Summer is a perfect time for wandering back roads and discovering new adventures. Whether your summer plans include a staycation or a vacation, we’ve got you covered with uniquely North Carolina events and attractions to visit in all 100 counties.
If you live in the Triangle, nothing says summer quite like an outdoor movie at the N.C. Museum of Art or a Summerfest concert performed by the North Carolina Symphony. If the mountains are more your thing, you know it's prime season for traditional music or a hike at a state park, and if you're headed to the beach, you'll find great aquariums and museums up and down the coast.
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources alone has many opportunities for summer fun across the state – 27 historic sites, 41 state parks and recreation areas, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, the N.C. Zoo and the N.C. Symphony. And there is so much more to explore in N.C. outside our doors.
Whether you’re a longtime Tar Heel or planning your first visit to N.C., we’ve found some of the best ways for you to experience authentic North Carolina arts, nature, history, and culture this summer. Come along with us and discover summer adventures across the Old North State.
Visit the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources “Discover Summer N.C.” website at www.ncdcr.gov/discoversummernc to discover summer fun in each of these four N.C. regions:
Coastal N.C. – Everyone’s favorite summer destination – climb a lighthouse, visit one of our outstanding aquariums or maritime museums, see the Atlantic coast’s largest sand dune at Jockey’s Ridge, or walk in the footsteps of the stars by visiting some of the many locations where movies and television shows have been filmed in coastal N.C.
Inner Coastal Plain – The Inner Coastal Plain of North Carolina offers museums, state parks, historic sites, festivals and more for your summer getaway. Tour historic plantation homes, visit Civil War battlefields or check out the amazing Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park.
Piedmont N.C. – North Carolina has some outstanding art, history and science museums, and many of them can be found in the urban centers of the state’s Piedmont. Take in a minor-league ball game or NASCAR race, listen to live music at festivals and parks, or enjoy water sports on one of the area’s many recreational lakes.
N.C. Mountains – Summer in the mountains is prime time for traditional music festivals, hiking, and camping at state parks, or just escaping to the (slightly) cooler weather. Enjoy traditional arts and crafts, stand under a waterfall, take a thrill ride down Sliding Rock, step back in time at Biltmore, or take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.