Life in Salisbury | Catawba College
Source: http://www.catawba.edu/salisbury
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:17
Life in Salisbury | Catawba College
Life in Salisbury
Salisbury offers plenty to do for visitors and students who are looking to explore beyond campus.
Located in the vibrant Piedmont region in Rowan County, a wide variety of opportunities for enjoyment extends all around. Live music, great restaurants, unique shopping, art and theater performances, beautiful parks, entertaining events and much more abound.
Explore the Area
Learn more about the historic city of Salisbury and Rowan County:
Downtown Salisbury
Rowan County
Many parks offer a wide variety of ways to enjoy the outdoors as actively or as leisurely as you like, whether relaxing by a lake, visiting a nature center, hiking a trail, playing miniature golf, enjoying a picnic, or seeing exotic animals.
Bell Tower Green
Dan Nicholas Park
Salisbury City Park
Hurley Park
Salisbury Community Park
Greenway
Lazy 5 Ranch
Tiger World
Piedmont Players Theatre
has been bringing award-winning community theatre to life since 1961. It restored and performs in the historic Meroney Theater. Look for Catawba faculty, staff and classmates in the audience and onstage.
Lee Street
has as its founding purpose to present alternative forms of performance art to the community. Features include one act plays, works by local playwrights, and occasionally music concerts.
Tinseltown
is the local multi-screen cinema with stadium seating, showing several first-run movies at a time.
The Gem Theatre
is a popular historic theater in nearby Kannapolis that preserves the glory of a 1940s big-screen, first-run movie experience.
Salisbury Symphony Orchestra
- Most people are surprised to learn that a city the size of Salisbury has its own well-regarded symphony orchestra, which gave its first concert in 1967. It offers from five to as many as seven performances each year, many on the Catawba College campus or at Livingstone College.
Waterworks Visual Arts Center
- Beginning as the Rowan Art Guild, the Waterworks took its name from its first physical building, the City of Salisbury’s former waterworks building. Now housed in a facility built specifically to house the art galleries and offices, it offers five professional galleries, three outdoor sculpture/sensory gardens, photography and clay studios, classrooms, a library, large conference room and a gift shop. In addition to offering classes, it displays several exhibits of professional artists each year, along with juried shows.
Rail Walk Studios and Galleries
- Home to working artist studios and galleries, it also features a restaurant and brewery.
NC Transportation Museum
-
Trains and automobiles and more, oh my!
Museum of Dolls, Toys and Miniatures
- A hidden surprise in nearby Spencer
Hall House Museum
- Beautifully preserved home of Dr. Josephus Hall.
Rowan Museum
-
In addition to the museum, housed in a former courthouse, it operates the Old Stone House, Utzman-Chambers House, the China Grove Roller Mill, and offers activities, camps and more.
Salisbury Heritage Walking Tour
-
self guided, information available at the Rowan Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
African American Heritage Trail
- self guided, information available at the Rowan Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Salisbury Ghost Walk
–
an independently operated tour
Cheerwine Festival
- Downtown Salisbury – May
College Night Out
- City of Salisbury – date varies
Germanfest
- Old Stone House – September
Autumn Jubilee
- Dan Nicholas Park – October
OctoberTour
-
October
Dining
Dining
There are dining options to accommodate almost any taste!
From authentic Cuban food at Mambo Grill, student favorite Go Burrito with its rooftop patio, to classic North Carolina barbecue at close-to-campus Hendrix and College BBQ. There’s brisket at The Smoke Pit, Thai food at Sabaidee and Bangkok Downtown, Vietnamese at Yummi Banh Mi, Japanese at Osaka, Ichiban and Katana, along with local nearby favorites offering a variety of menu options such as DJs Restaurant, The Palms, Romano’s and LA Murph’s. If you love Mexican or Chinese food, we’ve got it! Seafood abounds at Blue Bay, or explore fine dining at Chef Santos, La Cava, and Ivan’s. Don’t forget the unique Hap’s Grill experience, and of course plenty of pizza options such as Salty Caper. And yes, we have many of your favorite chain restaurants!
View Local Restaurants
Lodging
Lodging
Travelers can choose from a variety of types of accommodations.
Major chain favorites include Hampton Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, Home 2 Suites by Hilton, Comfort Suites, and more. Charming bed and breakfasts include the appealing Across the Pond or Turn of the Century B&Bs. There are also several campgrounds in the area. Looking for something unusual? Look up the unique treehouse hotel, Treesort.
View Places to Stay in Rowan
Site Menu
Your Path Starts Here.
A center for sustainability, a powerhouse of the arts, and a leader in the sciences, business, and more. With 70+ academic programs — there’s nowhere Catawba can’t take you.
Discover The Good
Life in Salisbury
Salisbury offers plenty to do for visitors and students who are looking to explore beyond campus.
Located in the vibrant Piedmont region in Rowan County, a wide variety of opportunities for enjoyment extends all around. Live music, great restaurants, unique shopping, art and theater performances, beautiful parks, entertaining events and much more abound.
Explore the Area
Learn more about the historic city of Salisbury and Rowan County:
Downtown Salisbury
Rowan County
Many parks offer a wide variety of ways to enjoy the outdoors as actively or as leisurely as you like, whether relaxing by a lake, visiting a nature center, hiking a trail, playing miniature golf, enjoying a picnic, or seeing exotic animals.
Bell Tower Green
Dan Nicholas Park
Salisbury City Park
Hurley Park
Salisbury Community Park
Greenway
Lazy 5 Ranch
Tiger World
Piedmont Players Theatre
has been bringing award-winning community theatre to life since 1961. It restored and performs in the historic Meroney Theater. Look for Catawba faculty, staff and classmates in the audience and onstage.
Lee Street
has as its founding purpose to present alternative forms of performance art to the community. Features include one act plays, works by local playwrights, and occasionally music concerts.
Tinseltown
is the local multi-screen cinema with stadium seating, showing several first-run movies at a time.
The Gem Theatre
is a popular historic theater in nearby Kannapolis that preserves the glory of a 1940s big-screen, first-run movie experience.
Salisbury Symphony Orchestra
- Most people are surprised to learn that a city the size of Salisbury has its own well-regarded symphony orchestra, which gave its first concert in 1967. It offers from five to as many as seven performances each year, many on the Catawba College campus or at Livingstone College.
Waterworks Visual Arts Center
- Beginning as the Rowan Art Guild, the Waterworks took its name from its first physical building, the City of Salisbury’s former waterworks building. Now housed in a facility built specifically to house the art galleries and offices, it offers five professional galleries, three outdoor sculpture/sensory gardens, photography and clay studios, classrooms, a library, large conference room and a gift shop. In addition to offering classes, it displays several exhibits of professional artists each year, along with juried shows.
Rail Walk Studios and Galleries
- Home to working artist studios and galleries, it also features a restaurant and brewery.
NC Transportation Museum
-
Trains and automobiles and more, oh my!
Museum of Dolls, Toys and Miniatures
- A hidden surprise in nearby Spencer
Hall House Museum
- Beautifully preserved home of Dr. Josephus Hall.
Rowan Museum
-
In addition to the museum, housed in a former courthouse, it operates the Old Stone House, Utzman-Chambers House, the China Grove Roller Mill, and offers activities, camps and more.
Salisbury Heritage Walking Tour
-
self guided, information available at the Rowan Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
African American Heritage Trail
- self guided, information available at the Rowan Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Salisbury Ghost Walk
–
an independently operated tour
Cheerwine Festival
- Downtown Salisbury – May
College Night Out
- City of Salisbury – date varies
Germanfest
- Old Stone House – September
Autumn Jubilee
- Dan Nicholas Park – October
OctoberTour
-
October
Dining
Dining
There are dining options to accommodate almost any taste!
From authentic Cuban food at Mambo Grill, student favorite Go Burrito with its rooftop patio, to classic North Carolina barbecue at close-to-campus Hendrix and College BBQ. There’s brisket at The Smoke Pit, Thai food at Sabaidee and Bangkok Downtown, Vietnamese at Yummi Banh Mi, Japanese at Osaka, Ichiban and Katana, along with local nearby favorites offering a variety of menu options such as DJs Restaurant, The Palms, Romano’s and LA Murph’s. If you love Mexican or Chinese food, we’ve got it! Seafood abounds at Blue Bay, or explore fine dining at Chef Santos, La Cava, and Ivan’s. Don’t forget the unique Hap’s Grill experience, and of course plenty of pizza options such as Salty Caper. And yes, we have many of your favorite chain restaurants!
View Local Restaurants
Lodging
Lodging
Travelers can choose from a variety of types of accommodations.
Major chain favorites include Hampton Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, Home 2 Suites by Hilton, Comfort Suites, and more. Charming bed and breakfasts include the appealing Across the Pond or Turn of the Century B&Bs. There are also several campgrounds in the area. Looking for something unusual? Look up the unique treehouse hotel, Treesort.
View Places to Stay in Rowan
Site Menu
Your Path Starts Here.
A center for sustainability, a powerhouse of the arts, and a leader in the sciences, business, and more. With 70+ academic programs — there’s nowhere Catawba can’t take you.
Discover The Good