The Charlotte Area Filled To The Brim With Historic Homes, Parks, Boutiques, And Secret Gardens

In the shadow of Charlotte's soaring skyscrapers, Fourth Ward is a quaint, historic neighborhood in North Carolina's largest city that echoes Savannah with its Victorian architecture and lush parks. The area derives its name from the voting designations of the mid-19th century when the city was divided into quadrants. Though the neighborhood was once a wealthy residential area, by the 1960s, Fourth Ward had become neglected and run-down as most residents moved outside the city to newer suburbs.

Declared a historic district in 1976, Fourth Ward has undergone a renaissance and is now a lively destination for dining, museums, and gardens. The neighborhood is anchored by the three-acre Fourth Ward Park, a lush oasis of sprawling lawns planted with beautiful trees and flowers. Some of the historic Victorian and Queen Anne-style residences are even popular restaurants, such as Alexander Michael's Restaurant & Tavern and McNinch House Restaurant. Museums abound, such as the McColl Center, home to a contemporary art gallery, and the Discovery Place Science Museum, an interactive science and technology showcase. With its beautiful private homes and gardens, the neighborhood plays host annually to the Fourth Ward Holiday Home Tour in December and The Secret Gardens of Fourth Ward in May.

Fourth Ward is easily accessible and just a 20-minute drive from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The best time to visit Charlotte is the spring, when the city's parks and gardens are in bloom, or fall, when the temperatures are mild and trees transform into gold and crimson colors. Charlotte is also a good base for exploring the beauty of North Carolina and is only a 2-hour drive from Chimney Rock State Park, known for its 535-million-year-old monolith, and a 2.5-hour drive from Linville Gorge, known as the "Grand Canyon of the East."

For a guided tour covering Charlotte's top highlights, including Fourth Ward, don't miss Charlotte's Ultimate Southern Charm Historical City Cart Tour by Viator. Your guide will host the hour-long tour in a vintage-style electric golf cart and provide you with historic anecdotes and insider recommendations along the way. You'll drive by the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which honors the racers and race cars of American motorsports, and see the Levine Center for the Arts, a bastion of culture with multiple art museums and a performance venue. 

The heart of the city's nightlife is found at Luminous Lane, lined with busy restaurants, bars, and live music halls. You'll also drive by the Bank of America Corporate Center, an iconic skyscraper of the Charlotte skyline, and the Spectrum Center, home to the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. Sports lovers will also get to spot Truist Field, where the Charlotte Knights baseball team plays, and Bank of America Stadium, the field of the Charlotte Panthers' NFL team. 

The tour will then take a spin around Fourth Ward, where you'll hear the history of the most significant landmarks. You'll see the serene Fourth Ward Park, a green sanctuary in the midst of the city; the Lyles-Sims House, Uptown Charlotte's oldest house; the aforementioned McNinch House Restaurant; and Old Settler's Cemetery, a 19th-century burial ground.