The Mooresville Historic District covers a tight grid of streets around Main and Broad, with about 250 contributing buildings dating from the late 19th century through the 1940s. The architecture is what you would expect from a textile-mill town that prospered: red-brick Italianate storefronts on the commercial blocks, Queen Anne and Craftsman houses on the leafy side streets, and a 1925 Mooresville High School building converted to civic use.
A walking tour from the chamber of commerce takes about an hour and is worth the time before launching into the racing attractions. The district is best in spring, when the dogwoods come out, or on a December evening for the small-town Christmas decorations.