Free & Cheap Things to Do in Winston-Salem

History & Culture

One of America's most authentically restored colonial towns — the 18th-century Moravian community of Salem, brought to life across original and reconstructed buildings staffed by costumed gunsmiths, bakers, potters, and tailors. Wandering the cobblestone streets, gardens, and God's Acre graveyard of the historic district is free; ticketed buildings reveal the trades and daily life inside.

Address: 900 Old Salem Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Tip: Strolling the streets, gardens, and Moravian graveyard costs nothing. Two-Stop tickets ($22 adult/$12 child) cover two venues including the Horton Museum galleries; Full Access is $30/$16. Grab a wood-fired Moravian sugar cake at Winkler Bakery. Open Wednesday-Saturday.

Parks & Nature

The 134-acre formal gardens and grounds of the historic Reynolda estate, once home to tobacco magnate R.J. Reynolds and his wife Katharine. Four acres of formal gardens — roses, vegetables, and a 1913 greenhouse — give way to woodland trails, wetlands, and open fields beside Wake Forest University. Free and open dawn to dusk year-round.

Address: 100 Reynolda Village Way, Winston-Salem, NC 27106

Tip: The gardens, greenhouse, and grounds are free daily from dawn to dusk, with free parking at Reynolda Village. Pair a stroll with the adjacent Reynolda Village shops and cafés. Spring brings the rose and bulb beds into peak bloom.

Arts & Culture

An acclaimed American art collection — Frederic Church, Georgia O'Keeffe, Thomas Eakins, and more — housed in the 1917 Reynolds family mansion on the Reynolda estate. The museum pairs masterworks with the original bungalow-style house and its period rooms. A Forsyth County library card gets two adults in free.

Address: 2250 Reynolda Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106

Tip: The historic house interiors are closed for preservation until August 2026, but the Babcock Gallery exhibitions stay open. Children and students are always free, and Forsyth County library cardholders can borrow a free-admission pass for two adults.

Family Fun

Winston-Salem's children's and science museum, reborn in 2024 as a single 30,000-square-foot downtown space that blends classic children's-museum play with hands-on STEAM exhibits. Three floors of interactive zones, a Digital Dome planetarium, and programming for toddlers through tweens make it a reliable rainy-day pick.

Address: 120 W 3rd St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Tip: SNAP/EBT and WIC cardholders pay just $3 each for up to six people, and Forsyth County school educators get in free. Digital Dome planetarium shows are an extra $5. Homeschool families get a discount on school-year weekdays with a Letter of Intent.

Historic Sites

The 1753 site of the first Moravian settlement in North Carolina, predating Salem itself. A free park preserves reconstructed colonial buildings, a palisade fort, archaeological foundations, and a recreated 1761 medicinal garden, all threaded with walking trails through 180 acres of wetlands and woods.

Address: 2147 Bethabara Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106

Tip: The grounds, trails, gardens, and fort are free dawn to dusk; the visitor center and building tours run Tuesday-Sunday (April-mid-December). Free signature events include Apple Fest in September and Hands on History Day. Living-history Homeschool Days ($5) run each fall and spring.

Arts & Culture

North Carolina's only museum dedicated to global cultures, on the Wake Forest University campus. Rotating exhibits draw from a collection of artifacts spanning more than 90 countries and 350 cultures, with hands-on activities for kids. Free admission and free parking right out front.

Address: Palmer Hall, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109

Tip: Admission and parking are both free, Tuesday through Saturday 10am-4:30pm. The museum closes on major holiday weekends, so check the calendar around holidays. Small but well-curated — an easy hour, and a good free pairing with nearby Reynolda.

Parks & Nature

A 7-mile multi-use trail looping around 365-acre Salem Lake through 1,400 acres of city-owned forest, about 3.5 miles east of downtown. The flat, crushed-gravel path draws walkers, runners, cyclists, and birders, and the lake itself offers pier fishing and seasonal boat rentals from the marina.

Address: 815 Salem Lake Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27107

Tip: Walking and biking the loop are free — park outside the main gates. Pier fishing is $3.50 for adults and free for kids 11 and under; motorized and non-motorized boat launches run $4-6 through the marina. Gates lock nightly at 7pm.

Parks & Nature

A sprawling 1,100-acre Forsyth County park in Clemmons, southwest of Winston-Salem, on a former Reynolds family estate. Walking and nature trails, a rose garden and arboretum, lakes, and picnic groves fill the grounds, with golf, a pool, and horse stables available for extra fees.

Address: 4061 Clemmons Rd, Clemmons, NC 27012

Tip: A small per-car gate fee (about $2) covers general entry; trails, gardens, and picnic areas are then free to enjoy. Golf, the aquatic center, and horseback riding cost extra. Each December the park hosts the popular drive-through Festival of Lights.

History & Culture

Billed as 'the strangest house in America,' this whimsical 1880 Victorian in nearby Kernersville packs 22 rooms across seven levels of wildly varying ceiling heights, 15 fireplaces, hidden nooks, and the first private little theater in the US. Self-guided tours wander the lovingly restored, delightfully eccentric interiors.

Address: 413 S Main St, Kernersville, NC 27284

Tip: Self-guided tours run Tuesday-Sunday; the last tour starts an hour before closing. It's in downtown Kernersville, about 15 minutes east of Winston-Salem. The historic stairs aren't wheelchair-accessible, but a virtual tour is available at the visitors center.

Shopping & Strolling

Winston-Salem's Downtown Arts District (DADA) packs galleries, studios, makers, and murals along Trade and Sixth Streets. On the first Friday of every month the free Gallery Hop turns the district into a 7-10pm street party with exhibition openings, live demonstrations, performances, and food.

Address: Trade St & 6th St, Downtown Arts District, Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Tip: The First Friday Gallery Hop runs year-round, 7-10pm, around 5th, 7th, and Trade Streets. Weekend parking at the 6th & Cherry Street deck is just $2. Galleries like Delurk, Red Dog, and Piedmont Craftsmen are free to browse any day they're open.