North Carolina Museum of History Reviews

Courtesy North Carolina Museum of History

Key Info

5 East Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Official Website

Details

Museums, Tours Type
2 hours to Half Day Time to Spend

4.5

Overall

Scorecard

Value

5.0
Facilities

4.5
Atmosphere

4.0

Read about how we rank Things to Do.

The North Carolina Museum of History is exactly what its name suggests — a museum about North Carolina's history. Exhibits include the 20,000-square-foot permanent "Story of North Carolina," which traces the state's history across 14,000 years. Visitors will find everything from two full-size historic houses to a life-size replica of the Wright brothers' plane, the "Wright Flyer." Other exhibits focus on themes like sports or the Civil War, and there are a host of temporary exhibits that rotate through the museum.

Visitors were especially delighted by the museum's preservation of the historic homes, and many say they were enchanted by the stories about the wars and North Carolina's origins.

The North Carolina Museum of History is open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sundays, it's open from noon to 5 p.m. The museum is free with two caveats: donations are accepted and some special programs or exhibits may charge a small fee. You'll find the museum in downtown Raleigh, between the State Capitol and the Legislative Building, on East Edenton Street. For more information, visit the museum's website.

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0.5 Miles Away
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#2 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is Raleigh's most popular attraction for several reasons: it's free, its cafe features a menu of tasty and reasonably priced items ... Read more » Courtesy North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

#3 Pullen Park Pullen Park, which sits beside North Carolina State University, has a number of superlatives to its name. Not only is it the state's first public park, it's also ... Read more » ying / Shutterstock

#4 North Carolina Museum of Art The North Carolina Museum of Art's gleaming white galleries, which hang with paintings like Andrew Wyeth's "Winter 1946" and "The Holy Family with St. Anne" by Peter Paul ... Read more » Courtesy North Carolina Museum of Art

#5 William B. Umstead State Park In the between the cities of Raleigh, Cary and Durham is the William B. Umstead State Park and its 5,579 acres of wooded trails and picturesque lakes. You can ... Read more » Nathania Johnson / Flickr

#6 North Carolina Museum of History The North Carolina Museum of History is exactly what its name suggests — a museum about North Carolina's history. Exhibits include the 20,000-square-foot permanent "Story of North Carolina," which ... Read more » Courtesy North Carolina Museum of History

#7 Marbles Kids Museum You might wonder where this children's museum got its name, and the answer is two-fold. One, because the museum founders encourage kids to "use their marbles" (or brains) while ... Read more » Courtesy Marbles Kids Museum

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#9 North Carolina State Capitol The North Carolina State Capitol, which was completed in 1840, is the center of activity for North Carolina state government. It also contains a host of curiosities — like its Greek ... Read more » Courtesy American Spirit

#10 Historic Yates Mill County Park The 174-acre Historic Yates Mill County Park is the last remaining water-powered gristmill in Wake County. It's also a nice place to stretch your legs: There are several miles ... Read more » CathyRL / Shutterstock