Things to do in North Carolina

Battleship USS North Carolina - Standing with quiet dignity and majesty across from historic downtown Wilmington, the Battleship North Carolina beckons visitors to walk her decks and envision daily life as well as fierce combat situations that her veterans faced in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Aurora Fossil Museum - Learn about great geologic forces over millions of years that created the Coastal Plain. Explore two rooms of fossilized bones, teeth, shells, and coral on display. Core Sound Waterfowl Museum - The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum preserves the waterfowling heritage of Core Sound through exhibits, demonstrations and events. The museum's collection is the region's largest of waterfowl art and local decoys. North Carolina Maritime Museum - The North Carolina Maritime Museum, an agency of the Division of Archives and History, Department of Cultural Resources, is driven by its mission to preserve and interpret all aspects of North Carolina's rich maritime heritage through educational exhibits, programs and field trips. Airlie Gardens - Designed in the early 1900's, Airlie Gardens encompasses 67 acres of post-Victorian European style gardens with 10 acres of freshwater lakes. Features include azaleas, camellias, statuary and the historic Airlie Oak. Cowan Museum - A collection of the rare, the unique and the unusual can be discovered at Cowan Museum. A multitude of artifacts fill the restored 1848 Kelly-Farrior home depicting the early rural heritage of North Carolina and Duplin County. Orton Plantation Gardens - Orton Plantation Gardens offer a self-guided, walking tour through an impressive set of formal and informal gardens covering 20 acres. North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher - The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is situated on 24 acres of property within the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. The 30,000-square-foot building houses aquariums ranging from 100 gallons to 17,000 gallons, a touch tank, interactive exhibits, classrooms, meeting rooms, a large auditorium and a gift shop.

The Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum - The Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum is a collection of American art, architecture and decorative arts, housed in a 45,000 square foot building designed by architect Charles Gwathmey. The museum’s permanent collection includes American work from the 19th century to the present, and features a special in-depth collection of works by North Carolina artists and artisans spanning two centuries. Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts - THCPA has been in continuous use since it opened in 1858. Forming the east wing of Wilmington's magnificent City Hall, the facility hosts over 250 performance events annually. The complex houses three performance venues, the Main Stage, the Grand Ballroom, and the Studio Theatre. Tryon Palace Historic Sites and Gardens - Tryon Palace was the 18th-century residence of the governor of the colony and state of North Carolina. The site also includes 14 acres of beautiful period gardens, three historic homes from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the New Bern Academy Museum. Frisco Native American Museum - Located in a building with a hundred years of history, the Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center contains a nationally recognized collection of Native American artifacts, exhibits, and natural history displays. North Carolina Aquariums - Located on Roanoke Island, at Pine Knoll Shores and Fort Fisher, the Aquariums were established in 1976 to promote an awareness, understanding, appreciation, and conservation of the diverse natural and cultural resources associated with North Carolina's ocean, estuaries, rivers, streams, and other aquatic environments. Day At The Farm - Day At The Farm is the site of a 150 year old Craven County farm. The farm offers picnic areas, nature trail, animal feeding, an ice cream parlor, maze, guided tours and more. Buckner Hill Plantation - One of the largest antebellum plantation houses in North Carolina, recently restored Buckner Hill House (1855), still surrounded by hundreds of acres of cotton, corn, and tobacco, provides visitors with a rare view of original, mostly undisturbed Greek Revival plantation architecture.

North Carolina Pottery Center - The mission of the North Carolina Pottery Center is to promote public awareness and appreciation of the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in North Carolina through educational programs, public services, collection and preservation, and research and documentation. Piedmont Environmental Center - Piedmont Environmental Center provides programs and a place for people to learn, conserve, and enjoy the natural world through hands-on experiences emphasizing the interrelated and fragile nature of life. Rankin Museum of American Heritage - The Rankin Museum of American and Natural History is recognized for its diverse and unique collections. The museum's emphasis is on the history and cultures of Early American life; beginning with the Native American occupation and continuing to the present. North Carolina Museum of History - Since its founding in 1902, the North Carolina Museum of History has been an exciting place to explore North Carolina history. The museum's collection contains more than 250,000 artifacts representative of North Carolina's rich heritage. Iredell Museum of Arts and Heritage - The Iredell Museum of Arts and Heritage is a window into the rich heritage of Iredell County, and is a showplace for the arts and artisans who continue to develop their talents in North Carolina. Airborne and Special Operations Museum - The Airborne & Special Operations Museum will provide a unique educational experience on United States history and basic core values through the preservation interpretation and recognition of U.S. Army airborne and special operations history, equipment, technology, legend, art and weaponry. The Broach Theatre - The Broach Theatre Company, Inc. is a professional Not-for-profit theatre company dedicated to challenging artists and audiences by presenting productions for children and adults, that are accessible, imaginative and stimulating; while remaining true to the integrity of the plays and the author. Morehead Planetarium - The Morehead Planetarium Building and grounds, complete with a 68-foot, domed Star Theater and Zeiss Model VI Star Projector, scientific exhibits and classrooms, 24-inch Cassegrain reflecting telescope and observation decks, Visitor's Center, art galleries, rose gardens and the massive sundial were built for students of all ages with all interests. Carolina Raptor Center - A living museum with one of the largest collections of eagles, hawks, owls, vultures, and falcons in the country. See over 20 species of raptors along an inviting nature trail. Visit the Betty J. and J. Stanley Livingstone Eagle Aviary, the only one in the Carolinas. Recorded guided tours in English, Spanish, Japanese, French and German. Chinqua-Penn Plantation - Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Chinqua-Penn Plantation includes a 27-room house museum, filled with art and furnishings from around the world, and 22 acres of historic gardens and landscape. Blue Heaven Basketball Museum - The Blue Heaven Basketball Museum is an international shrine that preserves the legacy of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, one of collegiate athletics’ most successful programs, and showcases the rich history and great tradition that has entertained so many. Discovery Place - One of the top hands-on science museums in the nation, Discovery Place provides ever-changing, entertaining facilities that foster experiences in areas that range from life science to space exploration. The North Carolina Transportation Museum - From a dugout canoe to powerful steam locomotives....From the covered wagon and plank roads to luxurious railcars....From early automobiles to North Carolina's first Highway Patrol car... Share in the dramatic history of mankind's quest for transportation at the South's largest transportation museum. Triangle Metro Zoo - The Triangle Metro Zoo features over 30 acres of exotic animals. Travel the world in just an afternoon. See Watusi cattle, Himalayan bears, ring-tailed lemurs, and much more. SciWorks - At SciWorks, it's fun to learn about science. Travel through the solar system under the dome of a state-of-the-art planetarium. Come face-to-face with river otters and other animals indigenous to North Carolina in a 15-acre Environmental Park. Enjoy interactive, hands-on special exhibits and programs in spacious exhibit halls. Museum of Life and Science - Packed with highly interactive exhibits, the Museum of Life and Science showcases aerospace, weather, geology, Carolina wildlife, farmyard, train rides, traveling exhibits, gift shops, café and more culminating with the tropical Magic Wings Butterfly House and Bayer CropScience Insectarium. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden - Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a 450-acre garden located on Lake Wylie. The garden features four prominent gardens highlighting plants with four-season interest, eye-catching color schemes, natives, tropicals, ornamental grasses, bulbs, trees and cottage plantings, a Visitor Pavilion, a dozen sparkling fountains, a half-mile Woodland Trail and newly expanded Gift and Garden Shop. Cape Fear Botanical Garden - Located on 85 acres where Cross Creek meets the Cape Fear River the CFBG features a large urban forest with nature trails, a natural amphitheater, steep ravines sheltering unusual plants, and a variety of terrain from open pine forest to lush riverbank. Paramount's Carowinds - The Carolinas' premier 100-acre water and theme park has more than 50 attractions for all ages including thrilling rides, musical revues and shows, children's area, WaterWorks water park, concerts and special events and a year-round campground. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences - The new North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences opened its doors to the public Friday, April 7, 2000. Four floors of exhibits include four great whales, the world's only Acrocanthosaurus and Willo, the dinosaur with a heart!

Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art - Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art is a non-profit, visual arts center presenting exhibitions and educational programs focusing primarily on contemporary North Carolina art. With Over 7,000 feet of exhibiting gallery space. ArtQuest is Green Hill's hands-on art gallery for children and families. Greensboro Children's Museum - Experience an exciting, colorful place brimming with hands-on exhibits and activities. Fly a plane, dig for buried treasure, wrap yourself up in a gigantic bubble, and take a stroll through ""Our Town"" complete with a grocery store and bank. Greensboro Cultural Center at Festival Park - The Greensboro Cultural Center provides four levels of galleries, studios, classrooms and rehearsal halls to stimulate the mind and excite the senses. Imagination Station Science Museum - Imagination Station Science Museum is a dynamic science and math learning center where the entire family can touch, spin, pet, climb, listen, look and learn basic science and math in a relaxed & fun environment. Mint Museum of Art - Take a walk through the cultures and artistic expressions of the Americas in the Mint Museum of Art's permanent collection. With a focus on art in the Americas, including influential art from other cultures, the Mint provides a unique perspective that spans from pre-Columbian through Colonial America to the present day. Museum of Anthropology - The Museum's permanent exhibits consist of objects from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Two to three times a year the special exhibits gallery houses topical exhibitions reflecting University and community interests. Carolina Theatre - The Carolina Theatre opened in 1927, this restored vaudeville theater serves as one of Greensboro's principle performing arts centers featuring theater, dance, concerts and films. NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center - The mission of the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center is to serve our community, region and state as the leading cultural and educational provider of performing and related arts with special programs and performances, and as a premier cultural center in the state and the nation. North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame - The North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame features over 35 cars on display, the Goodyear Mini-Theater, and displays showcasing racing's past and present. The Art Gallery features many of motorsports' top artists including Garry Hill, Sam Bass and Jeanne Barnes and many others. North Carolina Museum of Art - The North Carolina Museum of Art houses the art collections of the State of North Carolina. The paintings and sculpture in the state's art collection represent more than 5,000 years of artistic heritage, from ancient Egypt to the present. North Carolina Zoo - The North Carolina Zoological Park, with more than 500 acres in its African and North American continental regions, is a place of wonder and discovery. It is the country's largest and finest walk-through, natural-habitat zoo. This means that the animals and plants in its exhibits are seen in settings that closely resemble the habitats in which they would live in the wild. Emerald Pointe Water Park - Emerald Pointe Water Park is the largest water park in the Carolinas featuring over 34 rides and attractions. Afro-American Cultural Center - Through comprehensive programs and presentations in the visual and performing arts and innovative education for the community the Afro-American Cultural Center preserves, promotes and presents African-American art, history and culture to all citizens of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and the nation. North Carolina Botanical Garden - The North Carolina Botanical Garden, first opened to the public in 1966, is part of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Garden's display collections, Piedmont Nature Trails, Coker Arboretum, Mason Farm Biological Reserve and other lands comprise nearly 600 acres. Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) - The mission of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art is to educate and involve audiences in the art of our time. SECCA presents and interprets contemporary art of the United States with programs encompassing the issues engaging artists today. Ackland Art Museum - The Ackland Art Museum museum exhibits from a permanent collection of more than 14,000 works of art from around the world. Greensboro Coliseum Complex - The Greensboro Coliseum Complex was conceived as, and continues to be a multi-building facility to serve the Citizens of Greensboro and the surrounding area through a broad range of activities, including athletic events, cultural arts, concerts, theater, and other entertainment, educational activities, fairs, exhibits, and public and private events of all kinds. Furniture Discovery Center - Located in downtown High Point, the Furniture Discovery Center is the nation's only museum of furniture design and manufacturing. With more than 8,000 square feet of exhibit space, visitors can explore the worlds of furniture design, styling, marketing, construction and production, history and numerous special exhibits. African American Cultural Complex - The African American Cultural Complex is a unique collection of artifacts, documents and displays of outstanding contributions made by African Americans and are housed in several buildings along a picturesque nature trail. Raleigh City Museum - The Raleigh City Museum is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the heritage of our North Carolina's capital city through temporary and permanent exhibits. Korner's Folly - This Victorian-era home, dating to 1878-1880, is like no other. The brainstorm of Jules Korner, interior decorator and painter of the famous Bull Durham bulls across the South, this amazing structure began as a bachelor's quarters and showroom.

Western North Carolina Nature Center - Western North Carolina Nature Center is a living museum exhibiting and interpreting the plant and animal wildlife of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center - Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center is a unique cultural centerpiece in downtown Asheville housing five of Western North Carolina's premier attractions in one complex. The Asheville Art Museum, Colburn Gem & Mineral Museum, Diana Wortham Theatre, The Health Adventure, and Y.M.I. Cultural Center. Mountain Heritage Center - The Mountain Heritage Center celebrates the natural and cultural heritage of the southern Appalachian region. Through exhibitions, publications, educational programs, and demonstrations, the Center promotes the rich traditions of the mountains. You will see the Appalachian region from new perspectives and come away with an enhanced understanding of its land, culture, and people. Linville Caverns - Located at the base of Humpback Mountain in the beautiful Linville Valley lies a natural wonder, Linville Caverns. After remaining a mysterious secret for centuries, the caverns have been opened for safe and convenient public touring. These natural limestone caverns feature guided tours showing spectacular stalactite and stalagmite formations. Jim Bob Tinsley Museum - The museum primarily houses the western items Jim Bob Tinsley collected over his life time. In addition it houses his music awards and the many books he has written. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad - With the romance and mystique of an era gone by, guests on board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad will enjoy year-round scenic train journeys across fertile valleys, through tunnels and across river gorges in a spectacular region of eastern America called the Great Smoky Mountains. Gold City Amusement Park - A day at Gold City is like stepping back in time. Visitors spend the day mining for such precious gems as Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Amethyst, Topaz, Citrine, Tourmaline and much more. Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine - Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine shares the rich history and tradition of mining in Mitchell County. Visitors can experience the wonder and excitement of prospecting for gemstones in a very pleasant and comfortable atmosphere. Beech Mountain - Beech Mountain is Eastern America's highest town at 5,506ft above sea level. Located in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, the resort offers an abundance of outdoor activities such as hiking, golf, tennis and mountain biking. Beech is also the home of Ski Beech, the South's highest ski resort, where you can ski, snowboard, tube and ice-skate. Tweetsie Railroad - Since 1957, thousands of visitors to Tweetsie Railroad have enjoyed a ""blast from the past"" as they visit a western town, hop aboard an historic steam locomotive for a 3 mile trip around the mountain, pan for gold, enjoy toe-tapping music and dancing, visit the animals in the petting zoo and take in the beautiful mountain scenery. Wheels Through Time Museum - A consummate collection of over 250 rare antique American Motorcycles and Automobiles. Equally as astounding is the memorabilia collection that unites the 'art of the motorcycle' with the generation of Americans that enjoyed a lifestyle peculiar to the 'American Mainstream.' Brevard Music Center - Nestled in the foothills of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, this premier summer music festival and comprehensive music training program has set the highest standards in performance and education for more than six decades.

Flat Rock Playhouse - The State Theatre of North Carolina produces top quality entertainment for the entire family. The season runs from May through December annually and includes Broadway musicals, comedies, drama, and theatre for young people. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) - Foothills Equestrian Nature Center is a 320-acre nature education and recreation center nestled in the beautiful foothills of Tryon, North Carolina. The center offers 5 miles of hiking and riding trails, an equestrian center , a variety of family-oriented nature education programs, outdoor concerts and more. Appalachian Cultural Museum - The Appalachian Cultural Museum was created to foster an understanding of the people of the Appalachian Mountains and to serve as a laboratory for new museum ideas. Through exhibits, publications, and special events, the Museum presents the rich traditions of the region. The Museum gives new meaning to life in western North Carolina in a manner that is authentic and non-stereotypical. Historic Johnson Farm - The farm features an 1870's brick house, a 1920's boarding house, a barn-loft museum, 10 historic buildings, two nature trails, and 15 acres of fields, forests, and streams. North Carolina Arboretum - The 426-acre site is nestled in one of the most beautiful natural settings in the United States. Mountain peaks bound the property's visual perimeters and 1.8 miles of the Bent Creek stream run through the center of the Arboretum. Scottish Tartans Museum & Heritage Center - The Museum is the only American extension of the Scottish Tartans Society in Pitlochry, Scotland. The Franklin Museum not only displays Scottish Tartans, but covers various aspects of the Scottish experience, culture, history, dress, and military. Chimney Rock Park - Chimney Rock Park is a scenic attraction located 25 miles southeast of Asheville. The parks offers spectacular 75-mile views, numerous hiking trails, a 404-foot waterfall, Nature Center, picnicking and more. Emerald Village - If you like gem mining...you'll LOVE Emerald Village! The indoor portion of the tour features uses of the minerals & gems found in these mines. A collection of mining lamps, dynamite plungers and other mining memorabilia are on display. The village also features the Mining Museum and offers underground mine tours. Blowing Rock Stage Company - The Blowing Rock Stage Company is a non-profit organization producing professional theatre as a community service for the High Country since 1986. Asheville Art Museum - As the single visual arts facility serving Western North Carolina, the Asheville Art Museum features special exhibitions and a unique and important permanent collection of 20th and 21st century American Art. Cherokee Bear Zoo - Cherokee Bear Zoo offers a first hand observation of wild Black Bears. Feed them and watch them stand on their hind legs and beg you for more. The facility also features a petting zoo. Asheville Community Theatre - Asheville's premier theater has offered professional-quality productions since 1946. The theatre features comedies, musicals and dramas. Go Blue Ridge Attractions Pass - A multi-attraction pass that includes admission to over 25 attractions, tours and activities along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Attractions include the Biltmore Estate, Tweetsie Railroad, Grandfather Mountain, Asheville Trolley Tour, Smoky Mountain Jet Boats, Rafting, Gem Mining, Museums and more.

From the coast to the mountains there is much to see and do in North Carolina.