Winston-Salem, commonly referred to as Winston by its residents, is one of the three cities of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area. It’s not the first city people think of when they hear the name North Carolina, but the Twin City is one people are moving to for its laidback and affordable lifestyle.
But what is Winston-Salem known for? Winston-Salem is famous for its Moravian history and vibrant art scene. Winston-Salem is also known for the beloved Krispy Kreme donuts and the history of the tobacco industry.
Let’s check out 16 things Winston-Salem is Known and Famous for.
Table of Contents
1. The Twin City
You might be wondering why Winston-Salem has a hyphenated name. Don’t worry, before we get started, I’ll tell you. Winston-Salem grew from two settlements called, you guessed it, Winston and Salem, the latter being older.
After the U.S. Post Office began to refer to the area as Winston-Salem instead of distinguishing the two towns. As they continued growing, it became clear the towns’ futures were intertwined. In 1913, the public decided to reincorporate as a single city, and thus Winston-Salem was born.
Because of this, Winston-Salem is known as the Twin City.
2. Moravian History
As a town, Winston-Salem has its origins in a settlement founded by the Moravian Church in the 18th century. This group is among the oldest Protestant denominations, dating back to Germany in the 1400s, and played a significant role in the development of Winston-Salem.
The Moravian history can be explored in historic districts like Old Salem and the legacy lives on in institutions like Salem College, the world’s oldest all-women educational establishment.
3. Old Salem
Winston-Salem is a city born from the different peoples who came, or were brought, to the area.
In Old Salem Historic District, you can explore the intertwined history of the city’s European, Black, and Indigenous peoples. Winston-Salem sits on the land historically inhabited by the Catawba, Saura, Cherokee, and Lumbee peoples.
Old Salem is the city’s oldest historic area, where Moravian colonialists from southern Germany first settled in the mid-18th century. Today, it is a living history museum featuring live interpreters, archaeological research, gardens, and diverse exhibitions.
Old Salem is one of the many historic towns located in North Carolina.
4. Moravian spice cookies
When you visit Old Salem, don’t forget to stop by Winkley Bakery for some famous Winston-Salem food. Winston-Salem is famous for the Moravian spice cookies that have been baked there since its founding in 1807.
Eating Moravian spice cookies is like time-traveling with your taste buds. These thin, brittle cookies are made with spices and molasses and originated in Moravian communities in the American colonial era.
5. Pilot Mountain
I remember the first time I drove down from the Blue Ridge Mountains and saw the North Carolina Piedmont spread before me, a solitary, distinct mountain rising from a rolling, forested landscape.
That mountain is Pilot Mountain, a knobby landmark located 30 minutes north of Winston-Salem. Protected by a state park of the same name, this 2,400-foot-tall mountain and its surroundings can be explored through outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and rock climbing.
6. Krispy Kreme
If you’ve ever worn a pirate outfit or a graduation gown to get a free box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts on certain days, you have Winston-Salem businessman Vernon Rudolph to thank.
Rudolph’s story began in western Kentucky, where he sold doughnuts and other goods with his uncle as a teenager. But in 1937, he first crafted the doughnuts now known as Krispy Kreme in a building in historic Old Salem.
The fluffy, perfectly-glazed doughnuts were a hit and soon Krispy Kreme spread across the South and later, the world.
7. Tobacco
While just about every medical professional will agree tobacco is a net negative for society, the Twin City would not be the same without it. Winston-Salem is famous for tobacco history, as North Carolina produced tobacco as a profitable cash crop.
With the arrival of smoking tobacco from the Eastern Hemisphere in the late-1800s, the industry boomed and forever changed Winston-Salem. The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, one of the companies that formed during the boom, is still based in Winston today.
This critical industry is memorialized in the Winston-Salem Tobacco Historic District.
8. Local arts
You might ask when it comes to the arts, what is Winston-Salem famous for? I’ll provide some in-depth examples later, but this humble city in North Carolina has a rich art scene.
The Winston-Salem Arts Council, for example, is the oldest local arts council in the United States and has fostered artistic endeavors for more than seven decades. Through scholarships and grants, the council funds artists, and holds events and spaces for collaboration and growth.
The city is also home to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the premier arts college in the state’s public university system.
9. Carolina Classic Fair
When autumn winds start blowing, Winstonians know it’s time for the Carolina Classic Fair. Winston-Salem is famous for this annual festival, the second-most attended in North Carolina.
It was first held in 1882 and has since evolved into a dazzling affair of live music, carnival rides, demolition derbies, and tractor pulls, among other performances and activities. Artists, daredevils, and patrons come across North Carolina to celebrate this staple of Americana.
10. Art-o-mat
In the heyday of the tobacco industry, cigarette vending machines were commonplace across the United States. But as cigarette smoking has declined nationwide, those machines were given a new purpose by conceptual artist Clark Whittington, who began the project in Winston-Salem.
Winston-Salem is known for its art-o-mats, reconverted cigarette vending machines that now distribute small works of art. There are more than 20 in the city alone, and hundreds across the country. Save your lungs and buy some art.
11. Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem is known for its universities like Winston-Salem State University. This historically Black public university was founded in 1892 and its well-regarded academic programs include nursing and education.
Winston-Salem State University alumni include familiar faces like sports journalist Stephen A. Smith, Civil Rights activist Louis Farrakhan, and, once again, Chris Paul, who has double-dipped in the Twin City’s prestigious universities.
12. Salem Lake
Winston-Salem is known for Salem Lake, a glittering body of water located just outside the city’s downtown. Around this urban lake are 7 miles of scenic trails that locals frequent to find a bit of serenity without going too far. You can also take a kayak out on the water to enjoy the calm lake on a warm afternoon.
While it’s no concrete jungle, Winston-Salem is still a heavily-urbanized area. Salem Lake provides a pleasant green and blue space within the city limits for Winstonians and visitors alike.
13. National Black Theatre Festival
Once a year, thespians come together in Winston-Salem at the National Black Theatre Festival to celebrate the contributions of African American artists in the world of theatre.
The festival is hosted by the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, the first Black company in the state. Actors, playwrights, celebrities, fans, and more come from across the nation and the world for six days every summer. It’s one example of the rich artistic atmosphere Winston-Salem cultivates.
14. Reynolda House Museum of American Art
With the profits from the tobacco industry, the Reynolds family constructed an estate at Reynolda House in 1912, complete with stunning gardens, that is now a classic Winston-Salem attraction. Today, the house is now the site of an extensive collection of American art, known as the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
Beyond exhibitions of artwork portraying anything from the Prohibition to Black perspectives on the American Dream, the Reynolda House is also a historical museum. So much can be learned about Winston-Salem history at this museum, which covers Jim Crow segregation, the tobacco industry, and more.
15. Wineries
Move over Napa Valley, the wineries of Yadkin Valley are here.
This valley just west of Winston-Salem is a premier, up-and-coming wine-growing region. The cool, dry air at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains allows for a wide range of grape cultivation, from Malbec and Merlot to Sauvignon Blanc.
In less than two decades, the number of wineries has tripled to a current count of 44, which can be visited for wine tastings and romantic getaways. Surry County, where you can find Pilot Mountain, is home to some of the state’s most popular wineries.
16. Wake Forest University
It might surprise you that Wake Forest University is not located in Wake Forest, North Carolina. While it was originally founded there, the university relocated the campus to Winston-Salem in 1956.
The school is a private research university with distinguished alumni and faculty like Maya Angelou, Arnold Palmer, and Chris Paul. Wake Forest University boasts 18 Division I athletic teams represented by the school’s fearsome mascot — the Demon Deacons.
Conclusion
Winston-Salem doesn’t have the metropolitan energy of larger cities in the United States, but it doesn’t need to. The Twin City is a thriving, comfortable city with a small-town feel that fosters a strong sense of community. Winston-Salem’s history is rich and reflective of the dynamic American South.
Although I’m not from North Carolina, I never hesitate to tell people that this state has so much to offer, from ancient mountains to long, sandy beaches and a host of interesting cities and towns. Winston-Salem is no exception to the exceptionality of North Carolina.
Are you familiar with Winston-Salem? Tell us some other things Winston-Salem is known and famous for in the comments section!
