The Hickory Regional Airport, owned and operated by the City of Hickory, is the aviation leader in Western North Carolina, providing the Hickory Metro area with a gateway to the world through a runway/taxiway system, a terminal building, and aircraft services. The Hickory Municipal Airport was constructed in 1937 and first opened to aircraft traffic in May 1940. In August 1941, Pennsylvania Central Airline (later Capital Airlines) brought the first scheduled air-carrier service to Hickory. This service was interrupted by World War II and was suspended in May 1942. During the war, the Hickory Municipal Airport served as a pilot training center for the military. In the fall of 1973, the Federal Aviation Administration commissioned an Air Traffic Control Tower at the Hickory Airport. The control tower is still open as a contract tower.

In 1992, work began on the stadium as a minor league team announced it would be returning to the City for the first time since the Hickory Rebels ended in 1970.The name L.P. Frans Stadium comes from Pepsi bottler Lee Polk Frans,whose daughters made a large donation to help fund the construction of the stadium. The rough grading and the new four-lane road that is the primary access point to the park was a gift from the late Clarence Clement. The road and the stadium’s address still bear his name: Clement Boulevard. Additional renovations occured following the 2013 season, in October 2017, and in September 2019. The stadium seats roughly 4,000 fans and has hosted the South Atlantic League (SAL) Finals and All-Star Games.

Elmer Winkler donated his 37-acre tract of land to the City of Hickory in 1989. The property that the stadium sits on is named Winkler Park in his honor. In addition to the ballpark, there is the Winkler Activity Center, a playground, walking trails, and the Winkler Museum and birthplace.