By Greensboro is the heart of North Carolina’s Triad, a mid-sized city that punches well above its weight with a world-class science center, hallowed civil rights ground, Revolutionary War battlefields, and a downtown park scene that turns ordinary weekends into something memorable. Whether you are visiting for the first time or you have lived here for years and want a fresh hit list, these 15 things to do cover the very best of Greensboro and a few easy stops across the wider Triad.
1. Greensboro Science Center
The single best all-day attraction in the city combines an aquarium, a museum, a zoo, and a 3D theater on one ticket. Kids can touch stingrays, watch tigers and red pandas, ride the SciQuarium, and zip across the canopy on the OmniSphere ropes course and zip line (extra fee). It is consistently the top family pick for both locals and visitors.
- Address: 4301 Lawndale Dr., Greensboro, NC 27455
- Hours: Daily, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day)
- Admission: Greensboro residents, military, and college students get $1 off with ID; SNAP/EBT/WIC discount available in person. Check current pricing online.
- Phone: (336) 288-3769
- Website: greensboroscience.org
2. International Civil Rights Center & Museum
On February 1, 1960, four N.C. A&T students sat down at the segregated Woolworth lunch counter and refused to leave, sparking a movement that swept the South. That exact lunch counter is preserved inside this powerful museum, housed in the original F.W. Woolworth building downtown. Guided tours walk you through the events before, during, and after the sit-in. It is one of the most important historic sites in the state and a must-see.
- Address: 134 S. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401
- Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; closed Sundays (tours are timed, so reserve ahead)
- Phone: (336) 274-9199
- Website: sitinmovement.org
3. Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
The March 15, 1781 battle here was a turning point of the American Revolution: British general Cornwallis won the field but lost so many men that he abandoned the Carolinas and marched toward his eventual surrender at Yorktown. Today this National Park Service battlefield offers a 2.5-mile tour road, walking trails, monuments, and a visitor center with a film and exhibits. Best of all, it is free.
- Address: 2332 New Garden Rd., Greensboro, NC 27410
- Visitor center: Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; tour road open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; grounds open dawn to dusk for walkers and cyclists
- Admission: Free
- Phone: (336) 288-1776
4. Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts
This roughly 3,000-seat venue is Greensboro’s marquee for touring Broadway, big-name concerts, comedy, and the Greensboro Symphony. The acoustics and sightlines are excellent, and the cultural-district location puts you steps from dinner and drinks.
- Address: 300 N. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401
- Ticket office: Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., plus two hours before showtime (Ticketmaster is the only authorized seller)
- Phone: (336) 373-7400
- Website: tangercenter.com
5. LeBauer Park and Center City Park
These twin downtown parks anchor the cultural district and are the beating heart of Greensboro’s outdoor social life. LeBauer Park has a great lawn, fountains, a seasonal splash pad (May to September), a winter ice rink, public art including Janet Echelman’s floating sculpture, and a steady calendar of free concerts and festivals. Center City Park sits just across Elm Street with shaded seating and water features.
- LeBauer Park: 208 N. Davie St., Greensboro, NC 27401
- Center City Park: 200 N. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401
- Hours: Daily, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; admission free
- Website: greensborodowntownparks.org
6. Greensboro History Museum
Set in a striking former church downtown, this free museum tells Greensboro’s story from its Quaker and Revolutionary roots through the civil rights era, with exhibits on hometown figures like writer O. Henry and First Lady Dolley Madison. It is an easy, air-conditioned hour and pairs perfectly with the nearby parks and Tanger Center.
- Address: 130 Summit Ave., Greensboro, NC 27401
- Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.; closed Monday
- Admission: Free
- Phone: (336) 373-2043
- Website: greensborohistory.org
7. The Bog Garden and Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden
These free side-by-side gardens off Hobbs Road are a local favorite for an easy walk. The Bog Garden’s elevated boardwalk winds through wetlands past Serenity Falls, with herons, turtles, and songbirds along the way. Across the street, the Bicentennial Garden bursts with seasonal color, fountains, and the fragrant David Caldwell Historic Park.
- Bog Garden: 1101 Hobbs Rd., Greensboro, NC 27410 (opens daily at 8:00 a.m., weather permitting)
- Bicentennial Garden: 1105 Hobbs Rd., Greensboro, NC 27410 (daily, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
- Admission: Free
- Website: greensboro-nc.gov
8. The Greensboro Arboretum
Tucked into Lindley Park, this 17-acre living collection features themed gardens, a butterfly garden, water features, and winding paths shaded by mature trees. It is free, dog-friendly, and a calm escape close to the heart of the city. Locals come here to walk, photograph, and unwind year-round.
- Address: 401 Ashland Dr., Greensboro, NC 27403
- Hours: Opens daily at 8:00 a.m., weather permitting; admission free
- Website: greensboro-nc.gov
9. Catch a Greensboro Grasshoppers Game
Minor League Baseball does summer right. The Greensboro Grasshoppers, the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, play at First National Bank Field downtown, an intimate, walkable ballpark with cheap seats, fireworks nights, and easy access to nearby bars and restaurants. It is one of the best-value family outings in the Triad.
- Address: 408 Bellemeade St., Greensboro, NC 27401
- Season: April through September; check the schedule for home dates
- Website: milb.com/greensboro
10. Cool Off at Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe
North Carolina’s largest water park packs more than 35 rides and attractions, from a wave pool and lazy river to towering speed slides. It is a summer-only operation and a guaranteed kid-pleaser on a hot Piedmont afternoon. Buy tickets online in advance to save over gate prices.
- Address: 3910 S. Holden Rd., Greensboro, NC 27406
- Season: Roughly mid-May through mid-September; hours run about 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in peak summer (shorter in May and September). Confirm dates before you go.
- Website: emeraldpointe.com
11. Explore the Downtown Greenway and Bike the City
The Downtown Greenway is a four-mile paved loop encircling the city center, lined with public art, gardens, and connections to neighborhoods and the parks. Whether you walk, run, or bike, it is the best way to take in downtown at a human pace and a daily fixture for local commuters and fitness walkers.
- Access: Multiple downtown entry points, including near LeBauer Park on Davie Street
- Website: greensborodowntownparks.org
12. Tour Greensboro’s Craft Breweries
The local beer scene has exploded into a genuine destination. Joymongers Brewing Co. pours a rotating lineup with daily food trucks and live music in an open-air taproom. Gibb’s Hundred Brewing helped kick-start the downtown revival from its brick home on West Lewis Street, and Pig Pounder Brewery in midtown is known for bold beers and graffiti-covered walls. Visit Greensboro keeps a full beer trail.
- Joymongers: joymongers.com
- Brewery guide: visitgreensboronc.com
13. Eat and Shop Your Way Down Elm Street
Downtown’s Elm Street corridor is the city’s social spine: hundreds of independent restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, galleries, and the Carolina Theatre, a beautifully restored 1927 movie palace that now hosts films, concerts, and live shows. Spend an afternoon browsing, then settle in for dinner and a show. For a deeper local dive, the Corner Farmers Market and the year-round Greensboro Farmers Curb Market are great weekend stops.
- Plan around: downtowngreensboro.org
14. Day Trip to Old Salem in Winston-Salem
Just 40 minutes west, Old Salem Museums & Gardens is one of the most authentic colonial living-history sites in America. Costumed interpreters work the trades of an 18th-century Moravian town, the heirloom gardens are beautiful, and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) is a draw in its own right. Do not leave without a Moravian sugar cake from Winkler Bakery.
- Address: 600 S. Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (seasonal; confirm before visiting)
- Admission: Two-Stop tickets around $22 adults, $12 students/children, plus tax; free for ages 0 to 3
- Website: oldsalem.org
15. Explore the Wider Triad: High Point and Burlington
Greensboro sits at the center of a region worth exploring. High Point is the self-styled Furniture Capital of the World, where you can snap a photo at the World’s Largest Chestnut of Drawers and shop showroom-quality furniture. Burlington, to the east, draws families to the historic Dentzel Carousel at City Park and bargain hunters to its mill outlets. Both are short, easy drives that round out a Triad weekend.
- Plan the region: visitnc.com
Where to Stay in Greensboro
For a special stay, the AAA Four Diamond, LEED Platinum Proximity Hotel and its sister property the O.Henry Hotel set the standard, both home to acclaimed restaurants. If you want to be in the middle of the action, the Marriott Greensboro Downtown puts you within walking distance of Elm Street, the Tanger Center, and the parks. All three are bookable through Expedia, where you can compare rates across the city.
Plan Your Visit
Greensboro is centrally located off Interstates 40, 73, and 85, making it an easy base for exploring the Triad. Spring and fall bring the most comfortable weather and the busiest festival calendars, while summer is prime time for the ballpark and the water park. Many of the city’s best experiences (the battlefield, the gardens, the greenway, the history museum) are completely free, so you can build a full day without spending much at all. For current events, hours, and trip ideas, start at Visit Greensboro and confirm hours directly with each attraction before you go, since seasonal schedules change.