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Dunn Area History Museum

5.0 (1 review)
Closed • 10:00 am - 4:30 pm

Dunn Area History Museum Photos

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3 years ago

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General William C Lee Airborne Museum

General William C Lee Airborne Museum

4.2(6 reviews)
0.3 mi

The General William C. Lee Airborne Museum is in the Lee House built in 1903 in Dunn, NC. The Lees…read morebought the foreclosed three story Brownstone house in 1935. In 1984, the Lee Commission purchased and reconditioned the house with a new heating and air conditioning system. The museum is three stories, the first two levels are about General Lee and Airborne History and the renovated third floor is about WWII. It is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places. The museum is free to visit but does accept donations. The museum is a short drive from I-95 and has its own parking lot as well. The museum is self guided so you can go at your own pace reading the displays. So who was General Lee? Lee was in WWI and stayed in the Army in Germany. After watching Hitler and the Germans developing airborne troops and through President Franklin Roosevelt , he organized the first airborne unit and became the "Father of the American Airborne". Lee became the first Commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Louisiana in 1942. He organized the D-Day air invasion and was going to be one of the jumpers but he had a heart attack so was sent back to Dunn. I really enjoyed visiting this museum and only stopped as it was on my way back from Fayetteville. I was not aware of General Lee and his contributions to history. I was impressed by the displays about the parachutes and how they evolved from the idea of Da Vinchi. I am glad the museum exists so that we can learn of this important individual. The historic house was a bonus.

The house itself is a magnificent thing. Huge, well laid out and with the creaky wood floors and…read morestairs expected in a turn of the last century home. What is inside is equally impressive. I walked in, greeted by a friendly tour guide who offered the story of how the museum came to be, and then left me to explore. It's a self-guiding tour, there's explanations accompanying the displays, so I could take all the time I needed. It's not a typical museum in that it was actually Lee's home and it still maintains the feel of a home. Because it's a nearly mid-twentieth century topic, the events and displays are not so old that it feels impersonal. It's kind of like being in your grandparents or great-grandparents home. The first floor is the personal story of Lee and his wife. The second floor contains the history of the airborne and the third floor has artifacts of the era. It's a fascinating museum and a low-key way to spend some time learning the origins of the Army Airborne.

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General William C Lee Airborne Museum
General William C Lee Airborne Museum
General William C Lee Airborne Museum

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House-In-the-Horseshoe

House-In-the-Horseshoe

4.3(7 reviews)
45.0 mi

The House In the Horseshoe is a historical gem for North Carolina. The property is on over 2500…read moreacres of land. The house is named after the Deep River that bends like a horseshoe. The house is a mile from the river but the views are stunning. The cotton gin has been turned into a museum. There are a lot of displays you can read to learn more about the property. There is also a short video that is a great introduction to the house. Guided tours of the house occur on the top of the hour. A $2 donation is asked at the visitor's center to help reserve the property. The tour ran about 45 minutes and covered the history of the time, the residents of the house and the architecture. The house is also known as the Alston House. Alston was attacked in his house during the Revolutionary War and there are still bullet holes from the pellet guns. Governor Benjamin Williams also lived in the house. He planted the cotton and had a racetrack. The house is furnished with period pieces of the Colonial and Revolutionary Wars. Four rooms are on the tour. It was worth the drive to see this property and learn of its historical background.

A well preserved colonial house in a rural setting with beautiful vistas over fields of grain. A…read moreskirmish was fought in the house during the Revolutionary War. Many bullet holes were left unfixed. A very interesting story of the skirmish and the actions of the wife of the house is told by the tour guide. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided a detailed description of the house and the events that occurred there. The experience was interesting and relaxing.

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House-In-the-Horseshoe
House-In-the-Horseshoe
House-In-the-Horseshoe

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Nuclear Mishap Historical Marker - Nuclear Mishap Historical Marker, Eureka

Nuclear Mishap Historical Marker

4.0(1 review)
44.3 mi

Yes, I drove an hour round trip to take a picture of a sign but this one is special. It denotes the…read moretime that the United States bombed North Carolina, nearly a hundred years after the end of the Civil War. The marker reads, "Nuclear Mishap. B-52 transporting two nuclear bombs crashed, Jan. 1961. Widespread disaster averted; three crewmen died 3 miles south." Okay, all kidding aside. Three Air Force crew died and in the process, prevented what would have been an unspeakable tragedy. It is a serious matter. During the height of the Cold War, the United States had a policy of keeping armed aircraft in the air at all times in the event of a conflict. Nuclear deterrence and all that. Well, this B-52G Stratofortress took some structural damage during an air refueling and while preparing to land at nearby Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, it experienced a major failure of the right wing. The plane broke up and exploded at 8000 feet. "As a result of the breakup of the plane, two MK39 nuclear weapons were released at a height of between 10,000 and 2,000 feet. Seven of eight arming, fusing, and firing switches and devices in one bomb automatically actuated. Only a crew-controlled switch prevented a nuclear detonation. Since its parachute deployed, one bomb had only minor damage when it fell about a mile from the crash site. The second bomb fell free, without its parachute deploying, and broke apart on impact." "Components of the bomb were sought for several weeks. The decision was made to leave remaining portions of the weapon containing uranium, believed to have entered the water table, in the ground. As a precaution, the government purchased part of the site and still maintains an easement in order to prevent digging in the vicinity. Periodic groundwater tests, still conducted by the state, have revealed no contamination." As the sign mentions, the actual crash is three miles away and the grounds are secured. Here in downtown Eureka, there isn't much. A small sandwich shop is near the sign if you're hungry. [Review 15486 overall, 990 of 2021, number 3029 in North Carolina.]

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Nuclear Mishap Historical Marker - Nuclear Mishap Historical Marker, Eureka

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Nuclear Mishap Historical Marker, Eureka

Mordecai Historic Park - Bedroom in Mordecai House at Mordecai Historical Park

Mordecai Historic Park

4.4(22 reviews)
33.6 mi

The Mordecai House was opened this past weekend for the annual Holiday Open House. With COVID, it…read morewas a little different than usual. Names and phone numbers were taken as well as a temperature check and the typical questions asked about being ill and travel. Masks were required and hand sanitizer was available. The chapel and visitor's center were open too so they provided a wrist band after you were checked so you didn't need to be checked again. I was very impressed how well planned they were for this. The number in the house and each room were limited too. Volunteers were inside in each room to provide some history. The rooms were also decorated for different periods of time over 235 years from Victorian to the Civil War to The house is the oldest house in Raleigh on its original foundation. A lot of the original items are still in the home. Besides the house, the park has a garden, law office, kitchen, chapel so there is plenty to see or have a picnic in the park.

Quaint area in downtown Raleigh with historic homes and buildings that have been preserved in their…read moreoriginal state. Unfortunately we arrived too late in the day to partake in the guided tour, but it was still interesting to walk around and read about the buildings. I would not make a special trip for just the Mordecai Historic Park, but it's definitely worth adding to your Itinerary if you're planning a trip to Raleigh.

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Mordecai Historic Park - Front of Chapel at Mordecai Historical Park

Front of Chapel at Mordecai Historical Park

Mordecai Historic Park - In Mordecai House at Mordecai Historical Park

In Mordecai House at Mordecai Historical Park

Mordecai Historic Park - Piano in Chapel at Mordecai Historical Park

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Piano in Chapel at Mordecai Historical Park

Dunn Area History Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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