We LOVE murals, they are some of our favorite things to seek out when traveling. They are perfect for photos! The combination of the public art mixed with the culture of the city you are visiting you can’t beat! So for everyone coming to visit the Charlotte area, or who already live here, who better to tell you about the top 10 murals in Charlotte than two mural-loving Charlotte natives? We picked murals we love, that are easy to access, and we feel like capture the culture of our favorite city so well! So without further ado…
Heart Wall
The heart wall is one of Charlotte’s newer murals however it has become a fast favorite. It opened in the South End area of Charlotte near Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. If you are looking for it head to Jeni’s and go to the alleyway right before you get there. It will be on your left down there, probably with a crowd, especially on the weekends. It is by artist Evelyn Henson (https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_henson/) and such a great backdrop for photos!
Chanson de Papillon
This gorgeous mural is in NoDa, which many of the murals on this list are. It makes sense since it’s basically Charlotte’s art district. It sits on the side of Billy Jack’s Shack in NoDa in a parking lot. The artist said the inspiration was Dali’s late works. We LOVE how colorful this spot is. It is by artist Osiris Rain (https://www.instagram.com/osirisrain/) who is based in NoDa, and it really pops for photos!
Als Ich Chan: A Tribute to NoDa
Across from the Fibaonacci Wall is what we call the “people wall” it’s a great mural showcasing the people of NoDa by Will Puckett (https://www.instagram.com/mr_puckett/). It’s been in NoDa since 2009 and become a long standing favorite there. Make sure you check out more of NoDa while here it is filled with wonderful murals.
Lotus Mural
If you go a little further on Davidson street from the previous mural and turn left you will find the Lotus Mural by Osiris Rain (https://www.instagram.com/osirisrain/). It was originally commissioned by Stella Artois as an advertisement but the artist transitioned it into a permanent piece. It is very colorful and fun to take photos in front of!
Stripe Wall
This one is a little harder to find but it’s the sister mural to the Heart Wall and also by Evelyn Henson (https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_henson/). If you put Jeni’s Ice Cream on E 36th Street in your GPS, you will find this right beside the entrance. It’s the newest of the murals and a very cute place to snag a photo!
Salud Mural
This mural is also in NoDa behind the Salud Bottle Shop. It’s in an alley between the bottle shop and an apartment complex. It’s one of our absolute favorites. It’s got such fun design and colors. It’s by artist Nico Amortegui (https://www.instagram.com/nico_malo1/)
Camp North End
Camp North End is a newer arts district in Charlotte and a must check out for mural lovers. There are over 20 murals here by various artists and such a neat space. This particular mural is by Nico Art (http://nicoarte.com). Another favorite is by Georgie Nakima (https://www.instagram.com/gardenofjourney/), who also painted an amazing one in Heather’s hometown of Belmont!
Queen City Mural
Finally in Uptown itself there is the Queen City Mural by Matt Hooker (https://www.instagram.com/hookermedia/) and Matt Moore (https://www.instagram.com/puckmcgruff/) It’s a neat mural because it includes so many elements important to Charlotte from the Panthers to the Queen Charlotte Crown. It’s a great addition. It’s on the side of the bar Sip right off Trade & Tryon!
Pride Mural
This mural is on the side of White Rabbit, a LGBTQ store in Plaza Midwood. This bright and bold mural titled “Our Lives, Our Culture, Our Time” was painted by artist Gil Croy (https://www.instagram.com/tankerblue/) in 2012 as a symbol of love, peace, equality, and pride for Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ community. We love what this mural stands for & how beautiful it is!
Awake Mural
As you will see below one of our favorite murals by one of our favorite artist Nick Napoletano (https://www.instagram.com/napoletanoart/) was replaced. We were so excited to see a new one by him in Uptown Charlotte at Brooklyn NightClub. The owner loved Nick as well and was so lucky to have the city commission one for his building. We got to have a great chat with him when we explored the mural and love the new addition!
Replaced Murals:
Unfortunately, the next two murals were two of our favorites, however, the building got a new owner & therefore they look quite different now. So if you see the “Solstice Mural” or “Swirl Mural” listed on any other lists… be warned they will look like the following instead:
How they looked before:
Fibonacci Wall aka Swirl Wall
In the NoDa neighborhood, there is a gorgeous mural by artist Jonay di Ragno (https://www.instagram.com/jonay_di_ragno/) called the Fibonacci Wall. It is such a unique mural and a long time favorite. It has been the perfect backdrop for many photoshoots, advertisements, and instagram posts. It’s a definite check out in the area! To find look for Solstice Tavern, it is in the alley way beside there.
Soltice Tavern
Directly attached the the Fibonacci Wall is what was Solstice Tavern. It is a beautiful work of art by multiple artists, Nick Napoletano (https://www.instagram.com/napoletanoart/) & Georgie Nakima (https://www.instagram.com/gardenofjourney/) and it’s a not miss in the area! Not many places have made a whole building a piece of art and it’s very unique.
Magic Carpet
Another amazing mural in South End is actually on the ground. It is by artists Jessie and Katey (https://www.instagram.com/jessieandkatey/) and there are 3 throughout the rail trail. Across from Atherton Mill on the Rail Trail is the Magic Carpet Mural. It’s a great trail to walk if you want to see South End or get some exercise. It’s also a great spot to catch a peek of the skyline in your photos too! This one is still here, but sometimes it’s hard to access with current South End construction. So we moved this one over to our Top 10 Instagrammable Spots in Charlotte, because the Rail Trail as a whole has a lot of great spots!
There are over 60 murals in Charlotte, NC and many more to check out past this list but these are some of our favorites and what we consider the top 10 don’t miss if you want a quick intro the amazing public art and murals in Charlotte, NC. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
For other things to do in Charlotte check out these other posts:
Lesser Known Instagrammable Spots
Top Charlotte Area Breweries
Portal Charlotte
