Cornelius, NC was established in 1905 and originated as a mill and farm community. Originally incorporated as ‘Liverpool’, the town’s name was changed to Cornelius to honor Joseph Benjamin Cornelius, the owner of a major cotton mill in the area.
Cornelius has 54 miles of shoreline along Lake Norman. Its location on the southeastern corner of Lake Norman makes it very easy to access the lake. If you love the “lake life” this is a great town with lots of waterfront access to the largest man made lake in the Charlotte area, Lake Norman. Lake Norman State Park is a 328 acre park for camping, mountain biking, hiking, running, a public beach for swimming and boat docks for fishing and boating.
Cornelius has ten public parks, a champion golf course, and a cute, walkable downtown area known as Old Town Cornelius. The downtown area has locally owned gift shops, museums and great dining.
The Cain Center for the Arts, a 40,000 square foot facility is scheduled to open in December of 2022. The center will offer performance, education, gallery and community spaces designed to be beautiful and flexible. This center plans to offer space for national touring companies and world renowned entertainers to local productions and performers.
There are four major parks in the area. Jetton Park which sits on 104 acres offers lake views, walking trails, a playground, picnic and event areas, and a small beach. Ramsey Creek Park, a 43 acre waterfront park with a beach, a boat launch, a dog park, picnic and event areas, and paths for biking and walking. Bailey Road Park has room on 66 acres for activities including a track, fields, disc golf, a playground, trails, picnic areas, and more! Robbins Park has a great disc golf course, fishing, picnic areas, athletic field, playground and walking trails.
One of the more popular restaurants in Cornelius is the Port City Club, a waterfront restaurant featuring rooms with unique lake views. The covered deck is fully enclosed and heated for year round enjoyment.
There are four breweries in the area; Lost Worlds, D9 Brewery, Eleven Lakes and Ass Clown Brewery. Some have restaurants located within and some bring in food trucks. All the beers have great reviews.
