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| - Was there a time before Charlotte had banks,NFL football, Bojangles, and sprawling suburbs? YES. Would you have known that by driving around this city? Not likely. The Levine Museum of the New South is the antidote to an otherwise historically-deprived city. The gorgeous facility on 6th St is worth a trip from visitors and residents alike.
They have a permanent exhibit called "From Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers" and some substantial moving displays. The permanent exhibit traces the history of Charlotte from the Civil War to the present-day. Not a history buff? No problem. They have interactive displays, like a sharecropper's shack, a Belk's Dept. Store from the 1940's, and a faux church sanctuary among other stations. You won't be bored. This museum has really changed how I view Charlotte. Even as a native NC who grew up thinking Charlotte was fabled cosmopolitan city, I was surprised to see how recently Charlotte had a small-town culture. The past two to three decades of growth have left few vestiges of the old South.
The Levine Museum has a focus on social history. Therefore, the exhibits give you a sense of culture, not mere facts and dates. Unless you visit, you can't really wrap your head around ,the growth in the last part of the 20th and 21st century, understand what "gentrification" and development has done to the historical character of the city, and how newcomers have vastly changed the cultural landscape. You'll understand that Charlotte is really rich in history, but that history hasn't been well-preserved. Admission is a mere $6. Some Sundays are free and Bank-of-America cardholders can go for free one weekend a month. Don't miss this opportunity to glimpse the past.
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