North Carolina Museum of History, 5 East Edenton Street in Raleigh, is free to visit. It’s open every day, with the following hours:
Monday–Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Closed New Year’s Day, January 2, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Some of the current exhibits:
- North Carolina and World War I (through January 6, 2019)
- Look Again: Discovering Historical Photos (through January 6, 2018)
- Collecting Carolina: Montagnards, Vietnam’s Central Highlanders (through September 30, 2018)
- The Shape of Fashion (through June 3, 2018)
- The Story of North Carolina
- 1920s Drugstore
- 1903 Wright Flyer and 1911 Wright Glider
The museum hosts a number of events every month. You can see the full list here. Some are free and some have a fee. Here are some of the upcoming free events:
First Friday Library Open House
Friday, June 1st, 2018
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Free
Note location, below.
This First Friday will take place at the North Carolina Government & Heritage Library on the first floor of the Archives and History/State Library Building, 109 E. Jones St., Raleigh, North Carolina.
Festivities will include noted historian David Cecelski speaking at 5 p.m., and a performance by the Oakwood Second Line Marching Band at 6 p.m. The museum will bring a pop-up museum, complete with Wheel of History and Guess the Artifact games.
Visitors can also enjoy a North Carolina themed photo booth, refreshments and time to explore the library stacks!
Lecture: Photography and WWI
Sunday, June 3rd
2 p.m.
Free
Speaker: Stephen Fletcher, Photographic Archivist, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, University of North Carolina. Journey back in time to learn how early personal cameras revolutionized the face of conflict during World War I.
Montagnard Artists Day
Saturday, June 9th
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Free
North Carolina is home to the largest number of Montagnard people outside Southeast Asia. See the museum exhibit on Montagnards in the lobby case, and watch as craftspeople re-create baskets and woven fabrics like those featured there.
The afternoon will also highlight traditional Montagnard music and dance performances, from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m., and, at 3 p.m., include a showing of This Is My Home Now (2015; not rated; run time: 27 min.), a documentary about young Montagnard people finding their way and making new lives in their adopted home of North Carolina. A panel discussion will accompany the film.
Music of the Carolinas: Judy Stout
Sunday, June 10th
3 p.m.
Free (but you need a ticket. They’ll be distributed starting at 2 p.m.
Experience Lumbee Folklore Stories told in American Sign Language (ASL)! Judy C. Stout is a member of the Lumbee Tribe, reared in Pembroke, N.C. She earned a masters degree in School Guidance from Gallaudet University, and she worked there for 28 years. She provides consultation on education, information, and referrals on Deaf and Hard of Hearing American Indians. Q&A session will follow. This program will include ASL interpreters.
All Naval Services Day
Saturday, June 16th
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Free
Help honor the service and sacrifice of North Carolinians who served in the US Navy, US Marines, and US Coast Guard during World War I.
Living history reenactors will be on site and both Carolina Museum of the Marine, from Jacksonville, and Battleship North Carolina will display relevant artifacts from their collections. A lecture and a WWI Service Card search station will round out the day.
A Garden Ratatouille
Saturday, July 14th
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Free
Craig LeHoullier (a.k.a. “The Tomato Man”) shares his love of heirloom tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers and offers tips on succeeding with yours. Be sure to pick up some recipes for eating your summer favorites!
Land of the Longleaf
Saturday, August 11th
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Free
We’re the first-in-forestry state? Why we are called Tar Heels? How have local trees shaped our state identity? Find out, create a dogwood print, have fun with furniture, and make a sassafras tea bag.
City of Oaks Pirate Fest
Saturday, September 22nd, 2018
Time TBA
Free
2018 marks 300 years since the notorious pirate Blackbeard roamed the Carolina coast and lost his life – and his head – in a fight with British soldiers. Learn more about the history of pirates in N.C. at the City of Oaks Pirate Fest.
Salty sea dogs and young scalawags alike will:
Meet Captain Blackbeard
Engage in Sword Fights
Sing Sea Chanties
Play Swashbuckling Games
Feast at Local Food Trucks
Participate in a Costume Contest
Enjoy Pirate Crafts, Listen to a Notorious Pirate Band and More!
Batten down the hatches and stay tuned for details about this fun, family-friendly, free event.
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