Tryon Palace will offer free admission to the Governor's Palace, historic homes and gardens during Free Day, held Saturday, Feb. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This annual event will include free tours of the first floors of the Governor's Palace, Stanly House and Dixon House, as well as a multicultural fair in the North Carolina History Center, crafts and living history demonstrations. Tryon Palace's gardens will also be free and open to the public.
Inside the historic Tryon Palace Commission House, children will use crafts to learn about and celebrate the cultures of New Bern's Native American, English, French and German founders. These free crafts include German paper crafts, making a coat of arms and creating wampum bracelets. Staff and volunteers from the Tryon Palace costume shop will lead demonstrations about making wigs, hairpieces and caps as well.
Living history programs across the site will include cooking in the Kitchen Office, blacksmithing and a medical demonstration tent on the Daves House lawn showcasing the evolution of medicine and surgery.
A multicultural fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the North Carolina History Center. Various and diverse cultures currently found in New Bern will be represented through a showcase of traditions and characteristics of each individual culture. The Duffy Exhibition Gallery will also be open with a free exhibit entitled "Pins and Needles: A Twin Rivers Quilters Exhibition."
Admission will be charged to enter the Pepsi Family Center and Regional History Museum galleries at a discounted rate of 10-percent off for adults and youth (grades 1-12). As always, children in kindergarten and younger will be admitted at no cost.
Tryon Palace Free Day is sponsored by the Bate Foundation.
For more information call 252-639-3500 or visit www.tryonpalace.org.