Urban scenes, natural beauty, and historic landmarks provide picturesque backdrops for life in Winston-Salem, and in this article, we name the most magical locations for photography. Winston-Salem has various visually appealing locations perfect for capturing great Instagram-worthy photos. Whether you’re a professional or amateur photographer or looking for a backdrop to pop the question, this list is for anyone looking for the most picturesque spots in Winston-Salem, NC. Here are the best places for capturing Instagram-worthy photos in and around Winston-Salem:
Old Salem Museums & Gardens
600 S Main St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
There are few places where you can capture an immersive portrait of early American Moravian life. The charming historic buildings and cobblestone streets of Old Salem in Winston-Salem provide a classic photo backdrop. Old Salem features preserved historical buildings, gardens, and cobblestone streetscapes from the 18th and 19th centuries. Outside of large planned events, the area is usually quiet, making it ideal for taking pictures sans photo bombers. Old Salem often features costumed interpreters. These characters are usually around during special events and festivals.
During December, Old Salem displays beautiful traditional holiday decor – Wreaths, garlands, and Moravian stars adorn the district during this time. The Heritage Bridge at Old Salem is one of the most popular spots in the area for proposals. During the holidays, 34 Moravian stars hang from the bridge’s cover, creating a magical glow.
Old Salem is typically open to the public during specific hours, so check the website before you go. Some areas may have limited access, especially inside historic buildings. Personal photography is generally allowed in Old Salem, but commercial or professional photographers require permits. When writing this article, Old Salem Museum & Gardens charges professional photographers a $50 permit per 90-minute session.
Old Salem is a living history museum. While capturing its beauty, take the time to explore and appreciate the area’s historical significance, and when photographing, be respectful of the site’s historic nature. Always be courteous to staff, other visitors, and the historical artifacts. Lastly, while taking photos in Old Salem, remember that many homes are private residences.
Reynolda Gardens
100 Reynolda Village Way, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Reynolda House is an iconic estate in Winston-Salem known for its stunning architecture, gardens, and art collections. The grounds are carefully maintained and offer a unique environment. The estate features formal gardens designed in an Italian Renaissance style, where you’ll find seasonal flowers and well-manicured hedges and shrubbery. It’s an elegant setting for strolls and a perfect backdrop for photography. In the gardens, look for the rectangular reflecting pool. The pool reflects the nearby Reynolda House, adding visual appeal and unique character to photos.
Beyond the formal gardens are woodland trails within the forested area. These trails offer a more natural setting, with trees, wildflowers, wildlife, birds, and paths that take you through the woods, contrasting the formality of the gardens.
The Quarry at Grant Park
1790 Quarry Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27107
The former rock quarry turned park has a scenic lake, walking trails, and unique geological formations that offer great photo opportunities.
Tanglewood Park
4061 Clemmons Rd, Clemmons, NC 27012
This park offers a picturesque lake, an old train, gardens, and walking trails, making it an ideal location for capturing the beauty of the outdoors.
Salem Lake
815 Salem Lake Road Winston-Salem, NC 27101
With a lake and trails covering 365 acres, Salem Lake is the perfect backdrop for scenic water views, landscape, and wildlife photography.
Pilot Mountain State Park
1721 Pilot Knob Park Rd, Pinnacle, NC 27043
Located just outside Winston-Salem, Pilot Mountain provides stunning vistas, particularly from the Little Pinnacle Overlook.
Downtown Winston-Salem
The city’s downtown area has colorful murals, historic architecture, parks, and bustling streets, perfect for Street and urban photography.
The Millennium Center
101 W 5th St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
This historic building features interesting architectural details, and get this: If you rent The Millennium Center as a venue, you can capture stunning photos from the roof of the building.
Winston Tower
301 N Main St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
The city’s tallest building, the Winston Tower, provides a vantage point for capturing panoramic views of downtown Winston-Salem, although rarely available to the public. You can also capture striking photos of the tower itself from the street side.
Coal Pit
486 N Patterson Ave #105, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
The Coal Pit at the Innovation Quarter once housed the coal that fueled the factories and warehouses of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Modernity has claimed relics from this industrial period to form a unique and original identity, and the Coal Pit’s urban geography, landscaping, and architecture make for a unique backdrop.
Bailey Park
445 Patterson Ave, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
This contemporary urban park features modern art installation. The park hosts regular events, like live performances, outdoor movies, and food trucks.
Bailey South
450 N Patterson Ave Suite 310, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Photos: Scenes from Bailey South, Winston-Salem Journal
Across from the park is Bailey South, part of the Innovation Quarter. Winston-Salem’s iconic twin smokestacks photograph beautifully and are the city’s skyline trademark.
4th Street
W 4th St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
With restaurants, cafes, and shops, one of the liveliest streets in downtown Winston-Salem is 4th Street. Local “influencers” have taken photos in front of buildings along Fourth Street, like The Stevens Center. The historic theater building is an architectural gem.
Grace Court
30 4th St NW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Grace Court is within the West End Historic District and is a charming historic park with gardens, a gazebo, benches, and fountains. The park is situated within the hills the charming and historic neighborhood of West End.
Joyner’s Bar
854 W 4th St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Joyner’s is a historic bar paying homage to one of the first groceries in Winston-Salem in the early 1890s – Joyner’s Grocery. The original walls and ceilings give this neighborhood corner bar a speak-easy vibe, as do the classic cocktails, vintage-style seating, and bookshelves.
Winston-Salem Public Art
The city has various public art installations, including sculptures and murals. Styles vary from stylized graffiti to educational murals, vintage signs, free expression murals, pop art, commissioned public works, and even a day-to-night outdoor ARTivity on the Green nestled smack dab in the middle of downtown. You don’t need a ticket to enjoy the public art downtown. Winston-Salem has an online Start Anywhere, Stop Anytime Outdoor Art Tour.
The Green Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge
Access on foot from South Green Street on either side of Salem Parkway
The Green Street Pedestrian Bridge is a unique, multi-ribbed, unbraced, tied-arch structure spanning the newly reconstructed Salem Parkway. The bridge connects the West Salem neighborhood with the city’s multi-use path, the nearby baseball stadium, and new developments planned for the area. The arching structure is an artful, iconic gateway into downtown to inspire economic development and symbolize Winston-Salem’s 21st-century aspirations. The bridge has received numerous awards, which you can read about on HDR’s website. The Green Street Pedestrian Bridge links the West Salem neighborhood on the south side of Salem Parkway with Truist Stadium and other destinations on the north.
Bethabara Park
2147 Bethabara Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Bethabara Park is a historic site with natural beauty and well-preserved historical buildings. Like Old Salem, it’s an excellent location for photography if you’re interested in capturing the charm of early Moravian settlements and the surrounding natural landscapes. This historic park has recreated 18th-century buildings and natural trails. The park includes beautiful gardens, open meadows, and natural trails. The gardens are particularly scenic during the spring and summer, offering a variety of flowers and greenery. The woodlands, fields, and pond are great for capturing photos of birds and wildlife.
Körner’s Folly
413 S Main St, Kernersville, NC 27284
This historic home is in Kernersville, just outside Winston-Salem. It was built in 1880 by Jule Gilmer Körner and is a 6,000-square-foot, 3+1⁄2-story, eccentric brick dwelling with a shingled, cross-gable roof. The historic home is known for its quirky and whimsical interior, with each room decorated differently. It’s a great place for unique and vibrant photos.
Photography Fee: The base rate for photo shoots is $100/hour, and there is a minimum of two hours. All photography proceeds help preserve and restore Körner’s Folly. Visit the website for more information.
Bridging the Gap
475 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Bridging the Gap, located on Spring Garden Street in Greensboro, is a 2020 mural by local artist Darlene McClinton. This mural replaced the Colorhaus installation on the seven large-scale bridge support structures that frame the Morehead Park trailhead parking area. McClinton worked with volunteers from Greensboro to install the work.
The Old Mill of Guilford
1340 NC-68, Oak Ridge, NC 27310
The Old Mill of Guilford is a historic site in Oak Ridge, North Carolina. It’s a fully operational, formerly water-powered, 18th-century grist mill in the National Register of Historic Places. The Old Mill of Guilford is a popular, scenic tourist attraction and has long been a favorite subject for artists and photographers. Check out their website and make plans to stop by and visit.
The Old Mill of Guilford was founded in North Carolina on Beaver Creek in 1767 to grind grain for the early settlers of Guilford County. The Mill continues to produce all-natural, stone-ground, whole-grain foods, just as it has for over 240 years. The Mill is situated next to a scenic creek, which adds to the location’s charm. The flowing water and surrounding greenery make for lovely nature shots. Open fields, trees, and other natural elements surround the Mill, offering diverse opportunities for landscape and nature photography.
The Mill makes all-natural corn meal, grits, and flour along with a wide range of mixes, including Gingerbread Mixes, Muffin Mixes, Pancake Mixes, Cookie Mixes, Scone Mixes, Biscuit Mixes and Hushpuppy Mix. The Mill’s signature mix is the Sweet Potato Muffin. Visit the Old Mill Store for these products and other fine foods and crafts from North Carolina.
Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery
450 Groce Rd, Ronda, NC 28670
Known for its Italian-style architecture, Raffaldini Vineyards offers stunning views of the vineyards, the winery building, and the surrounding hills. It’s gorgeous during the sunset.
Brookberry Farm
5567 Brookberry Farm Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
What used to be an over 800-acre country estate and dairy farm has now become one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Winston-Salem and the entire Triad region of North Carolina. It’s known as Brookberry Farm. The community offers amenities within a natural and quiet setting. Many of these amenities are original structures of the old dairy farm, including the Amphitheater and barn. The Amphitheater features an outdoor fireplace, attractive furnishings, green space, and mature trees that surround the area. The lake house offers beautiful scenery and water views. The Pavilion provides a fantastic place for family photos and enjoying the scenery. For more information on the history of Brookberry Farm, check out the Then & Now: BrookBerry Farm article by the Winston-Salem Time Traveler.
JoLo Vineyards
219 Jolo Winery Ln, Pilot Mountain, NC 27041
JoLo is a vineyard and winery in Pilot Mountain, NC that provides a unique vantage point for capturing Pilot Mountain. The vineyard itself is the main attraction, with rows of grapevines against the backdrop of Pilot Mountain. JoLo Vineyards has a charming tasting room with a cozy and rustic interior. The winery has outdoor seating areas that overlook the vineyard and Pilot Mountain.
Graylyn Estate
1900 Reynolda Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Whether you’re interested in capturing the elegance of the estate’s architecture or the beauty of its landscaped gardens, Graylyn is an ideal location for photography. The centerpiece of Graylyn is the historic mansion, a Norman Revival-style structure. The grand interiors, including the great hall, library, and dining rooms, are often used for events and weddings. Graylyn’s grounds offer a mix of formal and informal gardens, walking paths, fountains, and charming outdoor spaces.
Consider coordinating with the estate’s staff if you want to access certain areas or require additional assistance. Shooting location(s) must be pre-approved and strictly adhered to. Photographers and their equipment can only be in the Manor House front entrance with pre-arranged authorization. Large props for staging photographs need prior approval. Before a photo shoot, Graylyn requires a signed contract and payment. Visit their website for all the details.
Jones Strawberry Farm
5480 Seward Road, Pfafftown, NC 27040
In Pfafftown, NC, Jones Strawberry Farm offers much more than strawberries (as if we needed more than that to get us there) and doesn’t charge admission fees. The farm creates areas to capture memories with hay bails, signs, oversized lawn games, and hay rides. You can also reserve a private rental and enjoy a fire pit on a cool fall night.
In the spring, tulips are ready by mid to late March, while the strawberries are ready for harvest beginning late April through early June. The corn maze is open mid-September through October. The entrance is on the east side of Seward Rd. Look for the entrance sign across the Street from the shelter with the red roof.
