Press Releases

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, America 250 NC invites all North Carolinians to participate in a powerful national moment of reflection and unity: “Two Lights for Tomorrow.” Communities across the United States will unite&n

Fort Dobbs State Historic Site will start construction on a new $2 million visitor center on Monday, April 28. This will be the first major improvement at the site since the opening of the reconstructed fort in 2019.

 Mountain Gateway Museum, in partnership with the McDowell County Public Library, soon will launch a new monthly book club exploring regional history through literature.

A prominent education leader who worked with African American students soon will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker.

The N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island is honored and thrilled to announce that it is a winner in the 2025 Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards contest for Best Aquarium. Nominees from across the United States were selected by an editorial panel of travel experts and Newsweek contributors.

Bennett Place State Historic Site will commemorate the 160th anniversary of its Civil War surrender with two public programs on April 25-26.

The initiative is part of the upcoming America 250 semiquincentennial observance in 2026. In North Carolina, the event is led by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ America 250 NC initiative.

The Museum of the Albemarle will host The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans on Thursday, May 1 at 6 p.m. in the Gaither Auditorium. 

Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site will host two living history programs on Saturdays during April. Both programs will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

It’s a sprint to the finish line—the registration finish line—for the 2025 Race for the Planet at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) slated for Sunday, April 27 at 8 a.m.  A favorite for competitive racers and leisure walkers, the 5K and 1-mile fun run wind along the Atl