How Locals Spend Free Time in Winston-Salem
Curious about what you'll do when you live in Winston-Salem? If wandering through tobacco warehouses, getting hands-on in a clay studio, or ziplining through the treetops sounds fun to you, Winston-Salem may be calling you home! This list of activities will take you from farm stands to rooftop bars and give you a full taste of Winston-Salem's creative southern spirit.
Rachael, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Some people collect stamps. Vanessa collects zip codes. After 13 moves (including one four-day, five-kid, one-puppy odyssey from Washington to North Carolina), she’s learned that relocation is equal parts logistics and comedy. Now settled in Winston-Salem, she’s fallen for the BBQ, the breeze, and how everyone waves like they’ve known you since kindergarten. Her claim to fame? She once sat on Shamu. Her real skill? Turning past moving trauma into local wisdom and relocation knowledge. As a Snappy Scout editor, she mixes mom-level multitasking with cross-country survival instincts to help newcomers settle into the Tar Heel life without losing their minds.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Will You Do in Winston-Salem?
From weekend adventures to iconic road trips, here's how locals spend their time off.
on a Saturday with perfect weather
Stroll Reynolda Gardens and pretend you own the estate
when the gals come to town for the weekend
Wine tasting in the Arts District between boutique stops
rainy dreary day
Get lost in Reynolda House's American art collection
intellectually stimulating
Explore Old Salem where costumed historians bring 1700s alive
artsy
SECCA's contemporary exhibitions in a former Reynolds mansion
outdoorsy
Salem Lake Trail loops (seven miles of pure escape)
if you're a shopaholic
Fourth Street's indie shops alternating with mall stops
with your dog
Quarry Park's off-leash area makes tails wag
family oriented
Kaleideum provides science experiments kids actually remember forever
you have to see this
Twin City's legendary Krispy Kreme flagship with hot doughnuts
on a budget
Free downtown walking tours through tobacco baron history
for sports fans
Catch basketball fever courtside via Wake Forest Demon Deacons
My Favorite Local Spot in Winston-Salem
Village Tavern is a Winston staple for a reason. It has an extensive menu (think mini cheesecake factory-esque menu, minus the chain restaurant vibes) and everything is incredible -- whatever you're in the mood for, they'll have it, and they do it well. Personally, I love the carne asada tacos.
— Rachael Riner
North Carolina Local Expert
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