North Carolina [March 2025]

fun of historic proportions | history-making homes | food for the ages | LORE-RICH LODGING

North Carolina

N orth Carolina as we know it today has played host to many people over its remarkably rich past—from the Indigenous tribes of the Appalachian Mountains who preceded English settlers by millennia to the pirates who swashbuckled along the coast in the 17th and 18th centuries. To this day, history is never far below the surface. You just have to know where to look. No matter where you go in the state’s three regions—the Mountains, Piedmont and Coast—you’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in another time. Whether you’re exploring historic attractions and famous firsts or retro activities that you might not have experienced since your youth, you’ll find one thing time and again: North Carolina holds on to its authentic self. Read on to discover how North Carolina brings the past to the future.

One of the most iconic spots in all of North Carolina—the Wright Brothers’ National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills—marks the spiritual birthplace of modern aviation. But the site is just as much an ode to the sheer exhilaration of gliding on coastal breezes, and that same sense of joy and cutting loose infuses a number of the state’s lesser-known historic spots, too. Take, for example, the North Wilkesboro Speedway—born in the 1940s before NASCAR itself was. Closed in the 1990s, this driver and fan favorite was recently revived and is now hosting events such as the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 18, 2025. For a totally different take on vintage racing, visit the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trailhead on the banks of the Eno River, where four miles of trails take you around the lone surviving dirt speedway from NASCAR’s 1949 inaugural season.

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Wright Brothers' National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills

Biltmore, Asheville

Fun of historic proportions

History-making homes

Food for the ages

Lore-rich lodging

Historic Occoneechee Speedway, Hillsborough

Plan your trip

Big Oak Drive-In & BBQ, Salter Path

Walker's Soda Fountain, Mount Airy

Lexington Barbecue Festival

Downtown New Bern

Badin Road Drive-In Theater, Albemarle

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Bryson City

Lexington Barbecue Festival

S&T’s Soda Shoppe, Pittsboro

Skyline Lodge, Highlands

The Harvey, New Bern

Mother Earth Motor Lodge, Kinston

The 301 Endless Yard Sale, Johnston County

Historic Bath

Pinehurst Brewing Co., Pinehurst

Old Edwards Inn & Spa, Highlands

For a mellower spin on old-timey automotive fun, head to one of the state’s drive-in theaters where you can roll onto the lot, stock up on local goodness (think BBQ and burgers) and catch classic and current hits, sometimes back to back: The Wizard of Oz and Wicked was the most widely requested double feature in recent memory at Henderson’s Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre—a great place to head after a day in Kerr Lake State Park, by the way. Another favorite venue, Albemarle’s Badin Road Drive-In Theater, just reopened for the season, with Friday and Saturday nights bringing blockbusters to the shadows of nearby Morrow Mountain State Park.

If you prefer to wheel around on your own two feet, head to Kate’s Skating Rinks in Gastonia and Indian Trail. Created in 1961, these Piedmont hotspots offer a robust calendar of disco ball-illuminated events. And if retro locomotion is your thing, head to the historic Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Depot in Bryson City, where a restored 1942 steam-powered train (among others) will take you through the hills and valleys of Western North Carolina. During live turntable demonstrations on certain days, you may be called upon to help the crew turn the 353,540-pound engine and tender. And at holiday time, you won’t want to miss the train’s Polar Express departures, and you'll want to book as early as possible, as they're likely to sell out.

Even if you’ve never set foot in North Carolina, you’ve surely heard of the Biltmore, the stunningly landscaped 19th-century Vanderbilt family retreat outside Asheville. Of course, for all its beauty and grandeur, the Biltmore (a.k.a. America’s largest home) is just one of many historic domiciles you can visit in the state. To start at the beginning, or as close at you can get, head to the foot of the Uwharrie Mountains in the Piedmont, where you’ll find the remains of an ancient Pee Dee settlement: The Town Creek Indian Mound, where high-ranking members of the tribe lived, conferred, held ceremonies, feasted, and died. To get a sense of what life here was like, make your way through the interpretive exhibits at the visitor center and take a self-guided tour of the rebuilt structures.

Continue your time travel at North Carolina’s first colonial town and port of entry—Bath, chartered in 1705—where you can visit three historic houses, the oldest being the 1751 Palmer-Marsh House, where the customs collector and surveyor general put down roots. To follow along with the colony’s development, head to New Bern, where you’ll find Tryon Palace. Built between 1767 and 1770 as the first permanent capitol of North Carolina and a home for the Royal Governor William Tryon, the palace was mostly destroyed over time, then rebuilt in 1950s as the state’s first great public history project. Now, guides in period costume lead tours of the building. You can also tour the neighboring Dixon House, as well as the grounds of the Hay and Stanly Houses. And as you're making your way through this cluster of homes, you'll be following in the footsteps of everyone from George Washington to (okay, the fictional) Claire Fraser, of Outlander fame.

For more colonial-era exploration, head to Edenton and tour the Penelope Barker House (now the local welcome center). In 1774, the property’s namesake matron organized 50 of her sister colonialists in a tax-based boycott of British goods that became known as the “Edenton Tea Party”—one of the earliest political protests by women in the colonies in the leadup to the Revolutionary War. Another of North Carolina’s most fascinating homes played a pivotal role in the Civil War: Bennett Place, which sat between the Confederate General Johnston's headquarters in Greensboro and the Union General Sherman's headquarters in Raleigh. In 1865, the two met at this now-reconstructed farmhouse, where they signed surrender papers for Southern armies in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.

When the time comes for refueling, you’ll have so many good choices in North Carolina, not knowing where to begin is totally okay. As is often the case here, tradition is a great starting point. If barbecue is the most traditional local fare—as many would argue it is—why not head to the spot that routinely ranks #1 in the state, and has a James Beard "America’s Classics" Award to boot? That legendary destination in the Piedmont is the nearly 65-year-old Lexington Barbecue, a hotbed of authentic Lexington-style Carolina barbecue: Pork shoulders cook for almost half a day over oak and hickory coals and come with a tomato-and-vinegar-flavored dip and your choice of hush puppies, French fries, onion rings, or barbecue beans—all washed down with NC’s own Cheerwine (a cherry soda that’s nonalcoholic, despite the name).

Of course, there are plenty of North Carolina eateries that date back even further, starting with Thompson’s Store & Ward’s Grill, the state’s oldest grocery store, founded in 1890 in tiny, mountainous Saluda, near Asheville. Like much of the main drag in this one-street downtown, Thompson’s Store is on the National Register of Historic Places. And that grill? Perfect spot for burgers and shakes. In another mountainous part of the state, Mount Airy, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there’s an eatery worth visiting for the World-Famous Pork Chop Sandwich alone. The Snappy Lunch, which opened in 1923, and has since remained a favorite here in Andy Griffith’s hometown, where superfans will want to travel for the annual Mayberry Days festival (Sept. 22–28). Of course, North Carolina’s culinary world fame doesn’t stop at a pork chop sandwich: There’s an entire restaurant called The World Famous Open Kitchen in Charlotte, home to the area’s first pizza pies. And given the establishment’s popularity since 1952, that name is hardly hyperbolic.

Vintage soda shops? North Carolina’s got ‘em, too. To experience one of the best, head to Smith’s Drugs, born in 1940 in historic downtown Forest City, between Asheville and Charlotte. The pharmacy’s onsite fountain serves up Cheerwine (naturally), root beer floats, and orange freezes, among other retro refreshments. A little more than an hour away, on Davidson’s Main Street in the bucolic Lake Norman area, you’ll find another fan-favorite fountain. This one dates back to 1951: The Soda Shop. Check out the selection of phosphates (carbonated drinks made from scratch by the soda jerk with bubbly water and flavored syrups), as well as the other old-timey treats. Think floats, sundaes and splits. Then again, as even the casual observer of the North Carolina food scene knows—because it wins raves in national outlets all the time—the state is just as famous for innovative modern fare. Another fan favorite, S&T's Soda Shoppe is a 1900s-style purveyor of American classics and ice cream in downtown Pittsboro, not even an hour outside Raleigh, near the swimming, paddling and hiking haven of Jordan Lake State Recreation Area.

If you want a stay that tells a good story, you’ve come to the right state. And nowhere is that more evident than Highlands—one of Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Places to Travel in the U.S. in 2025, thanks largely to the “mini-Aspen” vibes of this Blue Ridge Mountain town escape. The short list of storied local lodgings includes Skyline Lodge, a luxury escape designed by Frank Lloyd Wright disciple Arthur J. Kelsey in the 1930s, then lovingly restored, renovated and reopened in 2021; Highlander Mountain House, an 1885 sea captain’s retreat turned design-forward boutique hotel; and The Old Edward Inn & Spa, born in 1878 as Highlands’ earliest boarding, now a full-service Relais & Châteaux resort with wellness offerings, organic gardens, and private golf clubs, for starters.

But one of the most beautiful North Carolinian boutique hotels to open in recent memory dates almost a century further back than even the oldest of those: The Harvey, built from 1797 to 1800 in New Bern as the residence, office and warehouse of the British merchant John Harvey. Between the Civil War and 2016, the site evolved into barracks, a military academy, a college, and a restaurant-bar before a hospitality group spent years working with the local historic preservation commission to turn the property into one of the loveliest hotel debuts of 2024, where traditional décor incorporates modern touches (picture burl wood writing desks with USB outlets).

If retro motels are more your speed, North Carolina won’t disappoint on that front, either. Just over a half hour from New Bern sits the riverine town of Kinston, home to the beloved Mother Earth Motor Lodge. Originally built in 1963, when the likes of James Brown would stay here while performing at local venues, the motel was eventually shuttered—then reborn as the cheery incarnation you’ll find now, complete with a three-ring pool similar to the original, plus shuffleboard, mini golf as well as grilling equipment and picnic tables. And you’ll find other fabulous revivals of historic motor lodges across the state: There’s Sunset Motel in the waterfall wonderland of Brevard; the seaside Anchor Inn Motel in Oak Island; the Route 19 Inn in the lush, mountainous Maggie Valley; and the Sportsman's Inn in the historic harbor town of Plymouth, to name a few.

If retro retail therapy is your jam, time your trip to a seasonal NC Vintage Bazaar Event in Chapel Hill, where the state’s largest vintage convention gathers vendors from across the US. A similarly epic shopping opportunity: The 301 Endless Yard Sale (June 20–21), when you’ll find more than 100 miles’ worth of vintage and other finds along Highway 301. But no matter when you visit, head to New Bern, home to three centuries’ worth of treasures in its famed antique shops—Dirtybarn Vintage, Franklin’s Antique Mall and Poor Charlie’s, to name a few. Another historic shopping goldmine? The greater Winston-Salem area, where you’ll find everything from the tchotchke-packed Just Plain Country Store in Walnut Cove (motto: “if you can’t find it here, you don’t need it”) to the modern boutiques set in the historic estate of the R.J. Reynolds family. While you’re in the neighborhood, don’t miss the last remaining shell-shaped Shell Service Station, a National Register of Historic Places-listed relic built in 1930. Though you can no longer fill up there, the larger-than-life bright yellow clamshell makes for an amazing photo op.

301 Endless Yard Sale

One more nearby home not to miss: the Pope House Museum, which offers a glimpse into the extraordinary life of Dr. Manassa Thomas Pope, the state’s first licensed Black physician, a volunteer surgeon with the all-Black 3rd North Carolina Regiment and the only Black man to run for mayor of Raleigh during the Jim Crow era. Though the interior will be temporarily closed for renovations from April 15 to October 7, 2025, the exterior is worth seeing regardless. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1901 urban row house was something of a local rarity when it was built — and even more so now, as you'll notice from the surrounding towers and Raleigh Civic Center. To see where a modern-day politician lives, be sure to visit the North Carolina Executive Mansion, the official governor’s residence, as well as a meeting and event space, 19th-century historic site, and open house during the winter holiday tour season.

North Carolina Executive Mansion, Raleigh

You’ll find some of the best examples in renovated, reimagined old industrial spaces. Built in 1892—and once home to Charlotte’s largest textile mill—Optimist Hall now houses an amazing array of food and beverage purveyors. Sichuan street food made from locally sourced ingredients? Belgian-British-Appalachian fusion beers? Southern-inspired, hand-crafted gelato? Yes, yes and yes. (For starters.) You’ll find similarly remarkable f&b assortments at Charlotte’s Camp North End, Raleigh’s Transfer Co. Food Hall, inside the century-old Carolina Coach Garage and Shop; and among the 19th century buildings of Durham’s American Tobacco Campus and Rocky Mount’s Rocky Mount Mills. And all of these venues host arts and entertainment events, too, to say nothing of the baseball games you can catch at the American Tobacco Campus’s iconic Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Two more foodie takeovers of old industrial spaces that you shouldn’t miss? Pinehurst Brewing Co. for beer and barbecue in historic Pinehurst, and Chai Pani for James Beard award-winning Indian street food in an old roller-rink turned paper factory turned Bollywood fantasia.

One of the most interesting metropolitan hotels is the Unscripted Durham, first known as the Jack Tar Hotel in the 1960s. Now a sleek Hyatt-owned boutique hotel with a rooftop pool, among other draws, this midcentury revival is uniquely well-positioned. Though its official address is on Corcoran Street, much of the hotel faces Parrish Street, where—in the words of W.E.B. DuBois—“three men began the economic building of black Durham: a minister with college training, a physician with professional training, and a barber who saved his money.” Known as Black Wall Street in the early 1900s, the neighborhood makes for a great guided walking tour and you’ll also be within easy walking distance of the aforementioned American Tobacco Campus. For a different perspective on the scene, head across the street from the Unscripted Durham to the reimagined midcentury corporate HQ turned beloved boutique hotel. There, atop The Durham, you'll find the Roof at the Durham, where the food and drink are paired with fabulous views.

Bennett Place, Durham

Penelope Barker House, Edenton

Pork chop sandwich at The Snappy Lunch, Mount Airy (left); Thompson's Store & Ward's Grill, Saluda (right)

Pinehurst Brewing Co.

Rocky Mount Mills

American Tobacco Campus, Durham

Optimist Hall, Charlotte

Palmer-Marsh House, Bath (left); Tryon Palace, New Bern (right)

301 Endless Yard Sale, Johnston County (left); Shell Service Station, Winston-Salem (right)

The Town Creek Indian Mound, Mt Gilead

North Wilkesboro Speedway

Cheerwine mural, Salisbury

Sunset Motel, Brevard

The Sunset Motel, Brevard

American Tobacco Campus, Durham

Roof at the Durham (left); Unscripted Durham (right)

fun of historic proportions | history-making homes | food for the ages | LORE-RICH LODGING