20 Things To Do In Concord NC

Concord, North Carolina, is in the Charlotte Metropolitan area and home to some of the most popular destinations in North Carolina, such as the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall. Concord was once a cotton-producing area, later becoming a textile manufacturing hub.

This city values racing, past and present. Most visitors are attracted to visit to connect with the premier racing location in the United States. Concord also values its earlier history with museums such as the Historic Cabarrus Association, Inc. and Bost Grist Mill. This city is an all-American city committed to preserving its natural resources, history and racing culture, which brings people together. Automobile enthusiasts and racing fans will find plenty of things to do in Concord, North Carolina. 

Concord, North Carolina

20 Things To Do In Concord

1- Visit SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium

The SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium is an interactive experience where you can see many ocean creatures up close.

Underwater tunnels allow you to walk through the water column and gaze in wonder at the ocean life from below.

Exhibits include Stingray Bay, Shark Shipwreck, Tropical Ocean, Coral Reef, Conservation Cove, the Shoals, Tidal TouchPools, the Catawba River and the Harbor.

This aquarium has a seahorse nursery where they have successfully bred several seahorse species.

They rescue seals and injured wildlife, find a home for disabled animals, and help injured turtles.

There’s also an augmented reality experience that allows visitors to get closer to the animals in an immersive, digital way.

SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium is at 8111 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, NC 28027. Skip the line and reserve your tickets online here.

2- Watch A Race At Charlotte Motor Speedway

The Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsport entertainment venue that hosts two major NASCAR races yearly.

These events are the Coca-Cola 600 in May and the Bank of America ROVAL 400 in October.

In addition to these premier races, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Xfinity Series occur here.

The Speedway complex is almost 2,000 acres (809 ha) and holds 95,000 fans at total capacity.

The NASCAR track is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length.

Races hosted at the Speedway include national and regional car club competitions, World Karting Association races, and the Legend Cars and Bandoleros race series.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is at 5555 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, NC 28027.

3- Get Excited At zMAX Dragway

The zMAX Dragway is a four-lane drag-racing strip at the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) hosts two races on this racing strip each year: the Four-Wide Nationals and the Carolina Nationals.

The Dragway covers 46.5 acres (18.9 ha), seats 30,000 fans and contains 40 suites.

The racing strip was completed in 2008 and became the world’s first four-lane racing strip.

It was also the world’s first drag-racing strip to have two tunnels for pedestrians to access both sides of the track.

zMAX Dragway is at 6570 Bruton Smith Blvd, Concord, NC 28027.

4- Splash Around At Great Wolf Lodge Water Park

Great Wolf Lodge Water Park is a resort with an indoor water park open year-round.

This family-friendly theme park contains eleven waterslides and four pools.

Activities with no minimum height are the Slap Tail Pond wave pool, Chinook Cove playground pool, Big Foot Pass adventure water crossing and the Raccoon Lagoon playground pool.

The Cub Paw Pool and Whooping Hollow do not have a minimum height but a maximum height of 52 inches (132 cm).

These are great activities for parents with young children and toddlers.

Activities with a minimum height of 42 inches (107 cm) are Mountain Edge Raceway, Alberta Falls tubing slide, River Canyon Run rafting, the Fort Mackenzie Treehouse, and Totem Towers.

The waterslide with a minimum height of 48 inches (122 cm) is the Howlin’ Tornado.

Families with children enjoy visiting this exciting water park.

Great Wolf Lodge Water Park is at 10175 Weddington Rd, Concord, NC 28027.

5- Go Shopping At Concord Mills Mall

The Concord Mills Mall is the biggest outlet mall and shopping centre in North Carolina, with over 200 stores you can shop here year-round and find whatever you need.

The mall contains favourites such as Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Nike Clearance Store, Lionel Trains, LEGO, Coach, Michael Kors, Steve Madden, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory and the Vera Bradley Factory.

It also houses the SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium, a 24-screen AMC and IMAX movie theatre, and a Dave and Buster’s.

Popular restaurants include the Bonefish Grill and Outback Steakhouse.

Concord Mills Mall is at 8111 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, NC 28027.

6- Get An Adrenalin Rush On A Richard Petty Driving Experience

The Richard Petty Driving Experience takes place at The Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Enthusiasts can enjoy driving a NASCAR race car on their own around the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Speedway track.

These timed sessions can be purchased in several increments, starting at five minutes and increasing to 48 minutes of independent drive time.

If you’re not game enough to drive, you can ride along with an instructor for three laps.

Independent drivers can pass slower cars and, after each eight-minute increment of drive time, stop in the pit for a quick check.

This driving experience is one of several offered at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The Richard Petty Driving Experience is at 5555 Concord Parkway S, Concord, NC 28027.

7- Visit The Morrison Motor Car Museum

The Morrison Motor Car Museum, formerly the Backing Up Classics Museum, has over 50 cars, including a collection of antiques from the 1920s.

There are classic cars, vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s, and muscle cars.

Famous race cars, like the 1988 Monte Carlo that won the Winston Race, attract car lovers to the museum from all over the United States.

Two cars driven by Will Ferrell’s character in “Talladega Nights” are also part of the collection.

Visitors can purchase memorabilia and souvenirs in the gift shop.

The Morrison Motor Car Museum is at 4545 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, NC 28027.

8- Explore Frank Liske Park

Frank Liske Park is a 238-acre (96 ha) park managed as a wildlife and nature preserve that was once the Stonewall Jackson Training School farm.

The rebuilt Dairy Barn on the property is a gathering place for summer day campers, and the 10-acre (4 ha) lake provides fishing opportunities for anglers.

Paddle boating is also a popular lake activity during the summer.

People often use the park for sports such as soccer, tennis, softball and volleyball.

An 18-hole miniature golf course, playgrounds, frisbee golf, and horseshoe pits offer additional family-friendly activities.

The nature trail and walking and fitness trails give people a place to exercise while experiencing nature.

Additional amenities at the park include picnic shelters, picnic tables, grills, and restrooms.

Frank Liske Park is at 4001 Stough Road, Concord, NC 28027.

9- Visit The North Carolina Music Hall Of Fame

The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame honours the musical talents of musical North Carolinians, and each year, they induct new members into the Hall of Fame.

Famous North Carolinians inducted into the Hall of Fame include Charlie Daniels, Nina Simone, Randy Travis, James Taylor, Andy Griffith, Doc Watson and Alicia Bridges.

The Hall of Fame contains memorabilia from the inductees and is open from Monday through Friday. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

North Carolina Music Hall of Fame is at 600 Dale Earnhardt Blvd, Kannapolis, NC 28081.

10- Follow The Dale Trail

The Dale Trail is a self-guided tour that honours the race-car legend Dale Earnhardt Sr.

This hometown hero grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina, so the community created this trail for his fans, including 15 stops representing a significant part of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s life.

The most important stop is the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Plaza, with its nine-foot-tall (2.7 m) bronze statue of Dale Earnhardt.

The Plaza contains symbolic tributes to Dale Earnhardt, from the number of benches to the layout.

Other stops on the Dale Trail include Punchy’s Diner, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and the Curb Museum for Music and Motorsports.

The Dale Earnhardt Tribute Plaza is at 109 West A St., Kannapolis, NC 28081.

11- Wander Around Historic Downtown Concord

The Historic Downtown of Concord contains three registered historic districts: North Union, South Union and Edgewood.

English, German, Scottish, and Irish immigrants settled in Concord in the late 1700s.

The architectural styles of the residences built by the original families include colourful Queen Anne Victorians, stately Neo-Classical mansions, bungalows constructed in the Craftsman style, and Italianate and Second Empire residences with brick exteriors.

Homes in these districts represent different historical eras and the districts are within easy walking distance of Downtown Concord and its local shops and restaurants.

12- Discover Music And Racing At Curb Museum

The Curb Museum for Music and Motorsports combines the two biggest things in North Carolina, music and racing, into one museum to honour and commemorate it all.

The Curb Museum is run by Mike Curb, the owner of Curb Records, whose record label includes music legends like Tim McGraw and Wynonna Judd.

Curb also owns cars that Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty once drove.

LeAnn Rimes’ first car and many other pieces of memorabilia from music and racing are on display in the museum.

Curb Museum for Music and Motorsports is at 600 Dale Earnhardt Blvd, Kannapolis, NC 28081.

13- Get Merry At The Concord Christmas Parade

The Concord Christmas Parade is the oldest in North Carolina and has occurred continuously since 1928.

Community groups participate in the parade and travel the two-mile (3.2-km) parade route, which starts at the Church Street N and Lake Concord Road intersection and ends at the Union Street and Corban Avenue intersection.

The night before the parade, the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony occurs and fireworks are set off, celebrating the beginning of the Christmas season.

The Tree Lighting Ceremony occurs at 111 Union Street South, Concord, NC.

14- Step Back In History At The Historic Cabarrus Association

The Concord Museum has collected artifacts about the history of Cabarrus County and displayed them for the community since 1939.

In 2007, The Historic Cabarrus Association, Inc. merged with the Concord Museum.

Combined, they collect and display memorabilia, antique books, photographs, historical documents, photos, and oral histories from Cabarrus County and the entire Piedmont Region.

The museum is open four days a week and hosts special historical exhibits, lectures and outreach events.

The Historic Cabarrus Association, Inc., is at 65 Union St S, Concord, NC 28025.

15- The Mustang Owner’s Museum

The Mustang Owner’s Museum showcases Ford Mustangs from every era.

This museum opened in 2019, with more than 25 Mustangs on display.

These cars range from classic and racing Mustangs to unique and modified Mustangs, including the Mustang from the New York World Fair 1964 and Mustang racing cars.

It also has a Mustang found in a barn on display and many pieces of Mustang memorabilia.

The vehicles on display change periodically, which keeps the museum interesting to visitors.

It’s open every day except for major holidays.

The Mustang Owner’s Museum is at 4005 Dearborn Pl NW, Concord, NC 28027.

16- See The Bost Grist Mill

The National Register of Historic Places-listed Bost Grist Mill was constructed in the early 1800s to provide flour and cornmeal to the surrounding area.

The restored grist mill contains its original equipment, including the exact stones that were originally used.

The mill continues to grind flour and cornmeal today using antique milling equipment.

You can purchase these products at the mill, which opens on Saturdays for visitors, but groups can call the mill for a tour at any time during the week.

Events are often held at the mill, with demonstrations of the mill’s operation at these events.

The Bost Grist Mill is at 4701 NC-200, Concord, NC 28025.

17- Take To The Skies In A Legacy Biplane

Legacy Biplane Rides is a thrilling activity for anyone interested in aviation and open-cockpit biplanes.

This activity allows aviation fans to ride in a small plane while it does acrobatics, like dives, rolls and turns, through the air.

The instructor will also allow each passenger to take the wheel of the plane themselves.

Passengers on this flight get to fly this spectacularly well-kept 1943 Boeing Stearman through the air.

On this flight, you’ll get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful area around Concord.

You can choose from 30-minute or hour-long flights.

For aspiring pilots, the flight time can be logged as a flight instruction.

Legacy Biplane Rides is at 9000 Aviation Blvd NW, Concord, NC 28027.

18- Hike The Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail

The Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail is a hiking trail that is a part of the Carolina Thread Trail, which winds through North and South Carolina.

The trail is on the Buffalo Creek Preserve, a 393-acre (159 ha) piece of land that protects streams, ponds and wetlands.

The terrain changes as you hike, from crossing streams on a swinging bridge to walking along Adams Creek, trekking through a farm field, meandering through a restored Piedmont-oak savannah and strolling through a shady forest.

This 4.1-mile (6.6 km) trail is popular with runners, hikers and birders, but it only sees traffic some days.

So, you’ll find some peace during quieter times of the day.

Dogs are permitted but must be on a leash.

The trailhead of Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail is at 7911 Malibu Road, Mt. Pleasant, NC, 28124.

19- Relax In Reedy Creek Park

Reedy Creek Park is 125 acres (51 ha) of urban parkland that sits next to the 737 acres (298 ha) of Reedy Creek Nature Center and Preserve.

The park contains a historical site from the Revolutionary Era, the ruins of a late 18th-century homesite listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There are areas for sports like basketball, softball, tennis, volleyball, soccer, cricket, disc golf and horseshoes.

Amenities at the park include a dog park, picnic shelters, picnic tables, playgrounds, a community garden, a fishing pier and several ponds.

This park and the adjacent preserve have trails that wind through the forest, offering a shady nature hike for visitors.

Reedy Creek Park is at 2900 Rocky River Rd, Charlotte, NC 28215.

20- Have Fun At The Speedpark

The Speedpark at Concord Mills is an amusement centre that specializes in go-karts.

They offer junior karts, single-seat and two-seat go-karts and super karts.

With four different go-kart tracks, kids and adults can enjoy the right amount of fun based on their size and experience.

The Junior Racer Track is for kids aged three and above.

The Pro Track and the Racers Track are for bigger kids or adults.

The Superspeedway allows two-seat go-karts and super-karts, but both require a valid driver’s license.

Speedpark has an 18-hole miniature golf course, a bungee jump, a 110-foot (33.5-meter) slide and a spider climb.

Speedpark is at 8461 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, NC 28027.