North Carolina Places to Visit

Lumber River State Park

A park all about eastern North Carolina paddling, fishing and exquisite scenery with nine access points spanning miles of the Lumber River.

Mayo River State Park

A historic and prized community gathering place flanked by picnic grounds, small fishing ponds and a growing network of hiking trails.

Medoc Mountain State Park

Serenity seems to pervade this park, enhanced by gentle Fishing Creek and a scenic open meadow that spreads from the picnic grounds and majestic Medoc Mountain.

Merchants Millpond State Park

Whether it’s hiking, camping, paddling, fishing, horseback riding, swimming or just taking in scenery or just taking in the scenery, Morrow Mountain State Park offers a different adventure for everyone.

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area

(Temporarily Closed) 

Rising abruptly to more than 1,600 feet above the surrounding landscape, Mount Jefferson State Park's namesake peak is a national natural landmark with a rich history.

Mount Mitchell State Park (Temporarily Closed)

(Temporarily Closed) 

Our first state park, centered around a dramatic summit that is the highest point east of the Mississippi and the spruce-fir forest that surrounds it.

Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center

(Temporarily Closed)

A regional museum that encourages the preservation and understanding of the culture of the state’s mountain region.

Museum of the Albemarle

A regional museum capturing the history of northeastern North Carolina and showcasing American Indians, watermen, farmers, craftsmen and other communities. Rental Option

Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex

A museum that interprets the history of southeastern North Carolina; the 1897 Poe House, which illuminates turn-of-the-century upper middle class life; and Arsenal Park, where the Civil War-era Fayetteville Arsenal once stood.

New River State Park

(Temporarily Closed) 

A base camp for exploration of the New River, a National Wild and Scenic River that winds through some of the best North Carolina mountain scenery.

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

An aquarium that takes a broader look at the state's natural environment while focusing on the lower Cape Fear. Feel the smooth skin of a gliding stingray and marvel at free-flying butterflies and roar with the dinosaurs. Rental Options

North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

An aquarium offering visitors the opportunity to meet the thousands of aquatic animals that call all regions of North Carolina home. Rental Options

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

An aquarium exploring the waters of Outer Banks. Marvel at the largest collection of sharks in the state, touch stingrays and see sea turtle conservation work in progress. Rental Options

North Carolina Government and Heritage Library

A library focused on facilitating public access to state government information and advancing the study, understanding, and appreciation of North Carolina's cultural heritage.

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort

The official repository of artifacts recovered from Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge and home to exhibits highlighting North Carolina's coastal culture.