Itinerary Planner

These days there are plenty of gizmos and gadgets to assist with your travel plans, but at Visit Winston-Salem, we are throwing the gizmo's out the window.  What is better than having a local tell about the hidden treasures and the “must-sees” in their home town? Click below and we’ll start the process of completing a custom itinerary for you. Or check out some of our favorite itineraries below. One might be a favorite for you too!

Sample Itineraries

Also, check out culturalcorridors.com for free drive narrative CDs. Listed below is a summary of each one.

The Reynolda Mile
Beautiful settings, incredible art, magnificent homes, and a guide to take you there. See how they lived. Be moved by the art. Explore Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, the Museum of Anthropology, and the Charlotte and Philip Hanes Gallery at Wake Forest University.

Dare To Dream
Experience rich African American history, culture and arts through the stories of the visionaries who forged their place in our history. Immerse yourself in Old Salem, St. Philip’s Moravian Church, and Winston-Salem State University’s Diggs Gallery. Savor the experience that is the Delta Arts Center.

Fingerprint Friendly
Go places where you’re never discouraged from touching. Run outdoors at Tanglewood Park, climb the giant beanstalk at The Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem, have fun and see the planets at SciWorks. Then marvel at the antique toy museum at Old Salem Museums and Gardens

The Wine Trails of Yadkin Valley
Relax and enjoy touring many regional wineries. Taste the wine, savor the atmosphere and do it all at your own pace. Relax.

The Great Wagon Road to Wachovia
Walk along the path of the Great Wagon Road and soak up 250 years of history. Tour Old Salem Museum and Gardens, Horne Creek Living Historical Farm, and “the World’s Strangest House,” Körner’s Folly. See our sites. Live our history. Make your own memories.

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Freebies

Folks will always tell you nothing is free, but they are wrong. Winston-Salem has plenty to offer that is free and can enrich the young and young at heart.

Begin your experience in Winston-Salem by stopping into the Winston-Salem Visitor Center and enjoy complementary coffee and Winston-Salem’s very own Moravian cookies. Pick up a complementary restaurant guide, and ask one of the friendly faces at the visitor center for recommendations on places to dine in the area.

Continue to Salem College, the birthplace of Women’s education, and take a trip back 250 years in the Single Sister’s House. Built in 1785, and enlarged in 1819, it is one of the most significant buildings in the history of women’s education in the United States.  

Stop by Winston-Salem’s downtown arts district. Browse through a backdrop of murals and experience numerous working studios, galleries and shops. Come and explore for yourself the fiber, wood, metal, canvas, and especially, the people of the arts district.

Make your way to the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at Wake Forest University and take part in the archeological artifacts on exhibit. MOA is North Carolina’s only museum dedicated to the study of global cultures.

Experience the Historic West End. Take a brief walking tour of the nearby streets and learn about this historic neighborhood.  Designed in 1890, the West End was home to the upper-management of local companies, including R. J. Reynolds.  Its curvy streets and terraced lawns blend beautifully with its Queen Anne, colonial revival, craftsmen and Victorian style homes.

Holiday

Begin your experience in Winston-Salem by stopping into the Winston-Salem Visitor Center and enjoy complementary refreshments and Winston-Salem’s very own Moravian Ginger cookies. Pick up a restaurant guide and ask one of the friendly faces at the visitor center for recommendations for the best holiday dinners in the area.

Enjoy the “Winter Pleasures” of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) at Old Salem Museums and Gardens. MESDA’s period rooms will be decorated to reflect the varied ways early southerners celebrated the winter months. Learn about the traditional late 17th,18th, and early 19th century Yuletide customs.

Take part in holiday festivities at the “strangest house in the world,” Körner’s Folly. Come see this amazing historic 22-room mansion beautifully decorated in the magical splendor of Christmas.

A local favorite during the holidays is a drive through Tanglewood Park’s Festival of Lights. Tanglewood’s rolling countryside will be transformed into a winter wonderland of giant snowflakes and whimsical scenes. The Festival of Lights continues to be one of the largest and most spectacular light shows in the entire southeast.

During the months of November and December there are a multitude of holiday events such as the Nutcracker performed by the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The downtown holiday parade by the Jaycees, and the delightful Moravian CandleTea at the Single Brother’s House in Old Salem Museums and Gardens are popular stops too.

Shop till you drop

If you thoroughly enjoy shopping for shoes, clothes, unique gifts, or art, Winston-Salem is the place to be.

Begin your experience in Winston-Salem by stopping at the Winston-Salem Visitor Center and you will be greeted by friendly faces. Pick up our visitor guide, scope out shopping destinations and add them to your list of places to go.  While you are at the visitor center, pick up a few items for your friends and family such as shirts, umbrellas, postcards and coin pouches to take home from your memorable visit.

If it is unique historical Moravian crafts that you are looking for, make sure to drop by Old Salem Museums and Gardens, Bethania, and Bethabara. Pick up beautifully made pieces of cloth and art along with the 26-point Moravian star ornaments.

The arts are part of the fabric of Winston-Salem, a tapestry woven throughout our history. Take in our Downtown Arts District, which is known for the unique shops that will keep you busy for hours. Find beautiful stationary at Signature. Body and Soul for jewelry, Shea butter soaps and lotions, and African American carvings or go to the Fiber Company and watch magic happen before your eyes. Continue down the street and stop in the Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, showcasing the work of 370 nationally-known craftsmen.  

Head over to Hanes Mall, the largest indoor mall between Atlanta, GA and Washington, DC, featuring more than 200 stores and an extensive food court.  Grab a map to the mall before you start shopping, you’re guaranteed to need it. Hanes Mall is the ultimate for seasoned shoppers.

Then wrap up your shopping excursion by heading over to Thruway Shopping Center, the first shopping center in Winston-Salem opened in 1955. 

If you haven’t broken the bank by now, or haven’t found the perfect gift for someone, head over to Reynolda Village, where you’ll find high-end fashions along with beautiful jewelry, a wonderful book shop and relax at one of the restaurants.

Sweet Tooth

Everyone gets a craving for sweets at some point, but when you really have a sweet tooth; Winston-Salem’s got you covered.

Come to the Winston-Salem Visitor Center for your first stop before your adventure begins. Be greeted by the friendly faces of the visitor center staff and enjoy some Moravian cookies.

Head to Ollie’s Bakery and get a pastry for the morning. There is nothing more scrumptious than a fresh-baked pastry topped with fresh fruit.

Next stop, Winkler Bakery in Old Salem Museums and Gardens, where 200 years of baking tradition bring your taste buds alive with fresh pound cake slices and Moravian ginger cookies.

Sit down for a minute, and start making more room for sweets. Continue downtown to Cafe' Prada and grab their one-of-a-kind sweet tea gelato, which is absolutely mind blowing. After finishing at Cafe' Prada go to Trade Street to Chelsee’s Coffee Shop & More. We doubt you need caffeine to top off your sugar high, but go ahead, Chelsee’s coffee and cakes are a must.

Need time for a breather? Walk through the arts district stores. Then make your way to Thruway Shopping Center on Stratford Road to Dewey’s Bakery, a personal favorite. Dewey’s has been baking up a storm since 1930 and their goodies are unbelievable. From cupcakes, to brownies and cookies, Dewey’s is an experience all on its own. Make sure to try out the Dewey’s signature pink lemonade cake. Before you head home or jump on the phone to call your dentist to check up on that sweet tooth that instigated this venture, watch fresh, hot Krispy Kreme Doughnuts be made and grab a dozen to go.

If you decide it’s not time yet to call the dentist, Mayberry’s Ice Cream , Midtown Café and Dessertery, and Kernel Custard are sure to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Antiques

Begin your day of excitement in Winston-Salem by stopping into the Winston-Salem Visitor Center. They’ll be sure to show you how to get to all the wonderful antique shops in town and all the places to grab a bite to eat when you’re ready to take a break.

Meander through more than a dozen antique, art and consignment shops.  Sort through treasures from the past, or watch a nationally-recognized potter create his masterpieces.  Start by taking a stroll through Hanes Park in the West End Neighborhood, a local favorite. 

Make sure to visit Lost in Time antiques on Peters Creek Parkway, who offers the most eclectic array of antique furnishings, including mid-century modern, vintage, sixties retro, seventies retro, toys, heirlooms and more.  Go ahead and satisfy your inner antique lover, and head over to Reynolda Road after you visit Lost in Time. There you’ll find West End antiques, Blessing Antiques, and Village Antiques… It’s heavenly for people that love antiquing.

Soulfully Enriched

Make sure to start your day with a stop by our Winston-Salem Visitor Center at 200 Brookstown Avenue, just south of downtown. The staff is great and they will help you with maps and share details regarding our many special events and attractions. Enjoy your soulful experience in Winston-Salem.

To understand the history of African Americans in Winston-Salem, begin with a tour of Old Salem Museums and Gardens. Experience the historical roots of African Americans by visiting St. Philip’s Moravian Church. Built in 1861, the church is the oldest standing African American church in North Carolina. Whether you decide to take a tour of Old Salem Museums and Gardens, or just visit a few places, be sure to stop by Winkler Bakery for some fresh Moravian ginger cookies.

For lunch, take a bite into the delicious soul food cooked up by Meta’s Restaurant or Sweet Potatoes Restaurant downtown. Make sure to go into Body & Soul which has a wonderful selection of Shea butter soaps and lotions along with unique jewelry, accessories, music and African carvings. Special Occasions Book Store is also a must with a large selection of African American literature, religious items and gifts. Before leaving the area, stop at Pan-African Imagery which offers many interesting African imports.

Stop by and see the changing African and African American exhibits at Diggs Gallery on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. Make time to walk the sculpture garden and view the Biggers Murals in the O'Kelly Library. Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts, Inc. which commissioned these murals, operates an arts center nearby. If younger members of the family are with you, enjoy SciWorks, the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem, Historic Bethabara Park, Museum of Anthropology and the newly restored Oak Grove School. This early 1900s one-room schoolhouse for African Americans has furnishings and memorabilia and showcases changing exhibits.

Think your day is complete? Oh no, not without seeing a performance by the North Carolina Black Repertory Company. Enjoy dinner and check out the sweet sounds of a saxophone playing at one of the many jazz venues.