Visit this easygoing suburban town in North Carolina for its historic homesteads, lively shopping districts, recreational parks and water sports on Lake Norman.
Huntersville is a residential town between the city of Charlotte and large Lake Norman. Plan a visit for its Civil War monuments, retail villages and superb range of outdoor activities. Once a peaceful cotton farming community and mill town, Huntersville has grown into a popular commuter town for Charlotte workers. Its historically significant events include the 1781 Battle of Cowan’s Ford, which was the last American Revolution battle fought in Mecklenburg County.
Get your bearings in the town center, which is focused on the intersection of Huntersville Road and Main Street. Find banks, cafés, churches, restaurants and well-kept parks such as Holbrook Park and Main and Maxwell Park. Take the children to Discovery Place Kids, a hands-on museum with educational exhibits and live shows. Drive a short distance to Joe Gibbs Racing, where you can browse examples of NASCAR racing cars from a viewing gallery.
Join locals at 213-acre (86-hectare) Bradford Park on a sunny day. It features baseball diamonds, a children’s playground, disc golf course, soccer fields and picnic shelters. Head to Birkdale Village for a day of shopping, dining and entertainment.
Latta Plantation, one of the town’s favorite historic sites, is open for guided tours of its original farmhouse. Spot farm animals, meet eagles at the Carolina Raptor Center and enjoy lakeside picnics. Buzzard Rock Trail weaves through the plantation’s nature reserve to Mountain Island Lake. Delve farther into Mecklenburg County’s past at the colonial-era Historic Rural Hill.
During warm summers, man-made Lake Norman is alive with activity both in and out of the water. Go canoeing, fishing, paddleboarding, sailing, waterskiing and wakeboarding. Play golf, hike along shoreline trails and visit farmers markets. Cornelius and Davidson are two of the busier towns near the lake.
Fly into Charlotte Douglas International Airport from several major U.S. cities. A regular bus service runs from downtown Charlotte to Huntersville. Visit on weekends in October and November for the Carolina Renaissance Festival, a celebration of Elizabethan-era traditions.
