Charlotte's History

First settled in the 1740s by scotch-Irish immigrants, Charlotte was incorporated in 1768.  The city
was named to Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.  The county in which Charlotte is located,
Mecklenburg, was named for the queen's German principality.

Charlotte has a rich and varied history. Here are several interesting facts:

Gold was discovered here in the late 1700s, making Charlotte the center for
    U.S. gold production until the California Gold Rush.  The first branch of the
    U.S. Mint, now the Mint Museum of Art, was located here.

The only battle ever fought in Charlotte left General Cornwallis defeated in a 
    surprise attack during the Revolutionary War.  He called Charlotte a "Hornets'
    Nest of Rebellion," hence the Hornets, the name given to the city's NBA
    franchise.

James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States, was born 12 miles 
   South of Charlotte.  his home is now an historical site open for tours.

Important Telephone Numbers

Utilities

Driver's License

Tags/Registration

Schools

Local Government

Information Sources

 Area Attractions

Discovery Place

Discovery Place is one of the country's top science museums, featuring hands-on displays and several traveling exhibits throughout the year.   Visitors to the museum can see the OMNIMAX theatre and planetar- ium shows.  There are also live presentations, a tropical rain forest, science circus, life center, aquarium, chemistry hearth, unique gift shops and more.  

Location : 301 N. Tryon Street
(704)372-6261 or 1(800)935-05553

Charlotte Metro Zoo

The zoo features a variety of exotic animals, including large cat's, primates, bears, reptiles and more.  There is also a large petting zoo area and picnic facilities are available.  Open daily, 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. (winter 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Take I-85 to exit 68 to 152 East to Cook Road. 

Location : 4400 Cook Road, Rockwell
(704)279-6363
Paramount's Carowinds

A 100 plus-acre family water and theme park, Paramount's Carowinds features more that 40 rides, shows and attractions for all ages.  A 12-acre Water Works Water Park includes a 1,000 -foot lazy river, a four story rafting adventure, a tube slide-in-the -dark and special kids areas.  The park has roller coasters and other rides, live daily variety shows, concerts, restaurants and an amphitheatre.  Seasonal hours.

Location : Carowinds Boulevard, Exit 90 SC of I-77
(704)588-2600 or 1(800)888-4FUN (43860

James K. Polk Memorial

This is the reconstructed 1794 birthplace of the 11th President of the United States.  Features guided tours, exhibits, displays and an audio visual program.  

Location : Highway 521, Pineville
(704)889-7145

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

UNC Charlotte ranks as the sixth-best public regional university in the South, according to the 1998 U.S News and World Report survey.  It's heavily wooded, 1,000-acre campus in the heart of the burgeoning University City area northeast of Uptown Charlotte.  With the 3,200-acre University Research Park, which employs 25,000 people, the University is a magnet for high-tech industry and information-age economic development.  The university offers programs leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through six colleges, a graduate School and a School of Information Technology.  There are 650 full-time faculty members and 1,800 staff members.  Estimated annual cost including tuition, fees, on-campus housing and food, for North Carolina residents are $6,000 and $13,000 for out-of-state students.  

Lowe's Motor Speedway Charlotte

Although it was built nearly four decades ago, Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte is still known by many as the "Mecca of Motorsports."  The largest sports facility in the southeast, the speedway has 157,000 seats and capacity for nearly 50,000 more spectators in the infield area.  The 1.5-mile superspeedway also features a state-of-the-art lighting system; 52 privately-owned condominiums; 113 luxury suites; and a seven-story office tower which houses The Speedway Club, the speedway ticket office and the souvenir shop.

Carolina Panthers - Ericsson Stadium

The Carolina panthers play in an open-air, natural-grass stadium specifically designed for football.  The state-of-the-art facility and adjacent practice fields are located on a 33-acre site in Uptown Charlotte.  There are 73,248 seats, including 21,250 in the lower bowl, 11,358 club seats and 2,260 suite seats.  There are 442 concession points of sale in Ericsson Stadium, one for every 166 fans.  Stadiums normally provide one point of sale for every 300-350 spectators.  Each zone includes both a color video board and a matrix animation board.  In addition, each sideline has ribbon boards, which provide game in progress information, other scores and animations.  

Information : (704)358-7000

Tickets : (704)358-7800

Charlotte Real Talk

The Charlotte Real Talk service is designed to bring you complete, up-to-the-minute information on all aspects of life in Charlotte- and across the nation.  Just call (704) 522-5566 and when asked, just press one of the 4-digit codes you see below :