Billy Graham Library

The Billy Graham Library sits on 20 acres in south Charlotte, on property adjacent to where Billy Graham's ministry has been headquartered since 1950. It opened in 2007 as a permanent museum documenting Graham's life and the history of his global evangelistic work — and it's free to visit, making it one of Charlotte's best-value family attractions.

The exhibits are professionally designed and narratively engaging regardless of religious background. The story of a kid from a Charlotte dairy farm who became the most widely heard preacher in recorded history — who gave the message at the funerals of presidents and met privately with heads of state across six decades — is a genuinely fascinating piece of American history. The library covers Graham's Charlotte roots, his early ministry years, the massive stadium crusades, his relationships with political figures from Truman to Obama, and the development of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

For families, the most engaging elements are the personal and historical: archival film footage from the 1950s crusades, reconstructed settings from different periods of Graham's life, and the recreated family farmhouse on the property that gives kids a tangible sense of early 20th-century rural Carolina. The memorial garden at the back of the property, where Billy and Ruth Graham are buried, is a quiet reflective space.

Admission is entirely free. The library café serves light meals and the bookstore has a wide selection. Park in the free lot and plan 2-3 hours for a complete visit.