Museums
Museums are an important portion of Winston-Salem's heritage. Most famous of Winston-Salem's museums is Old Salem, a living history museum centered on the main Moravian settlement founded in 1766. Along with the original eighteenth century buildings, Old Salem is also home to the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), a gallery of eighteenth and nineteenth century furniture, ceramics, and textiles. The Reynolda House Museum of American Art (built by the founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and now owned by Wake Forest University) is another of Winston-Salem's premiere museums. The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is a local art museum worthy of interest. The Wake Forest University Museum of Anthropology is an excellent anthropological museum, maintained by Wake Forest University that has many fascinating artifacts and other important pieces of history. The city also offers places oriented for children. SciWorks is an interactive museum for children, teaching basics in all areas of science, and offering fun experiments and educational tours. The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem is based on literature, incorporating classic stories and fairy tales into its permanent and traveling exhibits for younger children.
Art
Winston-Salem is often referred to as the "City of the Arts," in part because of its history, in having the first arts council in the United States, founded in 1949, and for the local art schools and attractions. These include the North Carolina School of the Arts, The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem, the Piedmont Opera Theater, the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Stevens Center for the Performing Arts, and the Sawtooth Center for Visual Arts. There are many galleries and workshops in the city's art district centered at Sixth and Trade streets. The city plays host to the National Black Theatre Festival and the RiverRun Film Festival. Winston-Salem is also the home of the Art-o-mat, and houses nine of them throughout the city. The city is also home to Carolina Music Ways, a grassroots arts organization focussing on the area's diverse, interconnected music traditions, including bluegrass, blues, jazz, gospel, old-time stringband, and Moravian music. Once a year is it also the home of the Heavy Rebel Weekend music festival. Winston-Salem is also home to one of the largest 'Indie' music & art scenes in the state. The Werehouse, a local hangout, artists' residence, and theatre are the center of this growing lifestyle and artistic genre.
Sports
Winston-Salem provides a number of athletic attractions. The Warthogs are a Class A Minor-League baseball team currently affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. The team plays its home games at historic Ernie Shore Field from April to early September. Its players have included Carlos Lee, Joe Crede, Jon Garland, and Aaron Rowand, all of whom have played extensively at the major league level. Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University both have outstanding basketball programs.
NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series racing takes place from March until August at city-owned Bowman Gray Stadium, after which the stadium is converted for football and is used by Winston-Salem State University for Rams games. Besides major sports, Winston-Salem offers a variety of community and children's programs. Winston-Salem's YMCAs are a great place for exercise and athletics for both children and adults. Community recreation centers also provide cost-effective exercise and sports. Dodgeball is a recreational sport that has recently gained regional interest. Winston-Salem Parks and Recreation also maintains several community pools for which memberships are available.
Shopping
Winston-Salem is home to Hanes Mall, the largest shopping mall in North Carolina, and one of the largest in the southeastern United States. The area surrounding the mall along Stratford Road, Silas Creek Parkway, and Hanes Mall Boulevard has become the city's largest shopping district. Numerous shopping centers have been built in the area, including Hanes Point Shopping Center, Hanes Commons, Pavilions, Stone's Throw Plaza, Silas Creek Crossing and Thruway Shopping Center.
Other major shopping areas are found along Peters Creek Parkway (home of Marketplace Mall), University Parkway, Jonestown Road, North Point Boulevard, Reynolda Road, and Robinhood Road. |