The North Carolina Museum of History is excited to announce a calendar full of events as the long summer days fade into the cozy glow of autumn!
Come and celebrate the last few weeks of the museum building being open with live music performances like no other! Our fall schedule includes three more Tar Heel Troubadours concerts, a celebration of Americana, roots, bluegrass, and traditional music performed by artists from North Carolina or currently living and working in the state.
Read on for all our fall events. Programs are FREE unless otherwise noted.
- North Carolina Museum of History | Raleigh and Winston-Salem Community Gathering
Tuesday, Aug. 27, 6–7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 28, 6–7:30 p.m.
Help shape the museum’s new exhibits by sharing your insights on how North Carolina’s rich and diverse history can be presented to future visitors. Your voice matters! Community members in and around Winston-Salem are invited to participate on Tuesday, August 27, and can register for this event on Eventbrite. Community members in and around Raleigh are invited to participate on Wednesday, August 28, and can register for this event on Eventbrite. - Jim Thorpe, North Carolina Baseball, and the 1912 Olympic Scandal (VIRTUAL)
Thursday, Aug. 29, 7–9 p.m.
At the 1912 Summer Olympics, American Indian Jim Thorpe won the decathlon and pentathlon and became a sports legend. After officials discovered Thorpe had played minor league baseball in North Carolina, they stripped him of his victories. Matthew Andrews, a teaching associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recounts this early sports scandal and Thorpe’s struggle to regain his gold medals. You can register for this virtual event on Eventbrite! - Hands-on History: Make a Critter Crown
Saturday, Sept. 14, noon–3 p.m.
Like to eat? Then you love pollinators like butterflies and moths! Visit our booth at the N.C. Museum of Natural Science’s BugFest event to learn more, spin the Wheel of History, and make a critter crown to take home. - Tar Heel Troubadours: Shannon Whitworth and Woody Platt
Saturday, Sept. 14, 7–9:30 p.m.
Tickets: MOHA/museum members $12; general admission $15
Woody Platt and Shannon Whitworth, a husband and wife duo, have been making the most of their time together by playing, writing, recording, and performing music. Whitworth is recognized for her musical style and work as a songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. Platt, a former member of the band Steep Canyon Rangers, has been working on solo projects. His debut single, “One Last Goodbye,” was a chart-topper in bluegrass music for several months. - History at High Noon: The Determined Story of North Carolina’s First Congresswoman
Wednesday, Sept. 25, noon–1 p.m.
In 1946, Jane Pratt—a Capitol Hill secretary—became the first congresswoman to represent North Carolina, something she managed with just a $100 campaign budget. Join author Marion Elliott Deerhake as we discuss the highs and lows of Pratt’s congressional career, which stretched before and after her stint as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. You can register for this virtual event on Eventbrite! - Tar Heel Troubadours: Rissi Palmer and Miko Marks
Friday, Oct. 4, 7–9:30p.m.
Tickets: MOHA/museum members $12; general admission $15
Rissi Palmer has coined her own genre called "Southern Soul" and advocates for marginalized musicians through her radio show “Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer.” Miko Marks has created a unique sound by blending country, blues, southern rock, and gospel, earning widespread acclaim and establishing herself as a catalyst for change in the country music genre. - Tar Heel Troubadours: Henhouse Prowlers
Saturday, Oct. 5, 7–9:30 p.m.
Tickets: MOHA/museum members $12; general admission $15
The Henhouse Prowlers have been sharing their original music for nearly two decades. Their latest album, Lead and Iron, features their powerful songwriting and intricate instrumentation. Their experiences around the world have influenced their approach to incorporating international elements into their traditional American music.
On May 1, the museum announced the upcoming redesign of the museum and exhibits. To prepare for the renovation, the first-floor exhibits and the physical museum building will close Oct. 7, 2024. The renovation is anticipated to last two to three years. Don’t miss current opportunities to engage with the museum’s open exhibitions; there are still a lot of exhibits, live music, and programs to explore.
For more details, click the links above or visit ncmuseumofhistory.org.
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About the N.C. Museum of History
The North Carolina Museum of History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, fosters a passion for North Carolina history. This museum collects and preserves artifacts of state history and educates the public on the history of the state and the nation through exhibits and educational programs. Admission is free. In 2023, more than 355,000 people visited the museum to see some of the 150,000 artifacts in the museum collection. The Museum of History, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
About the Smithsonian Affiliations Network
Since 2006, the North Carolina Museum of History has been a Smithsonian Affiliate, part of a select group of museums and cultural, educational and arts organizations that share Smithsonian resources with the nation. The Smithsonian Affiliations network is a national outreach program that develops long-term collaborative partnerships with museums and other educational and cultural organizations to enrich communities with Smithsonian resources. More information is available at affiliations.si.edu.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the N.C. Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.