North Carolina boasts nearly 100 state parks, museums, historic sites, aquariums and other attractions. Use the tool below to find places to visit by activity, theme, region or cost. As you check boxes on the right side of the screen, the places listed on the right will narrow to fit your criteria. Click on place's title to learn more.
Visit our things to do page for more information on all the wonderful things to do you'll find in the Tar Heel state.
A historic and prized community gathering place flanked by picnic grounds, small fishing ponds and a growing network of hiking trails.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A regional museum that encourages the preservation and understanding of the culture of the state’s mountain region.
A regional museum capturing the history of northeastern North Carolina and showcasing American Indians, watermen, farmers, craftsmen and other communities. Rental Option
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.
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.
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
An aquarium offering visitors the opportunity to meet the thousands of aquatic animals that call all regions of North Carolina home. Rental Options
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
A library focused on facilitating public access to state government information and advancing the study, understanding, and appreciation of North Carolina's cultural heritage.
The official repository of artifacts recovered from Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge and home to exhibits highlighting North Carolina's coastal culture.
A regional history museum that tells the story of the Cape Fear region's people and their relationship to the water, including a special focus on pirates of the Lower Cape Fear and blockade runners.