The Triangle
Exceptional in prioritizing the 1000 or so ‘enslaved persons’ who worked here above the families that claimed their ownership, Stagville Plantation ranks…
Must-see attractions in North Carolina
Asheville
Charmed by Asheville's natural beauty, shipping and railroad heir George Washington Vanderbilt II decided to build a summer home modeled after three…
North Carolina
The beautifully preserved core of the Moravian settlement of Salem extends across several blocks south of downtown. You’re not obliged to pay for…
The Triangle
Expanded in 2010 with the completion of the stunning, glass-and-steel West Building, this superb museum stands 6 miles west of downtown. Ranging far and…
The Triangle
The secret is out – Durham’s coolest attraction has to be this research and conservation center, home to the largest collection of lemurs outside their…
North Carolina Mountains
This remarkable modern museum traces Cherokee history from their Paleo-Indian roots onwards. Its villain is the perfidious Andrew Jackson, who made his…
Asheville
The glass-fronted West Wing is a showstopping introduction to this downtown museum, which is looking sleek after a $24 million renovation that added 70%…
Charlotte
The Sullenberger Aviation Museum, honoring Captain Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III, is located at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
International Civil Rights Center & Museum
North Carolina
The FW Woolworth store where four black students from North Carolina A&T State University sparked the ‘sit-in’ campaign by ordering coffee on February 1,…
Levine Museum of the New South
Charlotte
Tracing the story of the ‘New South’ that emerged from the ashes of the Civil War, this committed museum explores the years of Reconstruction, Jim Crow…
North Carolina Mountains
The stupendous 315ft monolith known as Chimney Rock towers above the slender, forested valley of the Rocky Broad River, a gorgeous 28-mile drive southeast…
Charlotte
The US Mint opened its first-ever outpost in Uptown Charlotte in 1837, using gold mined from the mountains nearby. Transported 3 miles southeast a century…
Coastal North Carolina
Self-guided tours take you through the decks of this 45,000-ton megaship, which earned 15 battle stars in the Pacific theater in WWII before it was…
North Carolina Museum of History
The Triangle
For a comprehensive, evenhanded and engaging look at the story of North Carolina, immerse yourself in the state history museum. Starting with a 3000-year…
Outer Banks
Dolphins are commonly spotted on Ocracoke's gorgeous, undeveloped 16-mile stretch of sandy beach. Swimmers should be aware of rip currents. Find parking…
North Carolina Mountains
The Tsali Recreation Area has been famed among mountain bikers for so long that local riders rather take it for granted. For out-of-state visitors, though…
Coastal North Carolina
This remarkable five-sided fort, with 26 vaulted rooms, is one of North Carolina's most visited attractions. Completed in 1834, it was the site of the…
Wright Brothers National Memorial
Outer Banks
Self-taught engineers Wilbur and Orville Wright launched the world's first successful airplane flight on December 17, 1903 (it lasted 12 seconds). A…
North Carolina Mountains
A major decision awaits visitors to North Carolina’s original state park. Will you drive up Mount Mitchell, at 6684ft the highest peak east of the…
North Carolina Mountains
For a totally exhilarating stop on a journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway, stop off and strip down at Sliding Rock, 7 miles off the parkway. Propelled…
Asheville
Part gallery, part store, and wholly dedicated to Southern craftsmanship, the superb Folk Art Center stands directly off the Blue Ridge Pkwy, 6 miles east…
Outer Banks
The sunflower-yellow, art nouveau–style Whalehead Club, built in the 1920s as a hunting 'cottage' for a Philadelphia industrialist, is the centerpiece of…
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Outer Banks
Extending some 70 miles from south of Nags Head to the south end of Ocracoke Island, this fragile necklace of islands remains blissfully free from…
North Carolina Mountains
For a wonderful short hike, head up the hour-long Erwin’s View Trail to spectacular Linville Falls. This moderate 1.6-mile round-trip offers great close…
The Triangle
Set amid the Duke University campus woods, this impressive futuristic cube displays art from around the world and across the ages. Only a small portion of…
Asheville
A veritable time machine, this downtown treat transports gamers back to the much-lamented pinball arcades of yesteryear. With stock ranging from vintage…
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
The Triangle
Whale skeletons hang from the ceiling. Butterflies flutter past your shoulder. Emerald tree boas make you shiver. And be warned: if you arrive after 10am…
Charlotte
The race-car simulator ($5) at this rip-roaring Uptown museum hurtles you onto the track and into a 15-car race that feels surprisingly real. Elsewhere,…
The Triangle
The massive former American Tobacco factory has been transformed into a million-square-foot cavalcade of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. Still…
Charlotte
A stunning modernist edifice tucked between mighty skyscrapers, the Uptown portion of Charlotte’s Mint Museum consists of two distinct halves. One makes a…
Charlotte
This 19th-century cotton plantation occupies a small corner of a scenic nature preserve, a dozen miles north of Uptown Charlotte. Exhibits in the visitor…
Charlotte
Illustrating simple scientific principles with eye-catching displays, Discovery Place is targeted largely at kids. It centers on a steamy rainforest that…
The Triangle
Although it can trace its history back to 1838, Duke University became a university, and took its current name, in 1926, thanks to a major endowment from…
The Triangle
These heavenly gardens on the Duke University campus include 55 acres of koi ponds, terraced rose gardens and magnolia groves. On warm afternoons, they…
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Outer Banks
In the late 1580s, three decades before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, a group of 116 British colonists disappeared without a trace from their…
North Carolina Mountains
The highest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Grandfather Mountain looms north of the parkway 20 miles southwest of Blowing Rock. As a visitor destination, it…
Coastal North Carolina
On the National Registry of Historic Places, this small but fascinating cemetery features the weathered tombstones of both Revolutionary and Civil War…
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
Outer Banks
Although not strictly on an Outer Banks island (it's part of the mainland), this 154,000-acre wildlife reserve of wild lands and waters is managed by Dare…
Outer Banks
Go on a swashbuckling adventure at this 25-acre park, telling the story of the first English settlement attempt in 1585. Visitors can climb aboard a 16th…
Outer Banks
At 193ft (or 198ft to the lighting rod), this striking black-and-white-striped edifice is one of North Carolina's most iconic images. The first version of…
