“Twin City”
Winston-Salem is called the “Twin City” for its dual heritage. Salem is the oldest of the “Twin City” being established in 1766 by the Moravian Church. In 1849, the Salem community sold land north of Salem to the newly formed Forsyth County for a county seat. In 1852, the county seat was named Winston. In 1913, Winston and Salem formally became Winston-Salem.
“City of Arts and Innovation”
Winston-Salem is called the “City of the Arts and Innovation” for its dedication to fine arts and theater and technological research. Hollywood has taken note of Winston-Salem, filming movies such as “Leatherheads” starring George Clooney, “You Are Here” starring Owen Wilson and “The Ultimate Life,” a sequel to “The Ultimate Gift”.
Nourish Your Spirit
There are an estimated 250 churches in Winston-Salem and the immediate area. The churches are denominationally diverse, offering different styles of worship and size.
Countless Opportunities
Winston-Salem has one of the highest number of Non-Profit Organizations per capita in North Carolina. This means you can take advantage of a wide array of opportunities to serve the community. Urban, rural, and suburban ministries, social service agencies, hospitals, prisons, schools, community gardens, and food banks — all within a 20-minute drive from campus. Neighboring Greensboro also adds a rich urban area to the mix. It is hard to imagine a form of ministry and religious leadership that you could not explore here.
Our Part of the State
Wake Forest’s hometown is located in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad, one of the state’s most vital metropolitan areas. Winston-Salem is a culturally rich, midsize city with a population of 235,000 and a long-standing tradition of building resources in the arts, medicine, education and commerce. Religiously diverse, Winston-Salem and its surrounding areas provide a wealth of opportunities for growth in a small, livable community that is just hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Immerse Yourself in One of the Nation’s Best Downtowns
Located about three miles from the main campus, downtown Winston-Salem is a thriving area that includes galleries and shops; indoor and outdoor performance spaces and museums; a greenway that traverses the Old Salem district; hotels, restaurants and sidewalk cafes. In 2012, Livability.com and Forbes magazine ranked Winston-Salem No. 2 on their list of the nation’s best downtowns. Winston-Salem offers an active nightlife and fine dining with more than 75 restaurants, clubs, and bars.
Take It All In: From the Mountains to the Coast
From the campus, access to the ski areas of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains is a two-hour drive, and travel to the North Carolina and South Carolina beaches takes about four hours. A number of county and state parks are short distances from campus.
Hot Now
Krispy Kreme was born here! In 1937, Vernon Rudolph bought a secret yeast-raised doughnut recipe from a New Orleans French chef, rented a building in what is now historic Old Salem in Winston-Salem, NC, and began selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts to local grocery stores.
Things to Do
- Stroll through Reynolda Village and Gardens, adjacent to the campus, and visit the latest exhibition at Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
- Cycle, run, boat or picnic at Salem Lake, on the city’s eastern edge, or Tanglewood Park just west of the city.
- Have dinner with your friends at a sidewalk cafe downtown and walk to a River Run Film Festival screening at the Stevens Center.
- Enjoy a Friday night gallery hop in the Trade Street Arts District.
- Attend a Winston-Salem Symphony concert.
- Tour the Old Salem Historic District and sample traditional Moravian pastries from the Winkler Bakery.
More Opportunities
