Whether you're native or a newcomer to Charlotte, I would highly recommend a trip to Levine Museum of the New South. It focuses mainly on the post Civil War history of Charlotte all the way up until present day. They keep the recent stuff pretty up to date too. The permanent exhibit and main feature is called "Cottonfields to Skyscrapers." I've been through it a few times, but they always add on some new stuff to the end of it. There is definitely some interesting history here. I never new that Ford made cars over on Statesville Ave for example. You'll also learn the the reason why downtown is called uptown (hint- locals called it "uptown" as far back as the 50s - before it was a trendy term). You'll also learn why the streets change name every 2 miles. This is where my current profile picture was taken.
The second floor features temporary exhibits, and right now they have brought back "Courage: The Carolinas Story That Changed America." The first lawsuit filed for degregation was filed in Clarendon County, SC. This and four subsequent cases led up to "Brown vs Board of Education."
The museum isn't huge, but it's not tiny either. I'd say it takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to get through it if you've never been. Some kids may be bored as it's not too interactive. If you haven't been here, go. It''s only $6 for adults.