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High Point, NC: Where Fun and Adventure Collide – Check Out the Best Places to Visit and Things to Do!

High Point earns the furniture title honestly. The city has been making furniture since the late 1800s. Twice a year the High Point Market fills it with the largest home furnishings trade show in the world. The rest of the year it is a quiet Piedmont city with good museums, a large lake park, and a chest of drawers 36 feet tall standing on a downtown street. Not a joke.

Planning a trip to High Point, North Carolina and wondering what fills the days? The city has a long history and a working community around it, and there is considerably more here than the furniture trade implies. Museums, galleries, parks, hiking trails. All four are covered in this charming town.

High Point’s Humorous History is the place to start. Start there. The city’s past is long and genuinely odd in places, and the landmarks that came out of it are worth the walk. Wander through the Chest of Drawers Museum or take a tour of the Hosiery Industry and the city begins to make sense. Festivals and events run through the year for anyone wanting something lighter.

Key Takeaways

• High Point, North Carolina is a charming town with plenty of fun and exciting activities to enjoy.
• The city’s humorous history is a great place to start your exploration, with plenty of landmarks and sites that will make you laugh out loud.
• From museums and galleries to parks and hiking trails, there is something for everyone in High Point.

High Point’s Humorous History

High Point, North Carolina has a long and frequently funny history, and it is worth the time. Furniture through to fashion, the city has been through all of it. These are the highlights:

Furniture Capital of the World

High Point is known as the “Furniture Capital of the World,” and the title is earned. The city has been producing furniture since the late 1800s and holds more than 50 furniture showrooms today. Twice a year it hosts the High Point Market, the largest home furnishings industry trade show anywhere. Buying furniture? This is the event.

Fashion Faux Pas

In the 1970s High Point sat at the center of the textile industry, and fashion ran through the city’s culture. One trend did not survive. The “High Point Look” paired a suit jacket with shorts. Yes, really. It was a fashion faux pas and it did not last long, which is probably for the best.

The Big Chair

Another iconic landmark in High Point is the “Big Chair.” This giant chair stands 30 feet tall and went up in 1920 as a symbol of the city’s furniture industry. It originally sat in front of a furniture store and was moved to its current location in 1950. Tourists have been standing under it ever since.

High Point’s humorous history is one reason to come to this charming corner of the Piedmont Triad. Furniture, fashion, or a run of landmarks that make no obvious sense. All three work.

A Laugh at the Landmarks

High Point runs on quirky landmarks and it does not apologize for a single one of them. These are the ones that make the trip memorable. Photograph all of them.

World’s Largest Chest of Drawers

The World’s Largest Chest of Drawers stands 36 feet tall and is impossible to miss. It sits in downtown High Point and is the first stop for anyone who likes a landmark with no restraint about it. Built in 1926 as a tribute to the city’s furniture industry. Still the photograph everybody takes.

High Point Regional Visitors Center

The High Point Regional Visitors Center is where to start. It carries information on the city’s attractions, events and restaurants, along with brochures and maps for planning the rest of the trip. A short stop saves time later.

High Point Museum

The High Point Museum covers the city’s history properly. The exhibits run through the furniture industry, the city’s part in the Civil War, and its famous residents. There are historic buildings on the museum’s campus and a tour that takes them in. Allow an hour.

High Point is full of quirky landmarks and most of them will make you smile. Jazz fan, sports fan, or a family after a fun afternoon. All three are covered here.

Giggles in the Galleries

You do not need to be a serious art connoisseur to enjoy the galleries and museums in High Point. Some of the exhibits are genuinely funny, which is not a thing most galleries manage. Go anyway.

Start the art run at the Rockingham County Arts Council. The gallery rotates exhibits from local artists, so what is hanging depends entirely on when you turn up. One visit is a landscape painting. The next is a quirky sculpture built out of recycled materials.

The Museum of Old Domestic Life is the one that gets a laugh. It shows what family life looked like in the 1800s and early 1900s, from antique kitchen gadgets through to old-fashioned toys. The real fun is imagining it without any modern conveniences. Washing clothes by hand. Cooking on a wood stove.

The Rosetta C. Baldwin African-American Museum takes a serious look at history. It tells the story of African Americans in High Point and the surrounding area. The exhibits cover segregation and the civil rights movement. They cover the struggles and the triumphs of the local black community.

Furniture lovers should not miss the Bernice Bienstock Furniture Library. It holds an extraordinary depth of material on furniture design and history, and it is open to browse. Books, magazines, catalogs from all over the world. Something in there will start an idea.

Whichever gallery or museum you pick, the time is well spent. Let out a giggle or two while exploring the art and history of High Point. Nobody minds.

Mirthful Museums

High Point is not only known for its furniture market but also for its amusing museums. You can visit the High Point Museum and explore the history of modern-day High Point. It’s a must-see for history buffs. You can also check out the Museum of Old Domestic Life that showcases the life of the early settlers in the area. You’ll be surprised to see how they lived their daily lives back then.

But if you’re looking for something more fun and interactive, head over to the Rosetta C. Baldwin African-American Museum. It’s a small but lively museum that celebrates the rich history and culture of African-Americans in High Point. You can even join their storytelling sessions and learn about the struggles and triumphs of the African-American community.

For a more hands-on experience, visit the Museum of Old Dome. It’s a museum dedicated to the history of the High Point University campus. You can explore the old buildings and even climb up to the top of the dome for a panoramic view of the city.

These museums teach and entertain at the same time, which is rarer than it sounds. Both at once. You will have a good time learning about the history and culture of High Point.

Parks Packed with Puns

High Point, North Carolina has plenty of parks and each one has its own charm and personality. Somewhere to relax, somewhere to exercise, or somewhere to spend an afternoon with family and friends. These are the best of them.

Oak Hollow Lake

Oak Hollow Lake sits in the heart of High Point and it is a genuinely beautiful stretch of water. Fishing, boating, and everything else that happens on a lake. It is the outdoor center of the city.

Oak Hollow Golf Course

Oak Hollow Golf Course is the other half of the same complex, right in the heart of High Point. It is a beautiful course and it works for golfers of all skill levels. Book a tee time.

Nature Trails

High Point has many nature trails and they are good for hiking, biking, and simply getting out of the car. Pick one and follow it.

High Point’s parks reward the effort more than the city’s reputation would suggest. Today works. So grab your friends and family and head out to explore these pun-tastic parks.

Shopping with a Smile

High Point is the “Home Furnishings Capital of the World” and it is a serious shopping town on top of that. Antiques, modern furniture, clothing, and a long tail of everything else. Comfy shoes. You will be walking.

Furniture buyers are in the right city. High Point holds over 50 furniture stores and sits at the hub of furniture manufacturing in the United States, traditional through to contemporary and everything in between. For a good deal, the High Point Furniture Sales is the one to time a trip around. Plan around it. This semi-annual event offers discounts of up to 75% off retail prices.

Not in the market for furniture? There is still plenty here. The High Point Antique Mall is the stop for antique lovers, the largest antique mall in North Carolina, with over 60,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles under one roof.

For more modern shopping experiences, the malls. Oak Hollow Mall and the Palladium Shopping Center are the two, with clothing, accessories and electronics across both. For something unique, the locally-owned boutiques in downtown High Point are where to look.

Shopping is tiring, so build in breaks. Sit down. High Point has plenty of restaurants and cafes for a meal or a cup of coffee between stops. And if the shopping needs to stop altogether, one of the city’s parks will do the job.

In High Point, shopping counts as an adventure rather than a chore, which is not true of most cities. Put on the shopping shoes and get on with it. Go.

Laughing at the Lake

For a relaxed day in High Point, the High Point City Lake Park is the answer. There is a run of activities here that are more fun than they have any right to be, and most of them cost very little. Memorable in the ordinary way.

First, ride the miniature train and feel like a kid again. The ride is the easiest way to see the park and take in the scenery. Next, the merry-go-round, where you pick a favorite animal and get on. Adults can ride too.

For a more adventurous experience, take the 30-passenger boat ride out onto the lake. Fresh air, open water. The beautiful surroundings do the work and the ticket is cheap. If the group is competitive, the park’s 18-hole mini-golf course settles the argument.

The park is also good for fishing enthusiasts. Oak Hollow Lake sits inside it and is a popular spot for casting a line. Catch something and the day improves considerably.

High Point City Lake Park is where a day goes without you noticing. Enough on offer that nobody gets bored, adults included. Simple as that. Grab your friends and family, pack a picnic, and head over for the afternoon.

Hilarious Hiking Trails

Looking for a laugh while walking the beautiful nature around High Point? Easy going. These hiking trails deliver on both counts and neither one asks much of the legs.

The Silly Squirrel Trail

The Silly Squirrel Trail is short and easy, and it works for families with kids or anyone after a lighthearted hike. Keep your eyes peeled for the silly squirrel sculptures hidden along the way. Can you spot them all? Nobody finds them all first time.

The Goofy Geology Trail

This trail is a geological wonderland, and the rocks are only half the reason to walk it. The signs along the way carry silly jokes and puns about rocks and geology. You learn something about the local rocks and minerals and laugh at the same time. Both happen.

The trip turns on the calendar and the car. Check whether the High Point Market is running, because during those weeks hotel rooms vanish and prices climb across the whole Piedmont Triad. Then decide how much driving you are willing to do in a day. Downtown holds the museums, the chest of drawers and the furniture showrooms within a short walk of each other. Oak Hollow Lake and High Point City Lake Park are a short drive out of the center. The zoo, Old Salem and Hanging Rock State Park are day trips in their own right. Plan accordingly.

The Funny Face of Festivals and Events

High Point knows how to have fun and the calendar shows it. The city runs festivals and events all year that will bring a smile to your face. These are the funniest:

Trivia Night

Trivia buff? Trivia Night in High Point is the one to find. It runs at various bars and restaurants throughout the city, which means the venue changes and the crowd changes with it. Turn up, test the random-facts knowledge, and laugh with friends.

High Point Arts Festival

The High Point Arts Festival is a celebration of everything creative. Artists and vendors sell their work, live music runs through the day, and the food trucks handle lunch. A single day, no planning. It is a good way to spend a day on the city’s artistic side.

High Point Market

The High Point Market is the largest home furnishings trade show in the world. It does not sound humorous, and then you get there and find some of the most outrageous furniture designs ever built sitting in a showroom. The people-watching is excellent. And some vendor always has a great sense of humor about the whole thing.

High Point knows how to have fun, and these festivals and events are a few examples of the city’s humorous side. Next time you are in town, pick one and go. Laughing until your sides hurt is the intended outcome. It is also a solid destination for sports enthusiasts.

The Amusing Side of Artifacts

Museums get better when the artifacts are strange. High Point, NC holds several with interesting exhibits that will stop you in your tracks. These are the amusing artifacts to look for:

High Point, NC holds some of the strangest artifacts you will ever see in a museum. The World’s Largest Chest of Drawers through to the Hamburger Bed. All of it real. Go and look at these exhibits properly, because photographs do not do the job.

Dining for a Good Laugh

High Point, North Carolina is famous for its furniture market and quietly good on the dining side too. There are restaurants here that serve well and make you laugh, which is a rare combination. Quick bite or a fancy place to celebrate, both are covered. Book the long one.

The Old Plank Road

The Old Plank Road sits in a historic building and does something different with it. The menu is Southern-inspired with a modern twist. What sets the place apart is comedy nights: every Friday and Saturday it hosts stand-up shows with local and national comedians. A good meal and a good laugh in one booking.

Blue Water Grille

In the mood for seafood? Blue Water Grille. Fresh seafood dishes across the menu, oysters and shrimp and crab among them. What makes the place special is “Pirate Night” every Wednesday, when the staff dress up in pirate costumes, the room fills with pirate-themed props, and live music and trivia games run alongside dinner. Eye patch optional.

Sammy G’s Tavern

Sammy G’s Tavern draws locals and visitors in equal measure. The menu is classic American, burgers and wings and sandwiches. What makes it stand out is “Karaoke Night” every Thursday, when you can sing over a cold beer or sit back and cheer on whoever is braver than you.

High Point, North Carolina has dining options that deliver delicious food and a good laugh in the same sitting. Seafood, burgers or Southern-inspired dishes. All three are here.

The Lighter Side of Laser Tag

Looking for something exciting to do with friends or family in High Point, North Carolina? Laser tag might be the answer. It is high-energy, it works for people of all ages, and it gives everyone permission to let loose for an hour.

Picture a dark, neon-lit arena, dodging laser beams and trying to tag your opponents without getting tagged yourself. It is a real-life video game. And the kit sells it: a cool vest and a futuristic-looking laser gun.

Laser tag is not only about the competition. It is a great way to bond with your teammates and laugh at each other. Either works. Strategizing with friends or goofing off and making silly noises, both count as playing properly.

For somewhere to play laser tag in High Point, there are several options in the area and each does the game slightly differently. These are a few to check out. Pick one.

Place	Description
Laser Quest	This indoor laser tag arena features multiple levels and a variety of game modes, including team play and free-for-all. It’s perfect for groups of all sizes.
Spare Time	In addition to laser tag, this entertainment center offers bowling, arcade games, and more. It’s a great spot for a full day of fun.
Kersey Valley Spookywoods	If you’re looking for a unique laser tag experience, check out the “Zombie Laser Tag” at Kersey Valley Spookywoods. You’ll battle hordes of zombies in a post-apocalyptic setting.

Wherever you play laser tag in High Point, bring a sense of humor and a competitive spirit. Nobody is scoring you. And strike a few silly poses for the camera, because the whole thing is about having fun.

The Hilarity of Hotels

Hotels. Places where you hand over real money to sleep in a bed that a great many other people have slept in before you. They do change the sheets in between. Mostly.

For somewhere to stay in High Point, the options are broader than the size of the city suggests. The Sheraton has the prime location and the luxurious end of the amenities. Check first. The local motels are cheaper and more variable, so read the recent reviews before booking rather than after.

The complimentary breakfast is the part everyone has an opinion about. Stale bagels or lukewarm eggs that have been sitting under a heat lamp too long, and orange juice that is not fooling anybody about being fresh squeezed. Eat before you check out anyway.

There are compensations. The tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner that nobody ever finishes. And with luck a robe, washed so many times it has the texture of sandpaper.

All jokes aside, staying in a hotel here is a perfectly good experience and most people have no complaints at all. Bring your own pillow and some hand sanitizer and you will be fine. That is the whole list.

The Comical Carousel

Looking for something quirky in High Point, NC? The Comical Carousel. This double-decker carousel sits in the outdoor adventure zone at the Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum, and it is impossible to look at without smiling.

Step on and a cast of comical characters is waiting. A giraffe, a zebra, a cow. Each animal is designed with an expression that lands somewhere between friendly and absurd, and the kids notice immediately.

Once the ride starts the whole thing turns whimsical. Nonsense, and welcome. The music gets the feet going and the colorful lights do the rest.

The Comical Carousel works for all ages, which is not a claim most rides can make honestly. Children love the playful animals and the ride itself. Adults get the humor and the nostalgia.

For something unique and entertaining in High Point, the Comical Carousel at the Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum is the answer. Go twice. You will remember the ride longer than you expect to.

Vineyards with a Vibe

Vineyards have a reputation for snobs and wine connoisseurs, and High Point has a few that break it. Nobody will test you. These have a vibe that is fun and laid-back, so you can drink a glass of wine without needing to know anything about it.

Grove Winery & Vineyards

Grove Winery & Vineyards is family-owned and works from classic European grape varieties. What sets it apart is the location: a hilltop with a panoramic view over the surrounding countryside. Drink a glass on the outdoor patio and look at it. Live music runs on weekends.

Sanders Ridge Vineyard & Winery

Sanders Ridge Vineyard & Winery is farm-to-table. The wine comes from grapes grown on their own estate. What sets it apart is the commitment to sustainability: solar panels power the winery and the grapes are grown using organic and biodynamic methods. Tour the vineyard, or sit on the outdoor patio with a glass instead. Either is fine.

Childress Vineyards

Childress Vineyards is the large one, making wine from grapes grown in North Carolina. Unusual pairing. What sets it apart is the NASCAR connection: the winery is owned by Richard Childress, a former NASCAR driver and team owner. Tour it for the winemaking process, or sit in the tasting room with a glass and the NASCAR memorabilia on the walls.

Now that these vineyards with a vibe are on the list, a glass of wine stops being an intimidating proposition. Cheers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some hidden gems in High Point, NC that tourists often miss out on?

High Point is full of places tourists drive straight past. Start with the greenway. One favorite is the High Point Greenway, a beautiful trail that winds through the city’s parks and neighborhoods. Another is the High Point Museum, full of fascinating artifacts and exhibits that tell the story of the city properly.

What’s the craziest thing to do in High Point, NC?

For crazy, this is the right place. How about the world’s largest chest of drawers? High Point is home to a giant chest of drawers you can actually climb inside. If that is not enough, the zipline at Kersey Valley Attractions sends you through the trees at speed.

What are some must-see attractions near High Point, NC?

There are plenty of attractions worth the drive near High Point. These are our favorites. A short drive away is the North Carolina Zoo, one of the largest and most beautiful zoos in the country. History fans should not miss Old Salem, a living history museum that puts you back in the 18th century. For outdoor adventure, Hanging Rock State Park has hiking, swimming and camping under the stars.

What are the best outdoor activities to do in High Point, NC?

High Point is good country for anyone who likes being outdoors. Pick by energy level. Hike the Piedmont Environmental Center, which runs miles of beautiful trails and holds all kinds of wildlife. For something more adventurous, kayaking or paddleboarding on Oak Hollow Lake. And for the relaxing version, High Point City Lake Park has fishing, picnicking and the beautiful scenery.

What’s the weirdest thing to do in High Point, NC?

Ready for some weirdness? The World’s Largest Chest of Drawers. Or the High Point Furniture Market, where the furniture designs run genuinely bizarre and wacky. And for the brave, the ghost tour at the Castle McCulloch, which comes with a long list of spooky stories about the castle’s haunted past.

What’s the most Instagram-worthy spot in High Point, NC?

For the perfect Instagram shot, head to the High Point City Lake Park and photograph the beautiful lake and the scenery around it. The High Point Greenway is the other one, running through the city’s parks and neighborhoods. Charge the phone. And the World’s Largest Chest of Drawers is the photo op nobody skips.

Frequently asked questions about High Point, North Carolina

Which High Point park works for kids?

High Point City Lake Park, easily, and it is not a close call at all. There is a miniature train, a merry-go-round, an 18-hole mini-golf course and a 30-passenger boat ride, which is more than most city parks manage. Bring a picnic. The Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum is the indoor backup for the day it rains on you.

How long does the World’s Largest Chest of Drawers take to see?

Long enough for photographs, and no longer. It stands 36 feet tall on a downtown street, and the whole visit is walking up, looking up, and taking the picture. Park somewhere nearby and walk. Fold it into a downtown afternoon with the High Point Museum rather than making a separate drive out for it alone.

Is there anything to do in High Point when the museums are closed?

Plenty. Oak Hollow Lake and the golf course beside it run all day, the greenway and the nature trails need no opening hours, and the vineyards outside town pour into the evening. Trivia Night moves around the bars and restaurants of the city, so check where it lands. And the chest of drawers out on the street never closes.

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