Things to do in North Carolina

The refuge has over 150,000 acres of wetland habitats and a wide variety of wildlife, ranging from wood ducks and alligators to black bears and red wolves.  Plant species including the Atlantic white cedar, bald cypress, wildflowers and shrubs are abundant.  Enjoy an abundance of hiking and wildlife trails, and fishing areas.  Trails for kayaking and canoeing with guided canoe tours are available for a fee. 

Seagrove Pottery is a unique gallery of local potters and artists featuring traditional and contemporary pottery.  They also carry North Carolina crafts including candles, stained glass, wool hats and scarves, jewelry and more.  This is a perfect first stop for Seagrove area information and pottery shopping!

Location of novelist Thomas Wolfe's boyhood home and setting for his 1929 novel Look Homeward, Angel.  The visitor Center offers multi-media presentations and exhibits.  Tours of the historic house are offered hourly.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick lighthouse in North America.  It is open for climbing from Good Friday through Columbus Day.  Extending about 14 miles offshore from Cape Hatteras are the shallow, shifting Diamond Shoals, a hazard to near shore navigation.  By day or night, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse provided a navigational bearing, enabling ships to avoid the treacherous shoals.

With 276,000 acres in North Carolina and 244,000 acres in Tennessee, the park is the largest protected land area east of the Rocky Mountains.  This national treasure is home to a variety of plant and animal life, recreational opportunities, hiking and cultural history.  The park preserves historical structures of early European settlements.  Admission is free.  Modest fees for camping in developed areas and some activities.

The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world’s premier outdoor recreation and environmental education center.  Alongside mountain-biking and running trails, a climbing center and challenge course, the park’s unique feature is a multiple-channel, customized whitewater river for rafting and canoe/kayak enthusiasts of all abilities.

Building on the basic philosophy of keeping spectator and competitor comfort a high priority, Lowe's Motor Speedway continues to be a leading promoter and marketer of motorsports activities in the United States.

Concord Mills features hundreds of the best names in retail including Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Nike Factory Store, Osh Kosh B'Gosh Outlet, Zales the Diamond Store Outlet and Off 5th Avenue Outlet.

Tryon Palace was originally built between 1767 and 1770, as the first permanent capitol of the Colony of North Carolina and a home for the Royal Governor and his family. Governor William Tryon had brought John Hawks, an English architect, with him when he came to North Carolina in 1764. Hawks designed the Palace in the manner of a number of fashionable houses in the vicinity of London-- Georgian in style, with symmetry maintained throughout. It was soon regarded to be the finest public building in the American colonies.

The battle fought at the small North Carolina backcountry hamlet of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781, was the largest, most hotly-contested action of the Revolutionary War's climactic Southern Campaign.

Founded by Bob Page in 1981, Replacements, Ltd. (located in Greensboro, NC) has the world's largest selection of old & new dinnerware, including china, stoneware, crystal, glassware, silver, stainless, and collectibles. Our 300,000 square foot facilities (the size of five football fields!) house an incredible inventory of 10 million pieces in 200,000 patterns, some over 100 years old!

As one of the most authentic and inviting living history restorations in the United States, Old Salem invites you to find yourself in another time and place. As you stroll through the restored town, you can not only view the buildings and gardens as they were, but you can experience the daily life that took place inside, showing you history as the Moravians lived it.

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. The North Carolina Aquariums are a division of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The Aquariums are accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

Roanoke Island - Manteo, NC, (252) 473-3493
Pine Knoll Shores - Pine Knoll Shores, NC, (252) 247-4003
Fort Fisher - Kure Beach, NC, (910) 458-8257
Call 800-832-FISH for more information

When you think summer, think Wet 'n Wild. The largest water park in both the Carolinas is the place to cool off, get sun and have fun. With over 34 rides and attractions, there's something for everyone, from mild to wild, from tots to seniors. It is family friendly, and the young kids (and mom and dad, too) will have a great time in Splash Island and Happy Harbor, our two large children's areas. When you're ready to kick back and relax after enjoying the over 3 million gallons of water fun, Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe offers an abundance of lounge chairs and shaded areas.

Grandfather Mountain is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountain range (elv. 5,964 ft). The Mountain is privately owned and operated as a scenic travel attraction and a globally recognized nature preserve.

The first successful sustained powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine were made here by Wilbur and Orville Wright on December 17, 1903. A 60-foot granite monument dedicated in 1932, is perched atop 90-foot tall Kill Devil Hill commemorating the achievement of these two visionaries from Dayton, Ohio.

The Biltmore was a working estate that could sustain itself and benefit the community. Considered America's largest home, come and experience acres of gardens, parklands, and managed forests - a wonderful country retreat for friends and family. This was George Vanderbilt's vision for Biltmore Estate more than 100 years ago, and it lives to this day.

Located about 75 miles west of Raleigh in Asheboro, N.C., the zoo is nationally recognized as one of the nation's finest. It was the first American zoo designed from its inception around the "natural habitat" philosophy--presenting animals and plants in exhibits that closely resemble the habitats in which they would be found in the wild.

Nestled among the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst resort invites you to become part of its history and to experience southern hospitality, elegant accommodations, luxury spa facilities, family recreational activities, and of course, any one of their eight pristine world-class golf courses. In addition to offering one of the finest golf experiences in the country, Pinehurst also provides world-class spa and tennis vacations, as well as fun-filled family vacation packages.

North Carolina Historic Sites, a program of 27 state historic sites, invites you to see our state as it was - to open doors of the past. Visitor centers with exhibits filled with artifacts and multimedia presentations are located at most sites, as are pleasant picnic facilities. Most tours are absolutely free.

North Carolina has five Farmers Markets that are owned by the STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA and operated by the NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & CONSUMER SERVICES. These Farmers Markets are strategically located across the state to serve North Carolina farmers, both large and small. They provide modern, well-maintained facilities, in prime locations that are inviting to sellers and buyers.

Asheville - 570 Brevard Road, Asheville, North Carolina 28806, (828) 253-1691
Charlotte -1801 Yorkmont Road, P.O. Box 669184, Charlotte, North Carolina 28266-9184, (704)357-1269 Piedmont Triad - 2914 Sandy Ridge Road, Colfax, North Carolina 27235, (336) 605-9157
Raleigh - 1201 Agriculture Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603, (919) 733-7417
Lumberton - 1027 U.S. Highway 74 East, Lumberton, North Carolina 28358, (910) 618-5699

People, products, promotions: from the beginning the High Point Market has connected all aspects of the home furnishings industry. Buyers and sellers come together from all 50 states and 110 countries around the world. They come to purchase home furnishings at the one market where manufacturers choose to introduce their new products, new styles, new finishes and new concepts. High Point is the market where buyers come to see it first, buy it first, and sell it first.

The Parkway follows the Appalachian Mountain chain and provides seemingly endless views of many parallel ranges connected by cross ranges and scattered hills. From Shenandoah National Park, the Parkway follows the Blue Ridge Mountains, eastern rampart of the Appalachians, for 355 miles. Then, for the remaining 114 miles, it skirts the southern end of the massive Black Mountains, weaves through the Craggies, the Pisgahs, and the Balsams, and ends in the Great Smokies.

Jockey's Ridge is the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States. Located in Nags Head, it is one of the most significant landmarks on the Outer Banks, North Carolina.

Chimney Rock Park is the natural fulfillment of your trip to the mountains. Take a deep breath of refreshing mountain air and let your cares fade away in the cool mists of Hickory Nut Falls. Located 25 miles southeast of Asheville, the park offers spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, Nature Center, Native Plant Nursery, a variety of special events and much more.