North Carolina Museum of History

The Museum is located on Bicentennial Plaza in downtown Raleigh between the Capitol and the Legislature Building, at the corner of Jones and Salisbury streets.

What began as a personal passion project for Dr. and Mrs. Palmer in the mid-1980s blossomed into a full cultural destination by 1989, with George Barner joining the effort to officially incorporate the vision in 1994. Tucked behind the historic Palmer House at 119 Sunnybrook Road, this 3-acre woodland retreat unfolds along a natural creek-side trail, offering visitors three distinct exhibit houses, a modest amphitheater, bird sanctuary, nature preserve, botanical gardens, and peaceful picnic grounds. The nonprofit operates entirely through community generosity—no entrance fee required, though visitors often contribute what they can, and local supporters have steadily enriched the space through donations of both labor and meaningful artifacts. Winter transforms the wooded grounds into a serene, quieter experience, with bare branches framing the creek and the pathways taking on a contemplative character perfect for reflective visits.

The Raleigh City Museum is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting the history of Raleigh, North Carolina's capital city.

The North Carolina Museum of Art's collection spans more than 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to the present. The ancient collection includes Egyptian funerary art and important examples of sculpture and vase painting from the Greek and Roman worlds. The collection of European paintings and sculpture from the Renaissance through impressionism is internationally celebrated with important works by Giotto, Sandro Botticelli, Raphael, Anthony van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens, Antonio Canova and Claude Monet. American art of the 18th and 19th centuries features paintings by John Singleton Copley, Thomas Cole, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins and William Merritt Chase. Modern art includes major works by such American artists as Marsden Hartley, Georgia O'Keeffe, Franz Kline, Frank Stella, Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Murray and Joel Shapiro. Modern European masters include Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Paul Delvaux, Henry Moore, Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter. Galleries are also devoted to African, Ancient American and Oceanic Art, as well as Jewish ceremonial art.

The museum's collection features the works of various African-American artists from both the 19th and 20th centuries as well as a selection of objects from the African continent. NCCU Art Museum has been called "the most important publicly assembled collection of African-American art in North Carolina" and boasts the works of artists such as Henry O. Tanner, Jacob Lawrence, and Minnie Evans.

Inspiring children and the adults in their lives to learn through play. Kidzu’s vision for the future is to become one of the best community children’s museums in the country and, through partnerships with local educational and cultural institutions, an innovator in museum-based education for children. <br> Kidzu Children’s Museum is an interactive museum for young children and families located in downtown Chapel Hill, NC.

A hands-on, interactive, and educational play place for children ages 0-10 years and their families. Visitors learn while they play, touch, explore and discover in a variety of “Our Town” exhibits that have been created to stimulate children's imagination and to provide rich play experiences.

The Textile Heritage Museum is located in the Glencoe Mill Village, just north of Burlington, North Carolina. <br> The museum features history and machinery of the textile industry from the cottage industry to the present, the family labor system, life in the mill villages, and a company store exhibit, and presents various exhibits of interest.

Step back into what shaped this corner of the piedmont through a museum that's been collecting these stories since the 1950s. The Rowan Museum keeps the region's past alive by gathering artifacts, diving into research, and putting together exhibits that help visitors understand how this place came to be. Winter visits have a particular charm here—quieter galleries let you linger over displays without the usual crowds, and the cold season somehow makes the historical narratives feel more intimate. Their programs and carefully maintained collections tell the larger story of Rowan County and the piedmont, turning archival work into something you can actually experience and connect with.

The Ackland Art Museum was founded through the bequest of William Hayes Ackland (1855-1940) to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Ackland Trust provided the funds to construct the museum building, and that trust continues to provide for the purchase of works of art.

Step back in time and discover how rural doctors cared for their communities with ingenuity and heart. This one-of-a-kind museum showcases over 5,000 medical artifacts spanning nearly 200 years—from handmade remedies to early surgical tools—with knowledgeable docents guiding you through three historic buildings. It's a fascinating glimpse into the resilience and resourcefulness of American healthcare before modern medicine.

Providing 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 North Carolina Aviation Museum is well into its second decade as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history, as well as honoring the heritage of the wonderfully wide, wide world of flight!

The mission of the Fayetteville Museum of Art is to collect, conserve, display art, and present a program of education in order to enhance the appreciation of the visual arts by the people of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and its surrounding areas.

Stanly County is a crossroads of history. Its people have helped mold and define the cultural landscape of the county, the state, and the nation for more than 10,000 years. Our citizens value their history and have diligently worked together to establish the Stanly County Museum to safeguard the objects of their heritage. With so many different cultures and catalysts creating history in this “land between the rivers,” the Stanly County Museum has a unique collection of artifacts—from examples of Native American art and pottery to restored pioneer homes. We invite you to discover the rich heritage that is Stanly County, North Carolina.

The story of Badin begins circa 10,000 BC when Native Americans camped on the hill above the falls of our river and fashioned spearheads from outcroppings of rhyolite rock. Many native tribes followed, using this area until the 1700's. Settlers arrived in the 1600's and 1700's and the river was given a name: the Yadkin. Its rushing waters were instrumental in the beginning of our town when...

Walk through galleries brimming with native specimens and artifacts that tell the story of this region's past, then step outside to trails where winter's crisp air clarifies everything around you. The Schiele pulls together North America's ecological treasures and local heritage in ways that shift how you see the landscape. Families find themselves lingering longer than expected, colleagues discover common ground over shared discoveries, and solo visitors often find the quiet indoor spaces and outdoor pathways work together to create moments of genuine reflection.

The Chapel Hill Museum was founded to exhibit the Character and Characters of Chapel Hill. <br> The building in which the museum is housed was built and dedicated in 1968 as the Chapel Hill Public Library. Though contemporary in design, the structure incorporated familiar elements of Chapel Hill construction, such as the stone walls.

The Averasboro Battlefield Commission, Inc. (ABCI) is tasked with the responsibility to preserve and present the story of the Battle of Averasboro. ABCI is a non-profit, tax exempt organization formed in 1994 and incorporated in 1995 to lead in the preservation, presentation and promotion of the Averasboro Battlefield, Smithville Plantation and related history.

The Rankin Museum of American and Natural History is recognized for its diverse and unique collections, focusing on the history and cultures of Early American life; beginning with the Native American occupation and continuing to the present.

A place where children can explore their world the way they learn best-through creative role-playing, manipulation, and interaction with each other and the objects around them.

Doll & Miniature Museum of High Point's mission is to Educate, Enlighten, Entertain & Interpret The Heritage of Dolls & Miniatures. The Museum Collects, Preserves & Exhibits Dolls, Doll Houses & Miniatures.

The Ava Gardner Museum is an interpretive museum which describes her life, from growing up near Smithfield, NC, to her discovery by Hollywood, her progress as an actress, her loves, her friends and her travels. A film star of Hollywood’s Golden Era, she was acclaimed as the world’s most beautiful woman was sought by both famous photographers and filmmakers to grace their film. <br> The Ava Gardner Museum is home to an extensive collection of historic documents, scripts, photographs, costumes, clothing and paintings. Each object in the museum was either owned by Ava Gardner or her family, used in her films or had a special meaning or relationship to Ava.

With over half the Museum's gallery space dedicated to special and traveling exhibitions, the Ackland organizes more than a dozen exhibitions a year. Special exhibitions present a wide stylistic range, from contemporary American photography to European master paintings, video installations to Early Modern portraits. University scholars and guest curators enrich the Ackland exhibition schedule with cutting-edge research and innovative approaches to works of art. A walk through the Ackland can be an introduction to Peter Paul Rubens, Eugene Delacroix, and Andy Warhol - all in the same day.

Here you'll discover first hand the rich history of the Piedmont area. The museum's 17,000 square feet of exhibition space offers hours of entertaining, educational enjoyment. Visit the museum and view a vintage moving picture in the Crystal Theatre, listen in on a conversation at the local Telephone Exchange, become a pharmacist at the Richardson-Fariss Drugstore. You can also learn about short story writer O. Henry, First Lady Dolley Madison, the Greensboro Sit-ins, war, work life and much more. While you're here, make sure to take a stroll through homes built in the 1700s or visit the First Presbyterian cemetery and see the graves of North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead or family members of William Sydney Porter (O. Henry). Make the Museum Shop your final stop and purchase hard to find antique recreations, colonial toys, a fascinating book or a piece of Seagrove pottery.

The Weatherspoon Art Museum at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has one of the foremost collections of modern and contemporary art in the Southeast. Through a dynamic annual calendar of exhibitions and educational programs, the Weatherspoon provides an opportunity for audiences to consider artistic, cultural, and social issues of the times, and enriches the life of the university and community.

Explore exhibits of antique locomotives, rail cars, automobiles and more. Take a train ride around the N.C. Transportation Museum's historic 57-acre site, enjoy the many family-friendly special events, and learn about how transportation progress helped build North Carolina.

The original impetus for the formation of the present Greenville Museum of Art was the first Women's Club Arts Festival in 1935. The enthusiastic community support of this venture inspired the festival leaders to develop an initial momentum that resulted in the formation of a permanent art facility in 1939. Rachel Maxwell Moore contacted the Federal Art Project in Raleigh, which authorized the establishment of a Federal Art Project's Gallery in Greenville. <br> Presently the Museum exists as a local attraction to the citizens of Greenville and Pitt County, although visitors from across the state visit the Museum regularly. Gallery talks and openings, tours, art classes and its numerous outreach programs generate a continued interest in the Museum. Participants and visitors range in age from young to old. Annually over 3,000 children participate in programs offered by the Museum and over 12,000 people visit the Museum.

Since 1983, the Tobacco Farm Life Museum has been preserving the history and cultural heritage of Eastern North Carolina farm life. The museum was started by a group of local families who had pride in their past and a strong volunteer spirit. Having seen the way of life of their parents and grandparents becoming obsolete, these families wanted to preserve this personal and special history of the Eastern North Carolina flu-cured tobacco farm family for future generations. <br> The museum has grown to an internationally recognized and accredited museum and today continues to interpret and present this important rural legacy to the public.

Displaying more than 30 authentic Winston Cup race cars, the Winston Cup Museum chronicles RJ Reynolds Tobacco's 33-year sponsorship of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The museum also displays a extensive variety of racing artifacts.

Located in the historic district of Goldsboro, the Wayne County Museum strives to educate and entertain people of all ages by offering varied and diverse exhibits. The aim of the museum is to collect, preserve, study, and exhibit objects illustrating the history, science and cultural heritage of Wayne County and Central Eastern North Carolina. <br> The Wayne County Museum was founded in 1986 when the Goldsboro Woman’s Club graciously donated its classical Jeffersonian style building to the Wayne County Historical Association. The building constructed in 1927, and the home of the U.S.O. in the 1940’s, is filled with the rich history of Wayne County. The museum officially opened in 1988 and sponsors several special exhibits each year.

On February 1, 1960, four freshmen from North Carolina A&T launched the sit-in movement that was a major component of the civil rights movement of the early 1960s. To commemorate their actions, The International Civil Rights Center & Museum is being established on the very site of that original sit-in. Come visit and learn more about the details of that event and to explore the plans to convert the 1929 F.W. Woolworths building into a living monument to civil rights everywhere. <br> Under construction in the original F.W. Woolworth building, The International Civil Rights Center & Museum will honor this event and those who participated in the 1960 sit-ins and other demonstrations this action spawned. As critical to its mission to commemorate the unique role that Greensboro, NC played in advancing the civil rights movement, is the development of a stunning array of interactive multi-media presentations and historically preserved artifacts in dramatic exhibits that chronicle the broader American civil rights struggle. The Museum promises to become a compelling destination for anyone interested in American history, as well as historians, researchers, teachers, students and their parents, and the thousands who have contributed to the explosion in heritage tourism.

A valuable resource for education and enjoyment for Orange County residents, and a tourist destination for visitors to Hillsborough and Orange County.

Come experience the thrill of riding the rails - see, hear, and feel a part of railroad history. The New Hope Valley Railway at the North Carolina Railroad Museum has operating days in season from May to December, with activities, themes, and events for visitors of all ages to enjoy. Purchase train ride tickets for our scheduled operating days or you can charter group train rides, schedule operate-a-loco, or have a birthday party in a historic caboose.

The General William C. Lee Airborne Museum is a major tourist attraction in the heart of Dunn, North Carolina. More than $350,000 in renovation to the museum was unveiled on June 6, 2006, the anniversary of D-Day. State of the art exhibits and two stories of airborne history and the personal story of General Lee are on display.

Levine Museum of the New South is an interactive museum housing the nation's most comprehensive interpretation of post-Civil War Southern history.

The Carolinas Historic Aviation Commission was founded in 1992 with the purpose of preserving the aviation heritage of North and South Carolina. The Commission operates the Carolinas Aviation Museum , the Carolinas Aviation Hall of Fame, and the Dolph Overton Aviation Library as part of it mission. <br> The Museum and the Library are located at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Featurings an extensive collection and living interpretations of History.

Cape Fear Museum of History and Science is the oldest history museum in North Carolina. Since its founding in 1898, the Museum has grown and changed. It began collecting confederate relics, and now collects images and artifacts that help us understand the history, science and cultures of the region. The Museum began in one room, staffed only by volunteers. It has grown into a professionally run, American Association of Museums accredited institution, housing more than 50,000 objects.

The Bellamy Mansion is one of North Carolina's most spectacular examples of antebellum architecture built on the eve of the Civil War by free and enslaved black artisans, for John Dillard Bellamy (1817-1896) physician, planter and business leader; and his wife, Eliza McIlhenny Harriss (1821-1907) and their nine children. After the fall of Fort Fisher in 1865, Federal troops commandeered the house as their headquarters during the occupation of Wilmington. Now the house is a museum that focuses on history and the design arts and offers tours, changing exhibitions and an informative look at historic preservation in action.