Stand at the corner of Elm and Market streets and you are standing where Greensboro began: the courthouse square laid out in 1808, with three north–south streets and three east–west streets drawn around it. Walk south on Elm and the historic buildings give way to the Woolworth building, where the 1960 sit-ins began at a lunch counter that is still there.
Greensboro suits travellers who like their history close to the pavement, who will take a restored villa and rose gardens in the same afternoon as a ballpark, and who are happy to spend a rainy hour indoors with art or taxidermy. It is a driving city, so plan on short hops between downtown, the parks and the lakes.
This guide covers the sights and experiences named in the source material, with the practical detail you need to string them into a day.
Top things to do in Greensboro
1. International Civil Rights Center and Museum
This museum occupies the historic 1929 F.W. Woolworth building on South Elm Street and is devoted to the international struggle for civil and human rights, with the nonviolent protests of the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins at its centre. The original lunch counter and stools where the Greensboro Four began their sit-ins are part of what you see.
Entry is by guided tour only, lasting about an hour and a half. Plan for that fixed slot rather than dropping in, and note that the source describes the tour as dragging on somewhat. It is open Monday to Saturday, 10AM to 6PM.
2. Greensboro History Museum
On Summit Avenue, this museum holds extensive collections covering the city's history from pre-Columbian times to the present, with artifacts and detailed information throughout. There is a collection of Civil War weapons and artifacts, a small area reproducing shops and buildings from turn-of-the-20th-century Greensboro, and a large number of exhibits for children.
It is free, closed Mondays and City of Greensboro holidays, and open Tuesday to Saturday 10AM to 5PM and Sunday 2PM to 5PM. Backpacks must be checked at the front desk, so travel light.
3. Blandwood Mansion and Gardens
At 447 W Washington St, this is Greensboro's National Historic Landmark home of Governor John Motley Morehead and America's oldest Tuscan villa residence, with period furnishings, art and rose gardens. It is open to public tours.
Pair it with the downtown sights on the same day, since it sits on the western edge of the centre. The house also has a place in the city's Civil War story: Governor Zebulon B. Vance surrendered to Union officials in its parlour.
4. Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
On New Garden Road in north Greensboro, this is a beautiful park with jogging and bike trails, a small visitors centre and information on the Revolutionary War battle that occurred there. Admission is free.
There is a yearly reenactment of the battle on the weekend closest to March 14th, which is worth timing a visit around if the subject interests you. Otherwise come for the trails and the visitors centre.
5. Greensboro Science Center and the Animal Discovery Zoological Park
At 4301 Lawndale Dr, this is a natural history museum geared towards children with many interactive exhibits, plus a small but excellent zoo. The museum covers geology, paleontology and astronomy among other subjects, and the zoo houses everything from reptiles and farm animals to tigers and monkeys.
It is open 9AM to 5PM. Adults are $13.50, seniors 65+ and children 3 to 13 are $12.50, and children 2 and under are free.
6. Greensboro Grasshoppers Baseball at First Horizon Park
At 408 Bellemeade St, the Hoppers play in one of the newest and most beautiful ballparks in the southeast, with areas for children, seating on the grass, in the stands and in boxes, and standing room at the large outdoor bar by left field. The atmosphere is family oriented and the park is downtown.
If it is baseball season and the Hoppers are at home, go. Thursdays are extremely packed because of the cheap beer, though usually only the bar area is shoulder to shoulder. Parking can be a problem, but if you are willing to walk ten minutes, free parking is not.
7. South Elm Street
This is the centre of downtown Greensboro, lined with attractive historic buildings. Follow the street a little further north and they start to turn into corporate high-rises.
Walk it as a link between the International Civil Rights Center and Museum and the rest of downtown rather than as a destination on its own, and use it to get your bearings on your first afternoon.
8. Fisher Park
On Elm Street north of Fisher Avenue, this is a 100-year-old neighbourhood surrounding a central park, and a nice place for a walk.
It works well as a breather between the downtown museums and the northern sights, and the surrounding streets are the point as much as the green itself.
9. UNC-Greensboro and the Weatherspoon Art Museum
The university is good for people watching, and the Weatherspoon Art Museum there is fun on a rainy afternoon.
Treat the two as one stop: see the campus, then shelter in the museum if the weather turns.
10. Greensboro Cultural Center at Festival Park
At 200 N. Davie St, this is the city's cultural centre set at Festival Park, and it is the natural companion to an afternoon downtown.
Check what is on before you go, since the programme changes, and combine it with a walk along South Elm Street.
11. The lakes: Lake Brandt, Lake Higgins and Lake Townsend
All three offer canoeing and kayaking. Lake Brandt is at 5945 Lake Brandt Rd, Lake Higgins at 4235 Hamburg Mill Rd, and Lake Townsend at 6332 Townsend Rd.
Lake Higgins also allows fishing, so pick that one if you want to cast a line as well as paddle.
12. Black Diamond Backyard
At 407 Prescott Street, close to the baseball stadium, this is a community urban greenspace on the edge of downtown with a large orchard and gardens. It is open 8am to 8pm.
It pairs neatly with a Grasshoppers game, since it is within walking distance of the ballpark.
13. The Barn Dinner Theatre
At 120 Stage Coach Trail, this is the oldest continually-operating dinner theatre in the country, with a buffet dinner and a live show. Seat-only tickets may be available if you do not want dinner, and tickets start at $46 per adult and $23 per child.
There are no vegan options, so plan your meal accordingly.
14. Wet'n Wild Emerald Pointe Water Park
This water park operates from late May to early September, making it a summer-only option.
It is the obvious choice for a hot afternoon with children, and it sits outside the downtown cluster, so give it its own half-day.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum on South Elm Street, where entry is by guided tour only and the tour runs about an hour and a half. Walk South Elm Street afterwards to see the historic buildings of downtown, then continue to the Greensboro History Museum on Summit Avenue for the city's story from pre-Columbian times onward.
Afternoon: Head to Blandwood Mansion and Gardens on W Washington St for a tour of the house and the rose gardens. If time allows, carry on north to Guilford Courthouse National Military Park for the trails and the small visitors centre, which is free.
Evening: If it is baseball season and the Greensboro Grasshoppers are at home, take in a game at First Horizon Park, arriving early enough to find parking or to walk in from a free spot about ten minutes away. Otherwise, book the Barn Dinner Theatre for a buffet and a live show.
Frequently asked questions
When is the International Civil Rights Center and Museum open, and do I need a tour?
It is open Monday to Saturday, 10AM to 6PM. Entry is only by guided tour, which lasts about an hour and a half.
Which Greensboro sights are free?
The Greensboro History Museum has free admission, and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park is free. The Greensboro Science Center charges $13.50 for adults, $12.50 for seniors 65+ and children 3 to 13, and is free for children 2 and under.
What can I do in Greensboro on a rainy afternoon?
The Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNC-Greensboro is described as fun on a rainy afternoon, and the Greensboro History Museum and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum are both indoor options.
Where can I get out on the water near Greensboro?
Lake Brandt, Lake Higgins and Lake Townsend all offer canoeing and kayaking, and Lake Higgins also allows fishing.
Pick your dates around a ballgame or the battle reenactment weekend, check the tour times at the civil rights museum, and start building your Greensboro itinerary.