This is such a cool little museum and place to see if you are wanting to do something unique in…read moreDurham that's rich in the city's history. Museum: 5/5 The museum has a ton of cool displays that show the early days of the tobacco industry and Duke family. Right outside of the museum is a large area with a trail that takes you by the Dukes original house, tobacco plants and the tobacco field. You are free to wonder the grounds. However, I recommend paying for the guided tour. With that you get to go inside the structures and hear all about the history of the property and early tobacco industry. In addition you get to learn a lot about the events that shaped the city. Price: 5/5 The museum and grounds is FREE! The guided tour is only $4. Coming from CA, it doesn't get much better than this! Customer Service: 5/5 The guide was great! Very friendly and very knowledgeable in the content. Parking: 5/5 Huge parking lot right in front. Parking was great.

I think it best to take the guided tour, you get a great history of the Duke family's transition…read morefrom farming to production - leading to an efficient industry. Highlights include entering the 2nd factory and the Duke family home. (And I can't get "Duke, duke, duke... Duke of Earl, duke, duke out of my head). You even get to whack tobacco. While the tobacco industry goes back earlier, it is just about the time after the Civil War ends that it really gets interesting, as soldiers coming home chew (or is that "chaw"), smoke, or sniff tobacco. Washington Duke capitalized on it. And now... there's a university and gardens named after the family - with a top notch basketball program, of course! The tour is about an hour. There are other building to see from the outside. Can ask as many questions as you like!

Really interesting historical site, kind and knowledgeable staff. The trails are also lovely for…read moresome added walking opportunities.

Interesting spot to walk around and learn about some Civil War history. You can walk inside some of…read morethe structures and the house on the property. The staff were all very friendly - they were setting up for a field trip the morning we visited. Next time, I'd like to go on a guided tour to learn more about the site. We also took a walk through the trails in the woods, that only took us about 15 minutes. The trails were easy but they do have a lot of roots, so you need to be careful not to trip! Some parts of the trail were a little overgrown, but still passable.

This entrance is only for the visitor center guests, bathroom and few pictorials to look at. The…read moresite is huge, comprised of several land spaces that require driving to and from. Highly recommend going in at 1pm where there is a tour. If you go alone without a guide all you see is the buildings and just grass... Wish we knew ahead of time a bit more of this laidback type historic area where we met only one person in charge and she's already occupied with 2 other ppl explaining its history behind a desk.

I majored in history so decided to visit the site. I'm from the West and am very informed about…read morecivil war history. I looked forward to the tour of the plantation but what I received was a very woke diatribe about "enslaved" people and "enslavers". History, like it or not is giving the facts and not trying to use words to be politically correct. The blacks here were "slaves", NOT enslaved people. The owners were "masters" and NOT enslavers. Let's keep the politics and liberal narrative out and just give the facts. Also, they only accept cards and no cash. Cash is legal tender everywhere....but not here. I was terribly disappointed with the whole experience and left early. I was looking for historical information but what was given was a liberal sappy "victim" story. We can't change history whether we agree with it or not. No one is saying slavery was good but it is still a part of our history and should be told accurately.... Skip this place and find a better plantation where they are interested in giving factual information. There was little about the running of the planation, life in antebellum NC etc...

Ayr Mount is in Hillsborough, NC. The property is on the National Register of Historic Places. The…read moreproperty grounds are open daily and house tours are available on certain days and times, just follow the signs to the parking area and either to the Poet's Walk (one mile trail) or the House. Ayr Mount was built in 1815 and made of brick (you can see fingerprints in some of the bricks from the workers). He named it for his birthplace in Ayr, Scotland. William Kirkland was a merchant and built his house along the Native American Trading Path. Kirkland had fourteen children and the property stayed in the family for four generations. If I remember correctly he had 57 grandchildren. Richard Jenrette bought the house in 1985 then donated it to the Classical American Home Preservation Trust and we can view the property. The house features tall ceilings; and intricate details; a lot of the furniture are family pieces. I highly recommend touring this house if in the Hillsborough Area.

Very pleasant 1 mile walk in nature with benches near the river and a pond. The historic house was…read moreclosed but the grounds were beautiful and well maintained. I didn't notice a public restroom. Parking lot available and free.

A great spot for this marker, it's at the intersection and you have something to read and ponder as…read moreyou wait for the traffic light to turn on to US-501. The marker reads, "Trading Path. Colonial trading route, dating from 17th century, from Petersburg, Virginia, to Catawba and Waxhaw Indians in Carolina passed nearby." Online, there is more information. "In North Carolina, the early history of the colony is replete with stories of the reliance by colonists upon Indian trade and trading routes, and the consequent establishment of villages where they engaged in bartering. Such routes were well known, well marked, and well trodden. The Occaneechi Path, stretching from Petersburg, Virginia, to the Waxhaws region, was one of a hundred such trails running throughout the state and the southeast. But the Trading Path was the central highway, the most fabled route, the interstate of its day. (Its course approximates that of Interstate 85.) "The course of the Trading Path entered North Carolina near present-day Norlina, then passed through Bullock, northern Durham County, Hillsborough, Mebane, Alamance, Julian, central Randolph County, Denton, western Davidson County, Salisbury, and Concord. In Mecklenburg County the path forked, with a spur to Indian Trail and Waxhaw, and another to Charlotte and Pineville." This is marker number G-32 and it was erected in 1941 by the Division of Archives and History. [Review 2163 of 2024 - 3820 in North Carolina - 23182 overall]

Hidden historical gem with fascinating history. Girls' school that taught science, math etc during…read morecivil war time. Quite progressive! Also place that Mary Todd Lincoln's close friend and dress maker lived. A great find in our visit to Chapel Hill NC!

This historic site is very unique, because it's history is so well documented. The student's…read moreletters are full of details that make you understand their time there. My wife and I will definitely go back when there is a presentation. The staff was very knowledgeable and made the tour interesting.

There are many unsung cities, places and people that can claim the monicker BLACK WALL STREET…read moreDurham, NC is one of them. It was home to Mechanics and Farmers Bank and North Carolina Mutual. At a time when it was difficult for Blacks to own businesses, homes or pay for services and good. Several of North Carolinas citizens including two African-American entrepreneurs: John Merrick and Charles Spaulding worked toward the goal of generational wealth. These innovative Black citizens used their resources from their smaller businesses such as a barber shop to create North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance and others. Although this initiative received support from the wealthy Duke family (tobacco) with its growing success in the community it soon faced opposition. Several businesses and buildings were vandalized. On March 2, 1902, a group of whites burned down an office owned by North Carolina Mutual. Black Wall Street Historic Parrish Street had several businesses throughout out four blocks. Pictures, a historic building and historical marker stands to depict the history of HISTORIC PARRISH STREET DURHAM, NC.

beautiful memorial for veterans. makes you take a second and appreciate the men and women who've…read morescarified their lives for ours. god bless america!

A unique addition to Cary, this twelve-acre park is a nice tribute to veterans. It's hard to miss…read moreif you're driving on Harrison Avenue as the size of the spire stands out in all that open space. And if you do miss it somehow, the tall white granite walls and memorial service flags will probably capture your attention. There isn't much parking here, so on a holiday, like Memorial Day, be prepared to wait for a spot. Once you park, your first introduction might be the memorial area of flags of the military branches and the some-gave-all sculpture nearby. The poem written on the sculpture and the granite block etched with the donor and funding information is all the text you'll see. The spire and the plain granite wall that surrounds it is unadorned. As you walk around the small plaza, you'll see seals of each of the branches of military embedded on the ground. Surprisingly, the lack of adornment is ideal for focusing attention on the reason for the park. There's plenty of seating and it's a quiet spot. It's a fitting way to honor the military and veterans.

We've been by several times to see the changing exhibits. Not really a full museum but a little…read morespot near downtown with some permanent exhibits and the themed ones that rotate through. We live here but if you've never been to Durham, you might not know about its significance for tobacco, civil rights, and Research Triangle Park. It's free but you can make a donation. I think all the staff are volunteers. One interesting feature is you can look out different windows and see depictions of what that area looked like decades ago. They also have special events on occasion (the had outdoor booths and free donuts last time) so check out their schedule.

The Museum of Durham History is a small museum in Downtown Durham. The museum has a parking lot…read morewith free parking and admission to the museum is free. I did not find the museum welcoming and felt that I was in their way. The quilt on the wall was my favorite part of the museum. There is a children's area too. I had expected more exhibits inside but glad there were some outside. I wanted to learn more about Durham but the museum did not cover much. The exhibits may change so other exhibits may cover the history of the city better.

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.