Overview
Hickory is a city in the foothills of North Carolina. Hickory is something of a regional shopping hub and a significant center for furniture manufacturing. As a result, it's an excellent place for buying furniture.
1 sights · 7 things to do · 11 places to eat · 8 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Hickory
Hickory Museum of Art
Although American art was almost unrecognized outside of New York and Philadelphia in 1943, the North Carolina city of Hickory set out to establish a museum of American art. Located on Hickory, NC’s SALT Block (Sciences,…
Hickory Motor Speedway
NASCAR short track. It is the oldest professional sporting venue in Catawba County, and the oldest continually operating motor speedway in the country with over 53 seasons. Three fully equipped concession stands, a souve…
Catawba Science Center
Explore the Physical and Natural Sciences. Interesting traveling exhibits rotate throughout the year. It has a planetarium and aquaria with touch tanks where you can touch creatures such as live sharks and rays. Located …
Hickory Crawdads Minor League Baseball
As American as, well, baseball! Always good fun, and the Crawdads usually win, too! Try the Crawdad Red Ale at the Crawdad Cafe. (Take I-40 to exit 123 North (Hwy 321 Lenoir/Airport). Travel to fifth stoplight and turn l…
Rock Barn Country Club & Spa
Two challenging golf courses, a spa, restaurants, and lodging.
AMC Hickory 15
First-run movies.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 79°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Wettest: Sep and Jun. (climate data from nearby Boone)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- CLT Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte — 42 mi away (major hub). Directions
- USA Concord-Padgett Regional Airport, Concord — 42 mi away. Directions
The closest commercial service airports are Charlotte (CLT) and Greensboro (GSO). Hickory Hop offers shuttle service from Charlotte Airport.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $9 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Hickory Museum of Art, Catawba Science Center, Carolina Theater
- Lunch Amos Howard's
- Afternoon Hickory Crawdads Minor League Baseball, Marquee Mimosa 7
- Dinner McGuire's Pub
Day 2
- Morning Hickory Motor Speedway, AMC Hickory 15
- Lunch Wild Wok
- Afternoon Rock Barn Country Club & Spa
- Dinner The Peanut House
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
The closest commercial service airports are Charlotte (CLT) and Greensboro (GSO). Hickory Hop offers shuttle service from Charlotte Airport.
By car
- I-40 - Exit 125 or 126 will take you to the commercial district for shopping and most chain restaurants.
- US-321 - Intersects with I-40 at mile marker 123.
- US-70 - Runs nearly parallel with I-40 East-West through town. Most shopping, restaurants, and hotels are along the US-70 corridor.
- NC-127 - Divides the town roughly between East and West. Head north until 127 ends to find US-64.
By bus
Greyhound buses offer direct service from several major North Carolina cities: Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Asheville; connections are available to numerous other destinations. The buses stop at the Citgo gas station at 3361 Hwy 70 SE in Newton. This is quite a ways outside of town, so you'll need to either have someone pick you up, call a taxi or rideshare, or take a local bus into town.
By train
Hickory no longer has passenger rail service. The nearest Amtrak stations are in Charlotte and Salisbury.
Get around
By car
Driving in Hickory is quite easy, although the remaining one-way streets and eclectic street naming conventions can be somewhat bewildering. If you get lost, just ask a local and say you're from out of town. They'll refrain from an age-old Hickory tradition of giving directions based on where things "used to be".
The main thoroughfares in Hickory are Interstate 40, U.S. 70, and U.S. 321.
By bus
Greenway bus service is available in and around Hickory. Buses run Monday–Friday early morning to late afternoon and Saturday with a more limited schedule. The fare is $1.25 per ride, with one free transfer. $3 for a one-day pass. Children under 5 are free.
See
See Hickory Museum of Art
Although American art was almost unrecognized outside of New York and Philadelphia in 1943, the North Carolina city of Hickory set out to establish a museum of American art. Located on Hickory, NC’s SALT Block (Sciences, Art, Literature Together), Hickory took the lead in the Southeast as being the first city to establish a museum of American art. Among the artists represented in the HMA collection are names such as Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, J. Fredrick Kensett, William Merritt Chase, Worthington Whittredge, F. Ballard Williams, Eanger Irving Couse, Elliot Daingerfield, Anna Hyatt Huntington, Hobart Nichols, Albert T. Bricher, Edward Potthast, and many others. Closed Mondays. Free admission.
Do
Do Catawba Science Center
Explore the Physical and Natural Sciences. Interesting traveling exhibits rotate throughout the year. It has a planetarium and aquaria with touch tanks where you can touch creatures such as live sharks and rays. Located on Hickory, NC’s SALT Block (Sciences, Art, Literature Together), in the Arts & Science Center of Catawba Valley, CSC also provides a variety of educational movies (in their digital planetarium and fun programming for school groups, children, families, adults, homeschoolers, preschoolers, scouts and other community groups. The Science Emporium gift shop stocks educational toys and gifts that enhance the museum experience.
Do Hickory Motor Speedway
NASCAR short track. It is the oldest professional sporting venue in Catawba County, and the oldest continually operating motor speedway in the country with over 53 seasons. Three fully equipped concession stands, a souvenir stand, six large restroom areas, and three enclosed air-conditioned hospitality suites. Also contains a game room, and kids' fenced-in play area with a climbing gym & swings, and RV parking is available.
Do Hickory Crawdads Minor League Baseball
As American as, well, baseball! Always good fun, and the Crawdads usually win, too! Try the Crawdad Red Ale at the Crawdad Cafe. (Take I-40 to exit 123 North (Hwy 321 Lenoir/Airport). Travel to fifth stoplight and turn left onto Clement Blv., NW. L.P. Frans Stadium is 1/2 mile up to the right). $6-12.
Movies
Buy
Furniture
Take I-85S to US-321N for excellent furniture shopping at a host of furniture outlets as well as:
Malls
Hickory has two malls next to each other off US Highway 70 SE.
Shop Hickory Ridge Shopping Center
Target, Best Buy, Hallmark, Marshalls, Kohl's, Old Navy, AC Moore Crafts, Babies R Us, Pier 1 Imports.
Eat
Eat McGuire's Pub
Daily food and beer specials. Excellent array of interesting sandwiches. Booths offer excellent privacy in a relaxed atmosphere. Best onion rings in town and the home fries are to die for. The Fitzgerald sandwich is especially good. Stay away if you're truly pressed for time.
Eat Cafe Gouda
Eclectic sandwiches with a more casual and sophisticated air. Sandwiches, mostly. Try the Gouda Delite. Open for breakfast. Lattes and coffee drinks available.
Eat Backstreets
On the backstreets of Hickory near Hickory High School and the Bank of Granite Building is Backstreets. A little pricey but has an excellent selection of beer and some great food options. Good lighting and a relaxed atmosphere. Daily specials.
Eat Olde Hickory Taproom
The restaurant front for Olde Hickory Brewery offers seasonal ales and beers as well as the local favorites OHB is known for. The food and service here is "just" pretty good, but everyone keeps coming back for more. Must be the beer! Try the dessert special. A limited menu is offered late into the night.
Eat Amos Howard's
Also owned by Olde Hickory Brewery. Food and service are on par with the Olde Hickory Taproom. Has giant beer barrels that you can eat in.
Eat The Peanut House
Best Thai in town and the least expensive. Looks a little run-down on the outside, but nice once you're inside. In a small shopping center on Springs Road.
Eat Thai Orchid
Good Thai. Very easy to find.
Eat Tony's Pizza
Best pizza in town. Very easy to find.
Eat Wild Wok
Located in southeast corner of the Valley Hills Mall parking lot, off of Highway 70. Asian bistro with Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and sushi. Very good food with good service.
Eat The Hickory Tavern
Shrimp specials on Wednesdays, and oyster specials on Thursdays. Seafood, steak, appetizers, and sandwiches.
Eat Olde Hickory Station
Bar & grill in an old depot offering creative American dishes, beer, wine and a dog-friendly patio.
Drink
If you want to buy liquor by the bottle you must do it at state-run ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) stores rather than at a traditional liquor store. Beer and wine are available for purchase at most markets, grocery stores and gas stations. The alcohol laws of North Carolina prohibit the sale of alcohol after 2AM Monday through Saturday, and from 2AM until noon on Sundays.
Given Hickory's German heritage and heavy Lutheran influences, it's no surprise that beer is easy to find and fun to ingest among friends in Hickory: see McGuire's Pub, Backstreets, Olde Hickory Taproom, and Hickory Tavern above.
Sleep
Hotels are mostly clustered in an area near the Hickory Metro Convention Center (1960 13th Av Drive SE) and the malls.
Stay safe
Stay away from South Center Street. Everywhere else is relatively safe. Avoid the intersection of Highway 70 and Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard at rush hour.
- Emergencies: 911
- Hickory Police. +1 828-328-5551 (Non-emergency).
Go next
- Blowing Rock, NC. Beautiful town in the mountains. Great park downtown. Get some ice cream across the street, enjoy the breeze, and read a book. US-321N.
- Blue Ridge Parkway. Junction is just north of Blowing Rock. US-321N.
- Charlotte, NC. Largest city in NC with lots of things to do. Take US-321S to I-85N.
- Linville Gorge Wilderness. Serious hikers only. Pristine wilderness in the rugged, untamed Linville Gorge. I-40W to NC-18N/W to NC-181 to NC-183. Permits required for overnights during the peak months. Stay away from Cabin Trail and Rock Jock.
Nearby
Statesville
City / town · 4 listings · 25 mi away
Mooresville
City / town · 4 listings · 31 mi away
Bessemer City
City / town · 31 mi away
Cornelius
City / town · 14 listings · 32 mi away
Davidson
City / town · 14 listings · 32 mi away
Union Grove
City / town · 1 listings · 33 mi away
Blowing Rock
City / town · 19 listings · 34 mi away
Gastonia
City / town · 4 listings · 34 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.