Digital Collections & Online Exhibits

Thanks to the hard work of the State Archives and State Library and many of our historic sites and museums, and to some innovative partnerships we’ve formed, you can browse thousands of items from our collections online and get great overviews of various subjects like the Civil War and aviation history through online exhibits.

Explore Our Digital Collections

Nearly 90,000 historic and recent photographs, state government publications, manuscripts and other primary materials from the collections of the State Archives, State Library and several of other institutions available online in one place.

Begin Exploring Our Online Collections Today

Other Digital Collections

Our digital collections give you access to tens of thousands artifacts, publications, photographs, works of art and other materials related to North Carolina, and offer a small glimpse into the hundreds of thousands of these materials that make up our collections in total.

Digital NC

Yearbooks newspapers, images and memorabilia from cultural heritage institutions from across North Carolina aggregated in one place.

North Carolina Maps

A comprehensive, online collection of historic maps of the Tar Heel State, featuring maps from three of the state's largest map collections.

Outer Banks History Center Flickr

More than 500 images of the North Carolina’s Outer Banks and the broader northeastern region.

State Archives Flickr

More than 10,000 photographs and other audio-visual materials that showcase an array of subjects from North Carolina's past.

State Government Web Archives

Archived websites created by North Carolina’s state agencies back to 1996 as preserved by the State Archives and State Library.

NCpedia

Part digital collection, part online exhibition, NCpedia is the online encyclopedia of all things North Carolina. More than 7,000 articles are accompanied by materials from across our collections, timelines, resources for educators and more.

Explore North Carolina History and Culture on NCpedia

Highlighted Online Exhibits

Ever wondered how the Blue Ridge Parkway has changed over time? Want to dive deep into North Carolina’s Civil War history? Wondering how medicine has evolved throughout Tar Heel history? Learn more about these and other topics related to the Old North State by checking out our online exhibits.

The Wright Brothers' First Flight in Kitty Hawk

Centennial of Flight

Perhaps no story from North Carolina history is more famous than the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk. Dive deeper and meet other aviation pioneers who called the Tar Heel State home.

Entering the Blue Ridge Parkway in the 1940s

Driving Through Time: The Digital Blue Ridge Parkway

Take a virtual trip through the history of the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina’s famous beautiful 469-mile "elongated park."

A 1921 Tonsil and Adenoid Removal Surgery

Health and Healing in North Carolina

From the herbal remedies that Native Americans used for centuries to the rise of the biotech industry in the past 20 years, explore how medicine has changed through North Carolina history.

Wildcats Never Quit: North Carolina in World War I

Printed books and documents, letters, diaries, photographs and artifacts from the State Archives, State Library and N.C. Museum of History that tell the story of World War I.

Other Exhibits to Explore

A Change is Gonna Come

Bill of Rights Returns Home

Democracy and the Media

Educational Resources by Topic

Mann and Midgett Family Papers, 1751-1941

North Carolina and the Civil War

The Old North State and 'Kaiser Bill'

Under Both Flags

Works Projects in North Carolina, 1933-1941