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Every town boasts its share of family fun. As you'll see, there are plenty of good reasons why families just love living in the Charlotte area. Here are 10 of them:
1. Spend a day on Tryon Street. Tryon is the main street of uptown Charlotte, a clean, safe, walkable place packed with kid-friendly fun. Spend a day at the newly renovated science center, Discovery Place ( www.discoveryplace.org). Among the highlights: the 3D theater, the IMAX and the hands-on Think It Up exhibit.Nearby are three of the city's newest art museums: the Mint ( www.mintmuseum.org), the Gantt ( www.ganttcenter.org) and the Bechtler ( www.bechtler.org). All have kid-friendly programming.Finally, let the kids run off some energy at The Green, a nifty pocket park filled with chirping "insects," water-spouting fish and some wild sculptures by French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle.2. ImaginOn and NASCAR Hall of Fame. Continue your uptown Charlotte tour with a stop at ImaginOn ( www.imaginon.org), a combo children's theater/children's library on 7th Street. The sheer design of the place yells fun, and there are about a gazillion kids books there. Productions by Children's Theatre of Charlotte are top-notch.On the other end of uptown, just off of Stonewall, is the NASCAR Hall of Fame ( www.nascarhall.com). It's a bit pricey, but there is the occasional deal. Kids will love racing up the winding, tilted ramp to see some real muscle cars. Upstairs is interactive fun, including changing a tire.3. Cool off. Ray's Splash Planet ( www.rayssplashplanet.com), just outside uptown, is good for a day of swimming, sliding and lazy river tubing. About once a month if has $3 preschooler admission. You can also check out Mecklenburg's Park and Rec website for a listing of free public spraygrounds.4. Play ball. You've got the Panthers NFL team ( www.panthers.com) and the Bobcats NBA team ( www.nba.com/bobcats) in town (Bobcats often have family-friendly ticket packages) and a Triple A minor league team, The Knights, in Fort Mill, S.C. ( www.charlotteknights.com).5. Fun for the young. Take your little ones to the new Discovery Place Kids in Huntersville ( www.discoveryplacekids.org), an interactive children's museum.6. Road trip. Travel beyond Mecklenburg County for the highly walkable Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C. ( www.riverbanks.org) and the more walking-intensive but beautiful N.C. Zoo in Asheboro ( www.nczoo.com).7. Uber cool. Another marquis attraction in Charlotte is the U.S. National Whitewater Center in west Charlotte. You can ride the rapids, canoe along the Catawba, mountain bike, zip line or just hang and listen to music. (usnwc.org)8. Historic Latta Plantation: Get a taste of Mecklenburg's history, with tours and special events. There's also horseback riding. ( www.lattaplantation.org)9. Eagles and groundhogs and tigers, oh my! We've got our share of animal adventures. The Nature Museum in Myers Park is gentle fun for younger kids and is home of Queen Charlotte, Charlotte's weather-forecasting groundhog ( www.charlottenaturemuseum.org). The Raptor Center in Huntersville is home to eagles, hawks, owls, vultures, and falcons; it also rehabs these birds of prey. ( www.carolinaraptorcenter.org). Head to Rowan county to feed exotic animals from a moving wagon at Lazy 5 Ranch in Rowan County ( www.lazy5ranch.com) or see tigers at Tiger World ( www.tigerworld.us).10. It's a plane! Kids love to watch those big planes come in. You can pack a lunch and come to the Airport Overlook Park off Old Down Road. Stop by the Carolinas Aviation Museum, which is now home to "Miracle on the Hudson" Flight 1549 ( www.carolinasaviation.org).