• Dan Nicholas Park, 6800 Bringle Ferry Road — Walking trails, paddle boats, miniature golf, miniature trains, carousel, gem mine, playgrounds, family camping, picnic shelters, splash pad, petting zoo. 704-216-7800. www.dannicholas.net
• Ellis Park, 3541 Old Mocksville Road — 26 acres of ball fields, tennis courts, volleyball court, shelters, playground, event center, walking trail. 704-216-7783.
• Sloan Park, 550 Sloan Road, Mt. Ulla — Features Kerr Mill, an 1823 grist mill. Off NC Hwy 150 approximately 10 miles west of Salisbury.
• Gold Hill Mines Historic Park 735 St. Stephens Church Road — Historic tours available by appointment: 704-267-9439, www.HistoricGoldHill.com
• Gold Hill Rail Trail — Hiking, biking trail begins at Gold Hill Mines Historic Park, continues into Cabarrus County. 704-267-9439.
• Dunn’s Mountain Nature and History Preserve, 1640 Dunn’s Mtn. Road — Trail walks, overlooks, see 120 miles in most directions, blacksmith shop display, Saturday-Sunday shuttle service, 704-216-7803.
• RiverPark at Cooleemee Falls: ‘The Bullhole’ — Picnic shelter, canoe portage, hiking trails, 8 a.m. to sunset. Hwy 801 in Rowan Co., west on Needmore Road and right on Erwin Temple Church Road, drive to end. 336-751-2325.
• Tweetsie Railroad Wild West theme park, Blowing Rock —­ NC’s first theme park. Live shows, amusement rides, concerts, a three-mile Wild West steam locomotive adventure. Tweetsie.com, 877-893-3874.

• NC Transportation Museum, 411 S. Salisbury Ave., Spencer — See www.nctrans.org for train ride schedule and admission information with and without train rides. 704-636-2889, 877-NCTMFUN, www.nctrans.org
• Spencer Doll and Toy Museum, 108 4th St., Spencer — Antique, vintage, modern collectible dolls, antique, vintage toys, train set, model tractor trailers, John Deere vehicles. Just steps from the NC Transportation Museum • 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 children. 704-762-9359, www.spencerdollandtoymuseum.com
• Rowan Museum, 202 N. Main St. — Open 1-4 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Call or email to schedule group tours during the week 704-633-5946, rowanmuseum@fibrant.com or www.rowanmuseum.org
• Utzman-Chambers House, 116 S. Jackson St. — ?Artifacts of the late Honorable Spruce Macay (1755–1808), lawyer and Superior Court judge, perhaps best known for instructing our country’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. ?Open 1-4 p.m. Saturday. $3 adults, $1.50 students. 704-633-5946, rowanmuseum@fibrant.com, www.rowanmuseum.org
• Old Stone House, Granite Quarry — Two-story Georgian stone house completed in 1766. Located on Old Stone House Road in Granite Quarry. 1-4 Saturday, Sunday. $3 for adults and $1.50 for students. 704-633-5946, rowanmuseum@fibrant.com, www.rowanmuseum.org
• ?1820 Dr. Josephus Hall House, 226 S. Jackson St. — Saturdays/Sundays 1-4 p.m., 704-636-0103, www.historicsalisbury.org
• Historic Rockwell Museum, 102 E. Main St. — ?Sundays 2-4 p.m., 704-279-4979.
• Price of Freedom Museum, Old Patterson School building, China Grove — Sundays 3-5 p.m. and by appointment. American war memorial dedicated to men and women of the armed services. Free. Intersection of Weaver and Patterson Roads. 704-857-7474, www.priceoffreedom.us
• China Grove Roller Mill Agricultural Museum — ?Original equipment in place, unique displays, events, mill tours; also by appointment. Open house second Sundays 2-4 p.m. April-Nov. except holidays. Free. 704-433-3912. www.hist-society-srowan.com
• Cooleemee’s Textile Heritage Museum — Located in the historic Zachary Holt House at 131 Church St. in the setting of the former mill manager’s large brick home. Cooleemee’s Mill House Museum — One block down, at Old #14 Church St. Typical four-room mill house built in 1905. A tour guide takes one back in time to the world of a mill hand’s family in the early 1930s. Cooleemee’s museums are open Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tours are guided and begin at the Zachary House. Admission to the Mill House Museum is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and free for children 12 and under. Call 284-6040.
• NC Music Hall of Fame Museum, 109 West A St., Kannapolis — ?Honors musicians, singers, songwriters and producers from North Carolina. In the renovated old Kannapolis Jailhouse Building. 10 a.m.-noon, 2-4 p.m., Monday-Friday, admission free. 704-934-2320. www.NorthCarolinaMusic HallofFame.org
• Historic Gold Hill/Gold Hill Mines Historic Park — ?19th century living history interpretative displays reflect life in the 1800s gold mining boom town. Free. 704-279-5674, www.HistoricGoldHill. com
• Reed Gold Mine historic site, 9621 Reed Mine Road, off Highway 200 near Locust — ?Southeastern Cabarrus County,12 miles southeast of Concord. Museum, visitor center, underground mine tour, operating stamp mill, panning area. Museum is free, panning tickets $3. Panning area is open April-Oct.; without panning there is no fee for the site. 704-721-4653, reed@ncdcr.gov, www.nchistoricsites.org/ reed/
• Gregory Creek Homestead and walking trails, 1335 Museum Road, Statesville — ?Statesville’s heritage site. 704-873-4734, www.iredellmuseums.org.
• Fort Dobbs State Historic Site, 438 Fort Dobbs Road, Statesville —?The only North Carolina Historic Site associated with the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Free, open Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 704-873-5882, www.fortdobbs.org
• Town Creek Indian Mound, Mount Gilead — ?NC’s only state historic site dedicated to American Indian heritage. Town Creek Mound between NC 73 and NC 731. 910-439-6802, towncreek@ncdcr.gov, www.towncreek.nchistoricsites.org
• Discovery Place, 301 N. Tryon St., uptown Charlotte — features IMAX® Dome Theatre. 704-372-6261, www.discoveryplace.org, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
• Discovery Place KIDS Huntersville, 105 Gilead Road — 704-372-6261, discoveryplaceKIDS.org
• Mint Museum of Art, 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte and Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon St., Charlotte — 704-337-2000, www.mintmuseum.org
• Charlotte Nature Museum, 1658 Sterling Road, Charlotte — Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday noon-50 p.m.; closed Monday, 704-372-6261, charlottenaturemuseum.org
• Historic Latta Plantation, 5225 Sample Road, Huntersville — ?Circa 1800 cotton plantation and living history farm with endangered breeds of historic livestock. The last remaining Catawba River Plantation open to the public. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays. Free with regular site admission. 5 and under free. 704-875-2312, lattaplantation.org
• Old Salem, Winston-Salem — ?Faithfully preserved buildings, costumed interpreters, craftsmen, historical garden and horticultural programs. 336-721-7300, www.oldsalem.org
• Reynolda House Museum and Reynolda House Museum of American Art, 2250 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem — ?Masterpieces in the museum, also house, gardens and village feature public garden, dining, shopping,walking trails. 336-758-5150, reynoldahouse.org
• Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem, 390 S. Liberty St. — 336-723-9111, childrensmuseumofws.org
• SECCA — Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, 750 Marguerite Drive, Winston-Salem. 336-725-1904, www.secca.org
• Natural Science Center of Greensboro,4301 Lawndale Drive — 336-288-3769, www.natsci.org
• Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St. — ?Hands-on, interactive museum for children (infancy to 10 years of age) and families. 336-574-2898, www.gcmuseum.com
• NC Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh — ?Free general admission. Charge for some concerts, films, performances. 919-839-NCMA, www.ncartmuseum.org
• Contemporary Art Museum, 409 W. Martin St., Raleigh — 919-513-0946, camraleigh.org
• NC Museum of History, 5 E. Edenton St., Raleigh — ?Explore more than 14,000 years of the state’s history. Free general admission. Across from the State Capitol. 919-807-7900, ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook
• NC Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones St., Raleigh — ?Four floors of live animals, hands-on activities, programs: look at the natural world through NC’s geography, prehistoric past, geology, plants, animals. Free general admission, cover charge for special exhibits and 3D Theater. 919-733-7450, www.naturalsciences.org
• NC Museum of Life and Science, 433 Murray Ave., Durham — s-220-5429, www.ncmls.org
• The North Carolina Pottery Center, 233 E. Ave., Seagrove — ?Permanent exhibition: traces NC pottery from pre-historic Native American work through 21st century. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, ?336-873-8430, www.ncpotterycenter.org