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.
One of the South's premier art museums with major holdings in European paintings, Egyptian funerary art, sculpture and vase painting from ancient Greece and Rome, American art, Judaic art and international contemporary art. Rental Options
North Carolina's flagship history museum with exhibits covering 14,000 years of history under one roof with a focus on the state’s military history, decorative arts and culture. Rental Options
North Carolina's most-visited museum and the largest natural sciences museum in South, exploring our natural world through interactive exhibits, educational films, and hands-on learning areas. Rental Options
The NC Museum of Natural Sciences at Greenville has now opened with new, exceptional exhibits, mind-opening programs and educational events that reflect the relevant needs of audiences in northeastern North Carolina.
The southeast regional branch of North Carolina's most-visited museum featuring an investigative lab, PlaySpace and discovery forest.
A special public library that circulates books and magazines especially made for persons who cannot use regular printed material because of a visual or physical disability.
A museum focusing on history that moves you, located on the site of the Southern Railway’s former steam locomotive repair facility. Rental Option
The world's largest natural habitat zoo with exhibits focused on the animals of North America and Africa. Rental Options
A quick escape into nature with its three miles of trail exploring riverside forests, bluffs reaching to the highest point in the area and mountain laurel and rhododendron thickets.
A regional archives and research library focused on materials that document the history and culture of the North Carolina coast and adjacent areas.
Pettigrew State Park is a jumping off point for exploring 16,000-acre Lake Phelps and its surrounding landscape by land or water.
Named after the mountain a navigational landmark for centuries, Pilot Mountain State Park also features miles of trails, places for rock climbing and spectacular scenery.
Forty-five acres of Piedmont prairie, forest, ponds, a stream and sustainable building features integrated with a wildlife-friendly landscape right in the heart of the Triangle.
North Carolina’s only presidential site, focused on our nation's 11 president and the issues that dominated his term. Rental Option
Some of the best hiking along the Cape Fear River can be found at Raven Rock State Park, where visitors can also Lanier Falls, the Fish Traps rapids or the massive Raven Rock, an ageless landmark for river travelers.