Things to do in Charlotte for under $1

CHARLOTTE — There are plenty of activities in Charlotte without having to travel far or dig deep into your wallet.

“There’s a lot going on this summer. Lots of ways to beat the heat, but also keep your kids entertained when they’re not in those summer camps,” said Laura White, the Chief Brand and Strategy Officer with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. White is approaching her 20th year with the CRVA.

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She shared a list of fun ideas for families to keep kids entertained without breaking the bank:

FREE Splash pads at North Mecklenburg Park, Pineville Lake Park, Waverly, Latta Park

FREE climbing structures, slides, Green space at Stream Park at the Bowl at Ballantyne

FREE outdoor movies with pre-show music every Friday at Fourth Ward Park

FREE kids art pop-ups, giant LEGOs, swings, murals at Camp North End

FREE kids playground with views of planes taking off and landing at the Airport Overlook Park

FREE Curious George interactive exhibit with mini golf, build-your-own wind-powered whirlgig at ImaginOn

FREE entry to the Mint Museum, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture on Wednesdays to 5 to 9 pm as part of Wednesday Night Live (Admission to the Annie Lebovitz exhibit at the Mint Museum requires an additional $10 ticket)

FREE bowling for kids Wednesday–Friday: 12–4 pm, Saturday: 11 am–2 pm, and Sunday: 11 am–6 pm at Queen Park Social. Every day 12-6 pm, kids 12 and under receive a FREE $10 game card to use in the arcade

FREE two games of bowling per child at SpareTime and Dave and Busters (email signup required for coupons)

$1 movie tickets for Summer Movie Express at Regal Theaters

These ideas also work for out of town guests. White said 32,000,000 people visit Charlotte every year. More than half are visiting people who live here.

“Be sure to break out of the backyard and the neighborhood pool and really take your family out to explore Charlotte like a tourist would,” said White.

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