North Carolina attractions

With interactive demonstrations and cultural displays, the Oconaluftee Indian Village is a living-history exhibit that takes you back in time to a 1760s town. Follow your guide along a network of trails that pass traditional homes, gardens, and ceremony sites. Then, watch artisans make baskets, sculpt pottery, and build canoes.

The McDowell Nature Center is a hub for educational programs and serves as the gateway to 1,132 protected acres of the McDowell Nature Preserve. Touted as the oldest preserve in Mecklenburg County, the open space comprises of mostly-forested terrain that runs along the banks of Lake Wylie and is ripe with miles of hiking trails.

North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway is full of low-effort, high-reward hikes, and the Cascades Trail embodies that golden ratio. An easy 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) loop, the trail winds through the state’s dense Appalachian woodlands, leading to misty views of a 250-foot (76-meter) waterfall. The phrase “hidden gem” gets overused, but hopping off the parkway and meandering down Cascades Trail feels like discovering treasure.

“Not a bad seat in the house” is a common review for the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. This Asheville gem is a Goldilocks find: small enough to feel intimate with great sound, large enough to attract high-profile acts. With three venues in the complex, there’s always something on at the Wortham Center, from comedy to ballet and beyond.

The North Carolina Stage Company is a beloved theater in downtown Asheville. With only 125 seats, this intimate venue has a two-decade history that includes awards and world premieres, and it produces four to seven productions each season.

Robert Moog invented the Moog synthesizer in 1964, and it’s since been adopted by bands from the Beatles to ABBA to Black Sabbath to MGMT. Although the Moogseum is not affiliated with Robert’s company, Moog Music, it does celebrate the legacy of his invention and the history of synthesizers. This interactive museum has Moog synthesizers and theremins available for guests to play.

Winding for 4 miles (6.4km) along the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina, the Greenway Trail puts outdoor adventure at the city’s doorstep. Fully accessible, the paved-and-gravel trail offers river crossings, open meadows, wild forests, picnic sites, birding spots, interpretive panels, and even a historic ruin. With several trailheads throughout town, communing with Boone’s natural side is never far away.

Located in North Carolina’s High Country, Foggy Mountain Gem Mine gets kids and adults alike hunting for treasure. Just like the miners of yore, visitors sift through rocks and dirt using water flumes to discover rough gems, like amethysts, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and more. Each bucket comes guaranteed with goodies—you just have to keep an eye out.

Boasting a massive collection of memorabilia, the Andy Griffith Museum is an ode to the entertainer’s early life as well as his career in film, TV, and music. Learn about the late actor and his hometown and influence on pop culture. Plus, check out props, wardrobes, and other artifacts fromThe Andy Griffith Show andMatlock.

Located along the banks of Lake Wylie, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden allows visitors to reconnect with nature in a beautiful garden setting. Spanning 380 acres (154 hectares), the site is home to more than a dozen gardens and attractions, including a tropical conservatory, annual and perennial displays, fountains, and woodland trails.

Visitors to the Outer Banks spend most of their time on the ocean or gazing at it, but at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, they can see what’s happening beneath its blue surface. Focusing on local marine life, the aquarium offers guests the chance to touch stingrays, watch otters frolic, hang out with sharks, and more.