The Orange County Historical Museum, at 201 N. Churton Street, Hillsborough, is operated by the Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County.
It’s free to visit, and is open from daily from 11 am. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays by appointment. Free tours are available upon request.
Check out a big list of museums in the Triangle that are free to visit or that have free days.
Current Exhibits
The permanent exhibit presents the development of Orange County, NC, in a chronological fashion, from indigenous settlements through the twentieth century
Working for a Living: A History of Trades in Orange County
Explore the history of 11 trades that were practiced and discover how they changed over time. Pick up a card at the entry and learn about some interesting people who lived in the county from the 1750s to the 1940s. Then, visit the businesses to purchase items on your shopping list… if you are able to fit everything in your budget.
Upcoming Events
The Road to Brown: On Sunday, June 9, 2024, at 3 p.m., the Orange County Historical Museum, along with partners, is presenting a free screening of The Road to Brown. Please note that this event takes place at Passmore Center, 103 Meadowlands Drive, Hillsborough, North Carolina.
To celebrate the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 ruling that ended legal segregation in US public schools, the Orange County Historical Museum, Spirit Freedom, and the Orange County Department on Aging will be screening the documentary The Road to Brown.
The one-hour film will be followed by a panel discussion on the process of desegregating schools in Orange County and current issues facing educators. The program is free and open to all, although it is not appropriate for young children.
The Road to Brown tells the story of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling as the culmination of a brilliant legal assault on segregation that launched the Civil Rights Movement. It is also a moving and long overdue tribute to a visionary but little known African American lawyer, Charles Hamilton Houston, “the man who killed Jim Crow.” The University of Virginia sponsored the film and it contains commentary from UVA professors as well as other notable historians and Civil Rights activists.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Freddie Parker, Professor of History at North Carolina Central University and will include Hon. Anna Richards, of the Chapel Hill -Carrboro Branch of the NAACP, Betty Eidener, a retired teacher in the Orange County schools, Jennifer W. Marsh, a Civil Rights attorney and an Executive Staff member at Self-Help Credit Union, Xavier Adams, a history teacher at Orange High School, and Rep. Renée A. Price, North Carolina General Assembly. Audience members will be able ask questions and share their personal experiences and reflections. A reception will follow.
Orange County Historical Museum
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More Events in Hillsborough
Check out this guide to visiting Hillsborough, NC, or look at some upcoming Hillsborough events:
Jerry M. Passmore Senior Center, Hillsborough
103 Meadowland Drive
Hillsborough, NC
