Welcome to North Carolina

You can tell a lot about a state by the names you find on the map. North Carolina’s places seem to be saying it’s a combination of food, folks, fun and faith. North Carolina's coast has welcomed visitors since the first explorers set foot on these sandy beaches over 400 years ago. Today, that tradition is still part of our heritage and we invite you to discover this special corner of the world with its wonderful variety of attractions and activities. This coastal plain encompassing over 300 miles of ocean front, extending westward to Interstate 95, is divided into three regions:
- The historic Northern Region
- The exciting Central Region
- The balmy Southern Region

The city of Raleigh was established as the capital of North Carolina in 1792 and grew from a small, one-square-mile town into a modern government, high-tech, education and social center. A Capital City Tour highlights 48 historic places listed in the National Register of Historic Places - from the houses of early settlers to Modernist residences of architecture educators, from picturesque Victorian downtown neighborhoods to booming suburbs, from small scale commercial and utility buildings to early skyscrapers - places that shaped its history and now help to define this Southern capital.

Carl Sandburg, American poet, historian, author, and lecturer spent the final 22 years of his long and productive life at his estate, Connemara, in Flat Rock, NC. Carl Sandburg's Legacy Touches Our Lives - he spent a lifetime exploring what it meant to be an American and asked the eternal questions, "Who am I, where am I going and where have I been?" He did this through poetry, song, lectures, writing and lasting friendships with kindred spirits. Carl Sandburg's home is located three miles south of Hendersonville off U.S. 225 on Little River Road.

Wind, sand, and a dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where after four years of experimentation, they achieved the first successful airplane flights in 1903. With courage and perseverance these self-taught engineers relied on teamwork and application of the scientific process. What they achieved changed our world forever. Containing a recently refurbished replica of the original Wright Flyer as well as other memorabilia of the First Flight, the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Visitor Center commemorates one of America's historic moments.

The Blowing Rock is an immense cliff 4000 feet above sea level, over-hanging Johns River Gorge 3000 feet below. The phenomenon is so called because the rocky walls of the gorge form a flume through which the northwest wind seeps with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void. This phenomenon also named the local storybook village filled with upscale shops, unique attractions, outdoor adventure, performing and visual arts, fine dining and family restaurants, and a range of accommodations, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the North Carolina Mountains.

A 400 year-old mystery haunts Roanoke Island on North Carolina's Outer Banks. There, in 1587, about 120 men, women and children established the first English colony in the New World, then vanished without a trace, leaving historians and archaeologists with one of America's most perplexing mysteries. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green, The Lost Colony tells their story in the dramatic setting of historic Waterside Theatre on Roanoke Island. Now, The Lost Colony has been attended by millions and brings all the elements of family entertainment together for an unforgettable evening under the stars.

Stroll through 20 miles of furniture shops or browse the showrooms of large home furnishing malls in the Furniture Capital of the World. Hickory is a major destination for furniture shoppers and is well known as the furniture shopping Mecca for the retail industry. Hickory Furniture Mart, with over 100 factory outlets, stores and galleries representing 1,000 premier manufacturers, has become one of North Carolina’s primary destinations for countless local, regional, national and international furniture shoppers.

The North Carolina Black Repertory Company (NCBRC) was founded in 1979 by Larry Leon Hamlin as the first, Black professional theatre company in North Carolina. Located in Winston-Salem, NC, the NCBRC has continued to serve as one of the premier Black Theatre companies in the United States with its roots firmly planted in the ongoing struggle for Black liberation. The North Carolina Black Repertory Company also hosts the internationally acclaimed biennial National Black Theater Festival.

Moores Creek National Battlefield is a United States National Battlefield managed by the National Park Service. The park commemorates the 1776 victory by 1,000 Patriots over 1,600 Loyalists at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge NC. The battle ended Royal Governor Josiah Martin's hopes of regaining control of the colony for the British crown. The Loyalist defeat ended British plans for an invasionary force to land in Brunswick, North Carolina. The colony of North Carolina voted to declare independence from the British on April 12, 1776, shortly after the victory at Moores Creek. The park was established as a National Military Park on June 2, 1926 and was redesignated as a National Battlefield on September 8, 1980.

Barbecue, hushpuppies and sweet tea, muscadine jelly on fresh-baked biscuits or grilled crab cakes paired with a buttery Chardonnay. This is just a small choice of the big range of mouthwatering possibilities of North Carolina fare. Experience the states best recipes in one of North Carolina’s plenty restaurants and enjoy a glass of the famous, state’s own wines. Come and find out, that a North Carolina dining experience includes much more than just delicious food!