Independence Square, Charlotte, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

Independence Square is the crossroads of Trade Street and Tryon Street in the heart of uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. It sits where two old trading paths met, and the city grew around that meeting point. Today four bronze statues mark its corners, each standing for a force that shaped Charlotte.

The story behind it

Trade and Tryon both began as Native American trading paths, and the settlement that became Charlotte took shape where they crossed. That is why this spot is treated as the center of the city, and why every street address in uptown is measured from it.

The four statues, by the sculptor Raymond Kaskey, were installed in the 1990s. They are named Commerce, Industry, Transportation and The Future, and together they tell the story of how Charlotte grew. The square also takes its name from the Independence Building, a 12-story tower finished in 1909 that was demolished in 1981. One Independence Center now stands on the corner. Gold has a place in the local story too: after a large nugget was found in the region in 1799, Charlotte had a mint from 1837 that coined gold from the Carolina mines.

What to look for

• Each of the four corners has its own bronze figure on a pedestal, so walk the full circuit and compare how the sculptor shows Commerce, Industry, Transportation and The Future.
• Look at the two streets running away from the crossing in four directions, and picture them as the trading paths they once were.
• Glance up at One Independence Center and imagine the smaller 1909 Independence Building that once stood on the same corner.
• Notice how the glass towers around the square frame the statues, a reminder of how much the skyline has changed in a century.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the statues alone, longer if you want to explore the streets around the square.
• The square is an open public crossing, so you can see it at any time, and it is pleasant in the morning before the crowds arrive or in the evening when the towers are lit.
• Pedestrian crossings are busy at rush hour, so take your photos from the corners and wait for the signal.
• The shops, cafes and offices of uptown are all within an easy walk, which makes the square a good starting point for a longer stroll.

See it on a quest

Charlotte Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. passes through Independence Square. You walk to it as one stop on a longer route through uptown, the app tells you about the place when you arrive, and you solve a puzzle right there on the corner. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Charlotte also takes you here. It suits anyone who likes a mystery theme with their sightseeing: you reach the square on foot, hear its story from the app, and work out a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Ghost Hunt in Charlotte brings a spooky theme to the same crossroads. Playing it means the square becomes one stop among several, with the app telling you about each place as you reach it and a puzzle to solve in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.