From uptown rooftop views to riverside strolls past gleaming skyscrapers, North Carolina’s largest city sets hearts aflutter. Watch sunsets paint the sky vivid hues from atop the Epicentre’s LED-lit towers, then catch comet trails streaking over Charlotte on clear nights from rural Montford Park’s starlit hillsides.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Epicentre Rooftop Views | Champagne sunsets and tapas on a LED-wrapped rooftop. |
| Charlottetown Romance Package | Stay in plush rooms with champagne and chocolate fondue. |
| Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden | Wander through 110 acres of blooming gardens. |
| Fifth Street Market | Browse vintage finds and enjoy artisanal bites. |
| Midwood Country Club | Golf by day and dance by night. |
| Dish Restaurant | Seasonal cocktails and small plates with city views. |
| Charlotte Museum of History | Stroll through cottage gardens and historical demonstrations. |
| Up on the Roof | Watch fireworks from The Knight Theater roof. |
| Montford Park’s Starry Nights | Picnic under the stars with skyline views. |
| Hear After Midnight Jazz | Enjoy live jazz orchestra performances. |
natural beauty blooming at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens and the Charlotte Museum of History’s bucolic cottage gardens. These 12 romantic Charlotte attractions kindle affection promising perfect dates remembering always.
Epicentre Rooftop Views
Name and Location: The Epicentre is an entertainment complex located at 210 E Trade St in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina offering rooftop views of downtown from its WXYZ Lounge observation deck.
History and Significance: Opened in 2008, the multi-block Epicentre reshaped Charlotte’s nightlife scene with theme restaurants, shops, bowling, movie theaters and clubs surrounding a central plaza. The enclosed rooftop lounge atop its tallest structure unveils panoramic cityscapes.
What to Expect: Visitors take a ride up the Epicentre’s futuristic glass elevator to reach the WXYZ Lounge’s sleek bar and scattered seating revealing unobstructed vistas of buzzing Tryon Street below alongside Bank of America Stadium and glittering high rise architecture.
Visitor Information: WXYZ Lounge opens at 5PM nightly for ages 21 and over with varying closing times, typically 2AM weekends. Rooftop admission is free, full menus have drinks and shareable plates.
Toast champagne sunsets from the Epicentre’s LED-wrapped rooftop patio overlooking Charlotte’s electrifying downtown cityscape glowing colorfully once dusk dims the sky. Share tapas grazing an array of Spanish flavors and hearty paella entrees from COCO TAPS restaurant while cozying closer against evening breezes. Glimpse stadium lights flickering across the Panthers’ football palace nearby or point out the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s glory before glimpsing first twinkling fireflies signaling magical transformation into romantic night.
Charlottetown Romance Package
Name and Location: The Charlottetown Romance Package takes place at dramatic former Baptist church sanctuary-turned events venue Trinity Hall located at 7912 Chapel Hill Road in Cary, NC outside Raleigh.
History and Significance: Built in 1924, converted into an event site in 2003 and renamed in 2022 from Highgrove Estate, Trinity Hall’s soaring Gothic architecture offers an intimate, elegant setting for weddings and milestone occasions looking to surround celebrations in timeless ambiance and style.
What to Expect: Couples indulge in the venue’s gourmet four-course menu while touring Trinity Hall’s dazzling architecture accented by arched stained glass windows and crystal chandeliers before an overnight escape beside handcrafted stone hearths in the estate’s luxuriously-furnished Villa Suite guesthouse nestled into verdant gardens.
Visitor Information: The immersive Charlottetown Romance Package includes a private estate tour, dinner for two, Champagne toast, villa suite stay and breakfast from $799 total for select dates when booking directly through www.charlottetownevents.com or 919-377-0977.
Escape uptown without leaving by booking the Charlottetown Romance Package and cuddle within plush king beds inside romantic rooms dressed in flower petals at the Dunhill Hotel. Uncork complimentary champagne beside the darling loveseat then dip juicy strawberries into melted chocolate fondue fueled solely to fan amorous flames further. Wake to indulge breakfast in bed before strolling floral Freedom Park’s pathways hand-in-hand ignoring real world a bit longer.
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Name and Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a 400-acre botanical garden located at 6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont, NC, 15 miles west of Charlotte.
History and Significance: Established in 1999 by Portfolio magazine founder Daniel Stowe, the gardens have become one of the Southeast’s most renowned specialty gardens with over 110,000 annual visitors to site features like the Canopy Boardwalk, Lost Garden maze and Orchid Avenue mist garden.
What to Expect: Visitors stroll through specialty gardens showcasing unique structures and horticultural collections across eight major garden areas connected by brick pathways with tram tours, a gift shop and onsite café also offered seasonally.
Visitor Information: Open Tuesday to Sunday – hours vary by season. Standard entry runs $14 for adults, $6 for youth ages 4-12, free under age 4. Discounts for students/military.
Wander sculpture pathways through Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden’s stunning 110 acres blooming nature’s beauty March through November when 400,000 spring bulbs burst suddenly into orchid beds beside romantic arbors dangling wisteria clouds perfuming the air irresistibly. The Lost Garden specifically recreates Victorian elegance asserting romance rules requited love’s realm by extravagant fountains beside a quaint orchid conservatory’s earthy richness promising peaceful enchantment.
Fifth Street Market
Name and Location: Fifth Street Market is an artisan market space inside a historic mill located at 947 N Davidson Street in the Lower North End of Uptown Charlotte.
History and Significance: Originally the Alpha Cotton Mill built in 1902, now on the National Register of Historic Places, Fifth Street Market opened in 2021 showcasing handmade goods by local creators alongside farm products and prepared food/beverages across two floors connecting NoDa to Optimist Park.
What to Expect: Visitors browse rotating vendors like jewelers, candle makers, bakers, confectioners and craftspeople selling unique wares Saturdays 10AM-4PM while grabbing lunch from onsite eateries and admiring preserved factory architecture.
Visitor Information: The market operates out of the repurposed Cotton Mill Saturdays only. Free parking lots on site plus nearby street parking. More vendor info at fifthestreetmarketclt.com.
Antique gramophones spin Ella Fitzgerald’s sweet crooning as couples browse market stalls of vintage vinyl records, gilded jewelry or hand-bound books with leathery scents before sampling coffees roasted deliciously inside the Fifth Street Market. Enjoy bistro bites from Aria Café’s cheese plates or artisanal sandwiches stuffed with cured meats made from the in-house butcher Catawba Meat Co satisfying foodie cravings without overeating before dessert. This historic public market tempts visiting sweet shops swirled with handmade truffles or nostalgic candies gleaming crystals.
Midwood Country Club
Name and Location: Midwood Country Club is a private golf club nestled at 2031 Shamrock Drive between Plaza Midwood and Myers Park neighborhoods in Charlotte, North Carolina.
History and Significance: Since it first opened in 1936, Midwood Country Club has provided an elite private club experience focused on golf and socialization. From its Donald Ross-designed course to formal dining traditions, Midwood upholds timeless Southern hospitality for members.
What to Expect: As one of the South’s preeminent member-owned country clubs, Midwood offers championship golf, a pool complex, grand ballroom events and member dining showcasing upscale Lowcountry cuisine alongside prime Charlotte views from both its classic brick manor and modern glass addition.
Visitor Information: While Midwood Country Club programming like its golf course is exclusive to dues-paying members, public dining in its James Beard-recognized restaurant is available by reservation Mondays through Saturdays in appropriate golf attire per policy.
Swing golf clubs competitively by day at Midwood Country Club then sway romantically together once their elegant ballroom dims lighting for DJs playing lively beats across the glossy parquet dancefloor. Their Clubhouse Grille sets scenes for intimate dinners possibly finished with banana cream pie beneath crystal chandeliers or classic movies projected onto wall screens from cozy booth seats during dinner-and-a-movie nights promising timeless relaxation. This member-owned club since 1960 offers visiting couples affordable golf and entertainment escaping daily stresses.
Dish Restaurant
Name and Location: Dish Restaurant is a farm-sourced New American dining establishment located at 7725 Colony Road in Charlotte, just over two miles south from SouthPark Mall.
History and Significance: Since debuting in 2009 under founding chef Eric Ferguson, Dish has pioneered hyper-local field-to-fork dining in Charlotte through seasonal menus crafted around ingredients from area providers including their own two-acre farm behind the property for a transparent seed-to-table concept.
What to Expect: Diners taste creative fare like no-till collard wraps, whole roasted trout and cider-brined pork chops beside craft beers, biodynamic wines and inventive zero-waste cocktails reflecting North Carolina’s people, traditions and harvests through colorful decor, the open kitchen and adjacent Dish Farm Store provisions.
Visitor Information: Dish serves evening and weekend brunch plus private event options. Bookings advised; seating times start at 5:30PM. The farm shop sells pantry goods, fresh produce and meal kits 11AM–6PM daily.
Toast spectacular views across Charlotte with bespoke cocktails mixed from seasonal ingredients and artisanal small plates at Dish Restaurant, where care goes crafting culinary adventures without breaking budgets, Locally sourced dishes like lobster arancini, bison burgers and diver sea scallops source 30+ regional farmers for supporting sustainable communities. Then cuddle close upon plush banquettes lining windows revealing downtown’s glittering towers surrounding couples immersed inside Dish’s warm chic ambiance sliding smoothly into amorous evening.
Charlotte Museum of History
Name and Location: The Charlotte Museum of History engages visitors in the heritage of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region on the grounds of the 1774 Hezekiah Alexander Homesite located at 3500 Shamrock Drive.
History and Significance: Established in 1972 by the Hezekiah Alexander Foundation to preserve local history, the site and organization is rooted around Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence signer Hezekiah Alexander’s preserved home remains with reconstructions, replica buildings and memorials added over time to convey legacies of 18th century settlement through evolving 20th century transformation.
What to Expect: Guests explore permanent and special exhibitions relaying stories of Charlotte through artifacts, structures, multimedia displays and historical reenactments with heritage breeds farm animals also onsite connecting Revolutionary and Civil War chapters through cotton milling’s regional rise across generations.
Visitor Information: The Charlotte Museum of History site is open Tuesday-Saturday 9AM–5PM; admission is $10 adults with discounts for seniors 60+, youth under 18 and EBT cardholders.
Reconnect strolling through cottage gardens landscaped with regional flora at the Charlotte Museum of History’s bucolic grounds near vibrant Eastover neighborhood. Then watch live demonstrations spinning wool into yarn using traditional methods or soldiers firing black powder muskets reminding the property’s history as a Revolutionary Battlefield site. Special events include Bluegrass & BBQ monthly bringing toe-tapping music filling verandas with honeysuckle sweet smoke where visitors sway enjoying Down South hospitality.
Up on the Roof
Name and Location: Up on the Roof is a seasonal pop-up bar activation taking place through October 2022 on the rooftop terrace of the Carson parking deck in South End facing the Deck at Fitzgerald’s at 201 E Carson Blvd in Charlotte.
History and Significance: Launched in 2021 as part of the city’s Reimagine South End transformation supporting business and culture, Up on the Roof creatively utilizes urban infrastructure to establish a vibrant open-air social venue hosting community events framed by panoramic views from its perch beside city growth in an adaptive venue.
What to Expect: Patrons lounge across colorful seating enjoying libations, small bites, games and activations like paint nights, trivia and local vendors against Instagrammable backdrops of Charlotte’s evolving skylines from new heights through the seasonal pop-up space’s retractable roof and heated patio.
Visitor Information: Up on the Roof opens 4PM-midnight Thursday & Friday, noon-midnight Saturday and noon-10PM Sundays through October 31, 2022 with a possible winter reopening. Admission is free; standard bar menu.
When Levine Center for the Arts launches its brilliant fireworks shows over uptown from atop The Knight Theater roof, romance ignites instantly so grab your darling’s hand sharing awe. Arrive early staking out plush lawn spots for gazing skyward from next door Romare Bearden Park before shows begin as dusk dims light blue fading to starry scenes. Food trucks supply picnic provisions tailgating on the grass until dramatic musical scores cue clearly visible bursting rockets blooming brightly. Dazzling fireworks never fail setting hearts aglow.
Midwood Country Club
Name and Location: Midwood Country Club is a private golf club nestled at 2031 Shamrock Drive between Plaza Midwood and Myers Park neighborhoods in Charlotte, North Carolina.
History and Significance: Since it first opened in 1936, Midwood Country Club has provided an elite private club experience focused on golf and socialization. From its Donald Ross-designed course to formal dining traditions, Midwood upholds timeless Southern hospitality for members.
What to Expect: As one of the South’s preeminent member-owned country clubs, Midwood offers championship golf, a pool complex, grand ballroom events and member dining showcasing upscale Lowcountry cuisine alongside prime Charlotte views from both its classic brick manor and modern glass addition.
Visitor Information: While Midwood Country Club programming like its golf course is exclusive to dues-paying members, public dining in its James Beard-recognized restaurant is available by reservation Mondays through Saturdays in appropriate golf attire per policy.
Swing clubs competitively wandering meticulously manicured greens by day at Midwood Country Club before reconnecting romantically once their elegant ballroom dims lighting with disco balls swirling star bursts above the glossy parquet dancefloor. Enjoy Chef Jacob’s New American Brasserie cuisine from the oak-paneled Clubhouse Grille perhaps finishing sweetly with their signature caramel banana cream pie at candlelit tables beneath crystal chandeliers. Or catch classic movies projected on wall screens enjoying gentle comedy snuggled into plush red leather banquettes during dinner-and-a-film nights promising timeless relaxation. This member-owned club since 1960 makes visiting Charlotte couples feel special.
Montford Park’s Starry Nights
Name and Location: Montford Park’s Starry Nights events take place within the historic 17-acre public park located at 2200 Park Road in the heart of Myers Park neighborhood in Charlotte.
History and Significance: Originally farmland, Montford Park was designed in the early 20th century by John Nolen as one of the earliest examples of urban planning in Charlotte, today serving as a popular community events space surrounded by pedestrian bridges and scenic trails beside a central fountain and pergola.
What to Expect: During Starry Nights activations, visitors experience the park transformed by interactive light installations while enjoying music, lawn games, food trucks and theatrical entertainment as part of inclusive community programming showcasing this cherished green space in new perspectives after dark.
Visitor Information: Montford Park’s Starry Nights events are free, family-friendly and open to the public, taking place on select Friday evenings from 8-11PM. More information and upcoming dates are listed at charlottenc.gov.
Unfurl picnic blankets atop fragrant grass watching daylight deepen from golden hues to twilight’s first emerging stars within Montford Park six miles from bustling centers. Connect more profoundly counting meteors streaking behind rustling trees silhouetted black above gleaming skyline views of Charlotte in the distance. Experience celestial magic brightening darkened skies and sweet kisses sweeter impressing new loves favorably under these stellar conditions. For astrological ambiance minus light pollution, no better romantic date locale shines over Queen City than Montford on cloudless evenings.
Hear After Midnight Jazz
Name and Location: Hear After Midnight Jazz events are currently hosted by the Stage Door Theater at 315 E Carson Blvd in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood.
History and Significance: Launched in 2021, Hear After Midnight celebrates Charlotte’s rich legacy of jazz music and urban arts after dark through dynamic performances, vendors and community engagement on the South End scene as a recurring social experience promoting artistic talent.
What to Expect: Music lovers take in cabaret-style jazz ensemble performances fueling dance grooves into the night guided by a master of ceremonies beside local visual artists, merchants and craftmakers to unite community creativity and culture under one roof in an inclusive experience.
Visitor Information: Hear After Midnight events run 10PM-2AM on Saturday nights about 6 times annually. Ticket prices vary by date with discounts for early purchase. Entry includes entertainment and venue cash bar/lounge.
Sway romantically hand-in-hand listening to After Midnight Big Band’s jazz orchestra fill Knight Theater with swing era nostalgia and strategic heartstring pulling by trumpets aiming Cupid’s bow. Between customary standards evoking Cab Calloway days, couples inside the glowing Art Deco auditorium slow dance under atmospheric blue lighting requested especially for their Glenn Miller favorites waltzing yards across the polished dancefloor hoping songs never stop. Hearing live loungy jazz makes every moment together nicer.
Visitors fall for Charlotte strolling flower-filled Freedom Park trails, toasting sunset panoramas from urban rooftop terraces and swooning over Lake Norman fireworks exploding colorfully near skyline silhouettes. The Queen City seduces couples picnicking below Montford’s starry nights, unwinding over classic movies inside Midwood Country Club’s chic restaurant booths and dancing cheek-to-cheek when big bands channel Old Hollywood elegance during After Midnight shows. For Southern hospitality setting scenes for romance, Charlotte always delivers.