Charlotte, North Carolina – Home of InvestEd 2008

Things to Do, Places to Go, Sites to See

Parks, Gardens, and Preserves

The Charlotte area includes several parks, gardens, and preserves for the nature lover looking to enjoy the Charlotte scenery.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
6500 South New Hope Road
Belmont NC 28012
Phone: 704-825-4490

Located on 450 acres along the banks of Lake Wylie, about 20 miles from Charlotte, 110 acres of rolling meadows and woodlands are being developed as one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. The perennial garden is one of the finest in the Southeast and has been named one of the nation’s 20 great gardens in HGTV’s popular book, Flower Gardening. The botanical garden includes nine major theme gardens, striking water fountains and canals, a large Visitor Pavilion with a breathtaking early-20th-century stained glass dome, and a collection of plants from around the world.

Historic Latta Plantation
5225 Sample Road
Huntersville NC 28078
Phone: 704-875-2312

Historic Latta Plantation, about 14 miles from Charlotte, is a circa 1800 cotton plantation and living history farm. Tours of the Latta home are guided, and tours of the grounds are self-guided. The Latta Plantation Nature Center serves as the gateway to the 1,343 acres of the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve.

McDowell Nature Center and Preserve
15222 York Road
Charlotte NC 28078
Phone: 704-588-5224

Serving as the gateway to the 1,108-acre McDowell Nature Preserve, the nature center and preserve has numerous features, including live native animals, an outdoor amphitheater, an exhibit hall, educational programs, a habitat garden with butterfly gardens, numerous picnic decks and tables, seven miles of hiking trails, and a family campground.

Reedy Creek Nature Preserve
2900 Rocky River Road
Charlotte NC 28215
Phone: 704-598-8857

Reedy Creek Nature Preserve protects over 727 acres of natural forested habitats and provides ample opportunities for passive recreation and education. The rolling topography of the park and nature preserve includes mixed pine and hardwood forests, open fields, lakes, and streams. A Nature Center inside the preserve contains a classroom, exhibit hall, and gift shop. Visitors may observe nature in action at the bird feeding station and in the butterfly/bird garden, the garden pond, the bog garden, and in the outdoor composting area.

University of North Carolina Botanical Gardens
9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte NC 28223
Phone: 704-547-2870

The university gardens include three main garden areas. The Van Landingham Glen features a woodland garden showcasing native plants of the Carolinas. The Susie Harwood Garden boasts year-round attractions with an impressive diversity of hardy ornamental landscape plants, meandering paths, a pond with waterfalls, an oriental gazebo, and naturalistic rock work throughout. The McMillan Greenhouse complex consists of eight areas plus surrounding beds, terraces, and a courtyard bog garden featuring carnivorous pitcher plant hybrids. The greenhouse contains an outstanding orchid collection, a rainforest conservatory, desert succulents, and many plants from the world's tropical habitats.

Wing Haven Gardens and Bird Sanctuary
248 Ridgewood Avenue
Charlotte NC 28209
Phone: 704-331-0664

Wing Haven has been a unique part of Charlotte since its creation in 1927 by Elizabeth and Edwin Clarkson. The gardens and bird sanctuary encompass three acres. The formal garden areas are designed to enable visitors to stroll along brick paths and enjoy the many lovely vistas. Beyond the formal gardens are wooded areas filled with ferns and wild flowers. Visitors to Wing Haven also enjoy a tour of the interior of the Clarkson home.

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