15 Top Things To Do In Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is brimming with history, arts, parks, sports, and much more. There are so many things to do in our city that selecting the top 10 was a difficult task. Here is a list of diverse activities in Winston-Salem that all family members can enjoy.

1. a/perture cinema

a/perture cinema is a year-round art house cinema that has served Winston-Salem with the art of film for over a decade. With 4.5 screens and 231 seats, the theater shows films you have heard of and perhaps those you haven’t, but all are informative, educational, thought-provoking, and inspiring. More than 35% of the films are directed by women, with a 50/50 split between US and world cinema releases, and 40% are documentaries. Enjoy films every day at a/perture. See their website for current and upcoming movies. Local concessions and beer and wine are served there. They also have a street-side cinema with short films running continuously on a screen outside the entrance.

a/perature cinema Website

• 311 W 4th Street, Winston-Salem, NC
• Hours
  • Movies run at various times. See website.

2. Broad Branch Distillery

Broad Branch Distillery produces exceptional spirits using the best, high-quality, responsibly grown ingredients. Whiskey, bourbon, Nightlab (substitute for tequila, and rum, each batch is tempered and aged to preserve and enhance the delicate, defining aromas and flavors. Visit their Tasting Room to experience their spirits and book a tour on the first or third Friday of each month at 5pm to see the distilling process. Ask questions and talk about how they create their products in the Tasting Room. Or visit their Cocktail Bar for hand-crafted cocktails. They carry hand-rolled cigars, locally made from Dominican tobacco, and offer 1/12-2 hour private tastings as well.

Broad Branch Distillery Website

• 756 N Trade Street, Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-602-3834
• Distillery and Tasting Room Hours
  • Mon & Tues, 19am – 4pm
  • Wed, 10am – 7pm
  • Thurs & Fri, 10am – 9pm
  • Sat, 1pm – 9pm
  • Sun, 12pm – 6pm
• Tours
  • The first and third Friday of each month at 5pm. Tours must be booked.

3. Dash Games

The Winston-Salem Dash minor league baseball team always brings excitement and fun. Catch a home game on Tuesday through Saturday at 7pm or Sunday at 2pm at Truist Stadium. Enjoy the competitive action and something great to eat and drink at the concession stands. They offer more than just hot dogs! The Dash plays 66 home games and features fireworks, giveaways, promos, theme nights, and more. Prices have been frozen for the 2024 season, so all families can come and have fun. Enjoy free Kids Club, Kids Zone, and Kids Run The Bases at every home game.

Winston-Salem Dash Website

• Truist Stadium, 951 Ballpark Way, Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-714-2287
• Home Game Hours
  • Tues-Sat, 7pm
  • Sun, 2pm

4. Downtown Winston-Salem

Spend the day exploring downtown Winston-Salem. Visit the Arts District with its galleries and shops, including Mast General Store. Take a self-guided art tour of murals and public art. Get an art tour map here. Stop in one of the many restaurants or coffee shops for a meal or snack, or sit in Bailey Park in Innovation Quarter and enjoy the weather. Browse through a museum or visit a brewery for a craft beer. Just walking around downtown is an enjoyable experience.

The Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership Website

• General Downtown Map PDF
• Art Galleries and Gallery Hops
• Downtown Restaurants

5. Fun City Scavenger Hunt

Fun City Scavenger Hunt, by Operation City Quest, is a great family or friends activity that allows you to compete in the game and explore the city of Winston-Salem. Download the app and receive a list of items to find in the form of riddles or challenges. Find an item, take a photo, and get points. Your score will show on the leaderboard so you can see how you compare to other teams across the country. You will have a remote host that will communicate with you throughout the game if you need help or have a question. Find as many items as possible and climb to the top of the leaderboard while having fun. The games usually take about two hours, and teams walk about 2 miles during the hunt.

Winston Salem Fun City Scavenger Hunt Website

• 120 S Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC
• Customer Support Agent Hours
  • Tues-Sun, 9am – 5pm

6. Kaleideum

Kaleideum is the perfect activity for families with children. An innovative, experimental, hands-on learning museum, its programs blend science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) disciplines in an exciting way. Kaleideum has nine exhibition areas exploring the natural world, outer space, human anatomy, technology, and more. See Digital Dome shows and visit the Wonder Lab and Innovation Station, to name a few calendar listings. Memberships are available, featuring special Members Only Hours. The Rooftop Adventure will open in the summer. First Fridays, they are open 9am – 8pm, and on Second Saturdays, they are open 6pm – 9pm for adults only.

Kaleideum Website

• 120 W 3rd Street, Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-767-6730
• Hours
  • Tues-Fri, 9am – 5pm
  • Sat & Sun, 10am – 5pm
  • Closed Mondays until summer

7. Old Salem Museum And Gardens

Most residents know about Old Salem, but how many have taken the tour? It is an interesting and educational tour about Old Salem and the Moravian mindset and way of life. It is an activity that is well worth the time and cost and that young and old can enjoy. You will visit all open venues and experience living history and historic trade demonstrations. The tour also includes admission to the Frank L Horton Museum Center, including The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. Even without the tour, Old Salem itself is a great place to visit during the year. The streets, architecture, and atmosphere take you back to a simpler time. You can explore the Visitor’s Center, Winkler Bakery for Moravian cookies and sugar cakes, and Muddy Creek, a small cafe and music hall. In the summer, you can enjoy the free concerts by Salem Band in Salem Square. There are also special events throughout the year, including Moravian Candle Tea and Lovefest. Old Salem is open year-round except for January.

Old Salem Museum Website | Salem Band Website

• 900 Old Salem Road, Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-721-7350
• Hours
  • Wed-Sat, 10am – 4pm

8. Piedmont Craftsmen

Piedmont Craftsmen, a guild of crafts artists and collectors, was born in 1963 through a conversation by a group of friends who love crafts. The non-profit organization conducts educational workshops, mounts exhibits, and operates a gallery and shop. The work that you will find by these fine artists includes turned wooden bowls, pottery, delicate blown glass, unique jewelry, and more. With rotating monthly exhibits and a constantly changing inventory, visitors will find small gift choices to exquisite one-of-a-kind pieces of hand-crafted items. Visit during the week or on First Fridays 6pm – 10pm.

Piedmont Craftsmen Website

• 601 N Trade Street, Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-725-1516
• Hours
  • Tues-Sat, 11am – 4pm
  • Closed Monday

9. Pilot Mountain State Park

Pilot Mountain has served as a landmark and navigational tool for Native Americans, early explorers, and pilots. It is the most recognizable mountain in North Carolina with its knob top. Pilot Mountain State Park is a beautiful area for hiking. Some of the trails include The Jomeokee Trail leads around the base of “the knob,” and The Ledge Spring Trail, which goes along the ridge crest with its lower loop goes past a perennial spring and along a long cliff that is a popular place for rock climbing. Pig Pinnacle (the knob) is closed to climbing. There is an access point to the Shoal Fishing and Paddling Area and a Visitor Center that offers maps.

Pilot Mountain State Park Website

• Visitor Center and Mountain Section, 1721 Pilot Knob Park Road, Pinnacle, NC
• Shoal Fishing and Paddling Access, 4454 Shoals Road, East Bend, NC
• 336-444-5100
• Hours
  • Visitor’s Center, March-November, 9am – 5pm; December-February, 8am – 4pm
  • Varied hours for different sections and different months. See website

10. Reynolda House Museum Of American Art

Reynolda House and Gardens, now on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the few surviving examples of The American Country House Movement. Tour the beautiful estate, which contains over 6000 historic objects, a collection of American art in the house, and the Babcock Gallery (a changing exhibit). You can also explore Reynolda Gardens with or without the tour, including the Pink and White Garden and the Formal Gardens. The gardens are free of charge and open from dawn to dusk. You can visit Reynolda Village too, a merchant area filled with shops and restaurants. Check Reynolda House’s calendar, as they have events and workshops throughout the year.

Reynolda House Museum And Gardens Website

• 2201 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC
• 888-663-1149
• Hours
  • Tues-Sat, 9:30am- 4:30pm
  • Sun, 1:30pm – 4:30pm

11. Salem Lake

Salem Lake, a 365-acre lake, is a great place for outdoor activities. It offers pier fishing, boat launching, a 7-mile trail around the lake, a playground, a mister, and picnic shelters. You can rent a kayak (May 1-Sept 30) or a small boat to explore the lake or go fishing and catch white perch, largemouth bass, crappie, carp, and more. There is a boat rental and fishing fee, and individuals over the age of 16 must have a fishing license. Salem Lake is one of Winston-Salem’s outstanding parks, offering a full day of fun for all ages. Fishing tournaments and other events are also held at the park.

Salem Lake Website

• 815 Salem Lake Road Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-650-7677
• Hours
  • Mon-Fri, 8am – 6:30pm
  • Sat & Sun, 7am – 6:30pm
  • Trail Walks and Pier fishing ends at 6pm

12. SECCA – North Carolina Museum Of Art

SECCA features the art of our times through exhibitions, experiences, education programs, and events. You can enjoy visiting and browsing at your leisure or book a tour, which encourages new interpretations of current exhibits. Tours are booked according to availability and require a two-week advance notice. Art activities and curriculum-based tours are available upon request. Admission to SECCA is free.

SECCA Website

• 750 Marguerite Drive, Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-725-1904
• Hours
  • Wed, Fri, Sat, & Sun – 11am – 4pm
  • Thurs, 11am – 8pm
  • Closed Mon & Tues

13. Tanglewood Park

Tanglewood is a Forsyth County Park that offers a variety of activities. It has two golf courses, soft golf – a family-friendly full-swing game using 4 1/2 inch foam balls, swimming, horseback riding, gardens, picnic shelters, tennis, and a dog park. There are also accommodations available for staying at Tanglewood and an RV campground. Entry passes are available for $25 at the Welcome Center. When affixed to your windshield, it allows free entry to the park through December 31, 2024. Aquatic Center Passes are also available, and if you purchase a family pass, you will get a free entry pass.

Tanglewood Park Website

• Main Park Entrance off US Route 158, Clemmons, NC
• Welcome Center, 336-703-5400 | Tanglewood Dog Park status line, 336-703-6405
• Hours
  • March 1-April 30, 7am – 7pm
  • May 1-Sept 2, 7am – 8pm
  • Sept 3- Sept 30, 7am – 7:30pm
  • Oct 1-Oct 31, 7am – 7pm
  • Nov 1-Nov 8, 7am – 6pm
  • Nov 9-Dec 21, 7am – 5pm

14. Wineries near Winston-Salem

Enjoy a trip to one of the many wineries in the Yadkin Valley. Most are within a 45-minute drive. You can enjoy wine tasting at many places, a meal with wine at some, a relaxing day with beautiful scenery, music, and other events at a few. Here are some of the wineries in the area you might enjoy. Childress Vineyards, award-winning wines, vineyard tours, and The Bistro restaurant. Childress Website. Raffaldini Vineyards produces classic Italian varietals. They feature classes, dinners, live music, and food trucks. See their calendar. Raffaldini Website. Jolo Winery and Vineyards has beautiful views of Pilot Mountain. They have a mountain lodge style tasting room and End Posts restaurant serving lunch and dinner. They offer a Cuvée Experience multiple times during the year, featuring a tasting of five wines paired with four courses. Visit Jolo’s Website.

The Best Yadkin Valley Wineries

• Check individual wineries for hours, location, and events

15. Winston-Salem Ghost Tours

Join Carolina History and Haunts for the Winston-Salem Ghost Tour through the Historic West End District. For 90 minutes, walk the streets by the eerie glow of candlelight, listening to the history and haunts and the area’s superstitious customs. You will visit sites where former residents continue to have a presence. Tours are held year-round, rain or shine, most happening on Saturday at 7pm. They are available for larger groups when requested at other dates and times. Private tours are also available. Children are welcome, but some of the stories contain adult content. The late-night tours are better suited for adults only. Tours meet in the courtyard behind the Rosenbacher House. The Winston-Salem Ghost Tour is an outside walking activity, so wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella if necessary. Carolina History and Haunts recommends that you also bring water with you.

Winston-Salem Ghost Tours Website

• Meeting location: 848 W 5th Street, Winston-Salem, NC
• 833-628-6277
• Hours and Dates
  • Variable: see the calendar at “Buy Tickets” on their Website

But Wait, That’s Not All!

Winston-Salem is a vibrant city where you will always find things to do. Visit the Arts District, antique shops, consignment shops, museums, galleries, farmer’s market, breweries, and restaurants. You may also enjoy festivals throughout the year, like RiverRun International Film Festival, Piedmont Earth Day Fair, and Loch Norman Highland Games and Scottish Festival in Rural Hall.

What do you like to do in Winston-Salem? Tell us in the comments.