Attractions

Volunteers pick and sing in the gym of an old 1920s school house decorated with memorabilia from the 1900s. Fridays at 7 pm.

This was one of several educational institutions for freed slaves and their children started by the Board of Missions for Freedmen of the Presbyterian Church USA. In 1866 Miss E.E. Richmond and Miss Carolyn I. Kent, both white, came from New York and New Jersey, respectively, to teach students in the Chester area. They operated a day school, a night school and a Sunday school. The school was formerly organized in 1868, and by 1913 there were ten grades (the 11th and 12th grades were added later). Brainerd was a feeder school for many colleges, including Allen University, Benedict College, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College and Howard University. After high school enrollments declined in the 1930s, it became a junior college. The last class graduated in 1939. Today one building, Kumler Hall, remains on the 18-acre campus. In the late 1990s a local group generated national interest in preserving the school. Actress Phylicia Rashad and her sister, dancer Debbie Allen answered the call for support. Rashad purchased the property in honor of her mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, who was in its last graduating class. Both Rashad and Allen continue to assist programming and fundraising for the site being preserved for the establishment of a cultural center. Two historical markers commemorate Brainerd: the one on Cemetery Street designates Brainerd's inclusion on the National Register of Historical Places; the other, erected in 1997, is located near the site of the campus on Lancaster Street. On the National Register of Historical Places.

This facility provides an escape to the island where life’s adventures can be embraced by growing relationships through unique outdoor programs that revitalize spirit and body. The mission is to provide specialized outdoor experiences that encourage Christ-like growth and connection within the environments of summer camp, retreats and adventure programs. Located on an island in the middle of the Catawba River with a wide range of activities–including the new zip line canopy tour–and a beautiful setting, Canaan is a perfect place for a great outing.

The perfect place to hold your event, this is the home of Chester's 2nd Thursday Blues series. Live blues in Downtown Chester! Blues In The Carolinas. 

This amusement park filled with so much fun and excitement it can’t be contained in one state! Features over 50 rides, shows and attractions, including 13 world-class roller coasters, plus Fury 325 the world’s tallest, fastest giga coaster and Carolina Harbor Waterpark. Great dining and entertainment options for the whole family. Additionally, the Camp Wilderness Resort offers tent and RV camping as well as modern cabins. Special ticket packages available. 14523 Carowinds Blvd. (I-77 exit 90, on the NC/SC border). 

The park was donated in celebration of the town's centennial in 1987. The park's train mural commemorates the town's beginning as a train stop on the Chester and Lenoir Narrow Gauge Railroad. The Centennial Time Capsule, a cache of items relating to 1987, was buried in the park on December 20, 1987, and is scheduled to be opened in 2037.