restaurants and so much more, then Winston-Salem is your spot!
Come with me as I guide you through the city and take you to the spots you need to stop at (at minimum) on your trip to Winston-Salem! 🙂
History not forgotten, but celebrated
Winston-Salem is home to the last remaining shell-shaped gas station of its kind!
Take it from me, I will be the first to say that I did NOT know Winston-Salem was so full of history and hidden gems!
You can look around almost every corner it feels like and you will see that there is an older historic building that has been converted into an amazing brewery, or a shop that is so unique it can only be found in this city.
The tobacco industry was booming as the world-famous cigarette brand R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was headquartered here. This industry fueled many of the early jobs in the area, as well as other industrious giants like Hanes, Krispy Kreme and more! You can find remnants of the tobacco industry all throughout the city, including in the newly renovated Kimpton-Cardinal Hotel that used to be the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company headquarters! Fun fact, this building is the original to the world famous empire state building! The empire state building is a larger scale version of this original building, and they even sent them a Father’s Day card one year to honor that relationship!
When you talk about history in Winston-Salem, you can not forget Old Salem. This is one of the most well preserved and scaled representations of olden times that I have EVER seen. There is a special emphasis on the Moravians that were early settlers in the region. If you want to learn more about the Moravians, check out what Winston-Salem says themselves by clicking this link HERE.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company’s old headquarter building in downtown Winston-Salem now converted into an incredible hotel that also pays homage to the basement game room in the Reynolda home by having a basement rec room themselves. This includes a bowling alley, basketball court, ping pong table, shuffle board, arcade games and more!
On your historic tour around Winston-Salem, you also need to visit the Reynolda House! The home to the famous family that has been mentioned a lot already, The Reynolds, you are able to tour their beautiful home and learn all about the history. This is an incredible home, and only if these walls could talk… What incredible stories we would hear! This home has some incredible features including an organ built into the home, a basement rec room that includes an indoor shooting range with moving mechanical targets, a pool that will rival any of the modern day and huge rooms that are now holding art shows throughout the year.
Don’t miss out on walking around their gardens either, this is one of the nice Things to do in Winston-Salem!
Things to do in Winston-Salem – don’t miss these!
From light photography to guided historic trolley tours, you won’t be bored in Winston-Salem!
One thing that we ALWAYS look for when we are taking an extended trip to a new city? Historic guided tours!
The best way to learn the history of a region is to hear it from people who are passionate about it! We took a guided tour with Triad Trolley Tours! We took the tour with Alexa and y’all… what a rockstar tour guide! She was SO knowledgable, and although we took the trolley tour, they also offer Segway and E-Bike tours! You can find more information about their tours HERE.
We stopped at some of the best spots in town! One of our stops was at UNCSA which is the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, which we thought was such a hidden gem! They do some incredible things at this school, and they also have a town that has been built for movie sets that feels so neat to walk through!
After a great guided historic trolley ride, head over to Sawtooth School of Visual Arts! Here we did one of the COOLEST photography experiences called Flashlight Long Exposure Photography! I don’t even need to say much other than, look at these photos! At Sawtooth, you can take SO many different classes for adults, youths and camps where you actively participate in creating visual art yourself! Learn more by checking out their site HERE. When it come to Things to do in Winston-Salem, you can’t pass this up!
This was such a cool experience, and the results were jaw dropping!
Looking to explore the contemporary art scene in Winston-Salem? Take a trip to SECCA! The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art was founded in 1956 and is located on the historic and scenic Hanes Estate. You can even walk through their old home, which is stunning and has a hallway with an incredible wallpaper design unlike anything I have seen before! Here you can participate in many community events, and also view their rotating exhibits. Check out their website for more information HERE.
Next on the list will keep you and your family entertained all day! ROAR is located in downtown Winston-Salem and there are FLOORS and FLOORS of fun here! Let’s start with the basement level. Here on the basement level is a mini golf experience like you have never seen before! The Twisted Putter is an interactive mini golf course that digitizes your score, and includes props & sensors that trigger as you play! Very cool, very fun and interactive. The whole family will love it! If you are looking for Things to do in Winston-Salem, this has to be on your list!
Also in the basement is the The BUNKR, which is THE spot for gamers if I have ever seen one! 38 computer stations, consoles, neon lights and hours of fun. They have tournaments here and you can also play by the hour here!
Also located here is the Roarcade! This is a modern arcade with all the bells and whistles, which makes for hours of fun for you and your family! Also located on this floor is Ronnie’s Country Store which has top quality foods including deli meats, veggies and more!
Next up is their upper level boutique bowling and golf simulators! Their boutique bowling has shorter lanes, smaller balls and heavier pins. You can reserve lanes by the hour and you can have up to 6 people per lane! Also on this floor are their golf simulators! These are full swing simulators and they have fun games you can play with up to 6 people per bay. If you are looking to get in at a discount, they have gaming Sunday specials where you can get 1/2 priced games! This includes boutique bowling, virtual gaming simulators and twisted putter! Check out this link HERE for more information on reservations.
You can also enjoy views of Winston-Salem by taking the elevator to the rooftop lounge area, and don’t forget to bring a mimosa!
Food & Drinks; Some of the best in the State!
Time for the topic we all need and love… Food! And let me tell you, there are some really special spots here, and one of them had us feeling like we went back to Paris, and another took us back to Texas!
Breakfast & Coffee
Here are our favorite spots when it comes to grabbing a dilicious breakfast, and our ever essential coffee of the day!
Young Cardinal Cafe – This is the spot you need to go to if you are looking for an incredible sit down breakfast with you and your family. Here they have all kinds of southern options with various style of eggs. And let me tell you, SO GOOD! Your family will approve of this brunch/lunch spot so don’t miss this on your visit!
Bobby Boy Bakeshop – If you are looking to grab an incredible bakery item and slide out to a picnic like we did, then this is your spot! They have baked goods but they also have delicious dessert items like tarts, eclairs and more!
Camino Bakery – This was our go-to spot for the perfect latte! Not only was their coffee exactly what we needed after, and during, a long day but it was so well made. We came back for more before we left! They also serve tasty bakery items and don’t sleep on their quiche!
Dinner you can’t pass up!
East of Texas – We lived in Houston, Texas for two years as my husband used to work in the oil & gas industry, so we had some mouthwatering Texas style BBQ during our time living there. But let me tell you! The BBQ joint East of Texas located right in Winston-Salem, and just WOW! Absolutely incredible dishes from appetizers to brisket, to banana pudding… Mouthwatering. Try telling me that you are not drooling just looking at these photos!
Mozelles – This refined Southern cuisine restaurant was so cozy, and SO GOOD. There were so many dishes that were our favorites, but the ones that took the cake were Shrimp and Grits for their main dish, and the fried pickles were amazing for an appetizer! I would recommend getting a reservation because it is tight seating, but it is so worth it!
The Katherine – Last year (2023) we visited Europe for the first time and we stopped in London, Bath, Bibury (all in England), Brussels, Belgium and Paris! The food, the atmosphere, the cafes, the restaurants in Paris. Take me back! Well, The Katherine, which is located in the Kimpton-Cardinal Hotel, did just that and it blew us away. We could not stop saying, “This feels just like Paris!” So, if you are looking for an incredible French inspired spot, you must visit here.
Fun fact: We went to Europe with my grandmother, and she walked over 60 miles with us!
Conclusion to a weekend trip in a wonderful City
We said it before, and we will say it again. We were not aware how much Winston-Salem had to offer, which is why we were so excited to share all these amazing experiences we had with you all. Take it from me, we will be back, and we know there is more to explore! Let me know your favorite spots in town, and you can check out my posts on Instagram below for a short visual guide as well!
And if you are looking for another fun trip, consider this guide I made on Chattanooga, TN!
Sincerely,
The girl with the blonde bob – Magnolia Megan
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