Winston-Salem is a city in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina formed in 1913 by joining the Moravian town of Salem with the tobacco town of Winston.
AT A GLANCE
Best time
April to May and September to October, for pleasant weather, gardens and fall color.
How long
Two days covers Old Salem, Reynolda and downtown; add a day for Pilot Mountain or the Yadkin Valley.
Getting there
Piedmont Triad International Airport is about 25 minutes east; the city has no passenger train station.
Why visit Winston-Salem
Moravian settlers founded Salem in 1766 as a planned church town, and much of it survives as a living history district.
Today Winston-Salem calls itself the City of Arts and Innovation. It is home to Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and it makes a good base for exploring Yadkin Valley wineries and the Blue Ridge foothills.
Old Salem and Moravian history
The historic heart of the city lies just south of downtown.
Old Salem Museums and Gardens
Old Salem preserves the 18th- and 19th-century Moravian town of Salem, with more than 100 restored buildings along brick sidewalks.
Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts
Part of Old Salem, MESDA displays furniture, paintings, ceramics and metalwork made in the early South, shown in period rooms.
Home Moravian Church and God's Acre
Home Moravian Church, built in 1800, still hosts the congregation. Its burial ground, God's Acre, follows the Moravian tradition of simple flat stones of equal size, and it is the site of a famous Easter sunrise service.
Salem Academy and College
Founded in 1772, Salem is one of the oldest educational institutions for women in the United States. Its campus borders the historic district.
Reynolda and the arts
Northwest of downtown, the former Reynolds estate is now a cultural campus.
Reynolda House Museum of American Art
The 1917 home of R. J. Reynolds and his wife Katharine holds an outstanding collection of American art, with works by Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frederic Church and Jacob Lawrence, displayed in the original rooms.
Reynolda Gardens and Reynolda Village
The estate's formal gardens, greenhouse and woodland trails are free and open daily.
Wake Forest University
Next to Reynolda, Wake Forest's campus is centered on Wait Chapel and the Reynolda Quad.
SECCA
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art presents changing exhibitions in a former private estate.
On WiserMap
Local businesses in Winston-Salem
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Queen City Homestore
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Downtown and the Arts District
Downtown Winston-Salem has been revived around arts, food and a former tobacco factory district.
Downtown Arts District
Trade Street and Sixth Street form the Downtown Arts District, with galleries, studios, restaurants and a monthly Gallery Hop on the first Friday.
Innovation Quarter and Bailey Park
Old Reynolds tobacco factories have been turned into offices, labs, apartments and restaurants in the Innovation Quarter.
Kaleideum
Kaleideum is a hands-on children's and science museum downtown, with exhibits on science, nature and the arts.
Truist Stadium
The Winston-Salem Dash, a minor league baseball team, play at Truist Stadium on the edge of downtown.
Parks and day trips
The Blue Ridge foothills and wine country are close.
Salem Lake
Salem Lake has a seven-mile trail around the water, popular with runners, cyclists and anglers, with boat and kayak rentals in season.
Pilot Mountain State Park
About 30 minutes north, Pilot Mountain's distinctive rocky knob rises above the plain.
Yadkin Valley wineries
West of the city, the Yadkin Valley was North Carolina's first federally recognized wine region and has dozens of wineries with tasting rooms.
Food and local flavors
Winston-Salem's food traditions start with the Moravians: thin, crisp Moravian cookies spiced with ginger and molasses, and buttery Moravian sugar cake.
Downtown's Trade Street, the Innovation Quarter and the West End have a strong mix of restaurants and breweries, and the Cobblestone Farmers Market sells local produce near Old Salem.
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Trusted by locals in Winston-Salem
Newcomb Septic Services
Newcomb Septic Services is a septic system services business serving Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It provides septic pump installation, repair, system install...
Peak Waste, LLC
Peak Waste, LLC is a locally owned waste management business serving Winston Salem, NC, and surrounding Forsyth and Davidson Counties. It provides commercial wa...
Styron Floor Covering
Styron Floor Covering is a flooring contractor in Winston-Salem, NC offering service installation of hardwood, carpet, tile, vinyl, laminate, and waterproof flo...
Where to stay
Downtown Winston-Salem is best for walking to the Arts District, restaurants and the Strollway to Old Salem.
Old Salem has a few historic inns and bed and breakfasts close to the museums.
West End is a historic neighborhood of Victorian homes and small inns near downtown.
Reynolda area, near Wake Forest University, puts you close to Reynolda House and the gardens.
Where to stay in Winston-Salem
Best time to visit
Spring brings flowering gardens and mild weather, plus the Moravian Easter sunrise service.
Summer is warm and humid, a good time for lakes and baseball.
Fall is ideal, with harvest season in the wine country and colorful leaves.
Winter is mild, and Old Salem's candlelight Christmas events are a highlight.
Getting there and getting around
By air: Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) is about 25 minutes east; Charlotte Douglas International is about 80 minutes southwest.
By car: Interstates 40 and 74 and US 52 cross the city.
Getting around: Downtown, the Arts District and Old Salem are walkable and linked by the Strollway, but a car is needed for Reynolda, the lakes and day trips.
Before you go
More to discover in Winston-Salem
Green wireless
Green Wireless operates iBoard Repair, providing electronic repair services.
Grubbs Woodworks
Grubbs Woodworks is a woodworking business serving Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point, NC. It provides furniture restoration, refinishing, repair, and cu...
Flagship Supply
Flagship Supply is a kitchen and bath remodeling business serving Winston Salem, NC. Flagship Supply provides design and installation services with experienced...
A suggested itinerary
First day
Spend the morning in Old Salem, watching the bakers and craftspeople and touring MESDA. In the afternoon, walk the Strollway to downtown and explore the galleries on Trade Street.
Second day
Visit Reynolda House and stroll the gardens, then have lunch in Reynolda Village.
Third day
Drive to Pilot Mountain State Park for a morning hike, then visit a few Yadkin Valley wineries on the way back.
Practical tips
- Buy an Old Salem ticket for access to the historic buildings and MESDA; walking the streets is free.
- Reynolda House is closed on Mondays; the gardens are open daily.
- Plan Yadkin Valley winery visits with a designated driver or a tour.
- Visit Old Salem in December for candlelight tours and Moravian Christmas traditions.
Find local businesses in Winston-Salem on WiserMap
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