North Carolina Top Attractions

Top 22 things to see and do in North Carolina

1 Battleship USS North Carolina

7.7 /10

Close view of the USS North Carolina Battleship.

The Battleship USS North Carolina, or BB-55, is the primary ship of her battleship class. It was the fourth ship to be named after a state. USS North Carolina, also nicknamed "Showboat," was built by the New York Naval Shipyard for a staggering cost of $76,885,750, with sponsorship from Isabel Hoey, daughter of the North Carolina governor Clyde Hoey. USS North Carolina, 728.8 feet long, participated in every World War II offensive in the Pacific when she was commissioned on April 9, 1941, under Captain Olaf M ...
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2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park

7 /10

For travelers appreciating the outdoors, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides challenging hikes, and incredible scenery. There is an abundance of activities that are available to visitors that can keep even the most difficult children and teenagers interested and excited. The Great Smoky Mountains are a spectacular mountain range running along the eastern border of Tennessee, and are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains.

With an abundance of things to do in this National Park, the most difficult challenge is deciding what's next ...
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3 Allison Woods Annual Living History Weekend

7 /10

Allison is located in Statesville, North Carolina. The town comes alive with activity for one big event weekend of each year. It attracts numerous artists from across the United States who, portray the historical and civil life of America's rich history spanning three centuries. The event's style of presenting the entire history is so vivid that visitors get a glimpse of what war heroes actually did to free the country. The event depicts the war in a lively manner and also honors the victories and courage of these heroes ...
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4 Biltmore Estate

7 /10

Biltmore estate is a beautiful place created by George Vanderbilt. It is situated over 8,000 acres of land in the mountains of Ashville in North Carolina. This place is basically an escape from everyday life and it promises lots of fun and frolic. The breathtaking Biltmore house and gardens features many attractions. Some of them are listed here:

• The equestrian centre comprises the same paths that the Vanderbilts used so many years ago ...
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5 Cape Hatteras

7 /10

Cape Hatteras is situated in North Carolina on the Atlantic coast of North America. A bend in the Hatteras Island which is part of the Outer Banks, came to be known as Cape Hatteras. It is a haven for recreation and reflection but is exposed to tide, storm, current, and wind which occur constantly. Just off Cape Hatteras two major Atlantic currents Florida current and Labrador Current collide creating turbulent waters and a large expanse of shallow sandbars. Hurricanes frequently strike Cape Hatteras causing devastation ...
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6 Blue Ridge Parkway

7 /10

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a beautiful All-American Road and National Parkway located in the United States. It spans for 755 kilometers or 469 miles, along the Blue Ridge, a chain of mountains that is associated with the Appalachian Mountains. It connects the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Shenandoah National Park.

Although the Blue Ridge Parkway is not a National Park, it is one of the most frequented places of the United States National Park System. The National Park Service maintains land on both sides of the road ...
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7 Grandfather Mountain

7 /10

Grand Mountain is located near Linville, North Carolina. It is situated at the crossroads of Avery, Watauga, and Caldwell counties. It stands 1,818 meters or 5,946 tall, making it one of the highest apexes in the eastern part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is part of the Appalachian peaks. The beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway traverses through this lovely mountain.

Grandfather Mountain, a tourist attraction and nature preserver, was under private ownership until 2008 when it became one of North Carolina's state parks ...
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8 North Carolina Museum of Life and Science

7 /10

The North Carolina Museum of Life and Science is the former name of the Museum of Life and Science. This educational hub is situated in Durham, North Carolina. The exhibit has indoor and outdoor environments which are comprised of concepts related to natural science.

The museum spans 80 acres, and is intersected by Murray Avenue. The main building is located north, together with its many exhibits. The administrative buildings and parking spaces can be found at the southern half of the land ...
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9 North Carolina Zoo

7 /10

Located in Asheboro, in Randolph County is the North Carolina Zoo. The North Carolina Zoo is home to more than 1000 animals coming from roughly 250 species commonly found in North America and Africa.

It is heralded as the biggest "walk-through" natural-habitat zoo in the whole world, with its land area of 1,371 acres or 555 hectares. It is the first of only two state-owned walk-in zoos in the country. It is open the whole year and plays host to about 700,000 visitors every year ...
Read more about the North Carolina Zoo
10 Wright Brothers National Memorial

7 /10

The Wright Brothers National Memorial is a monument dedicated to the brothers Wilbur and Orville, who have managed to fly the first airplane in December 17, 1903.

The Wright Brothers National Memorial is located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. From their hometown of Dayton, Ohio, this is where the brothers went, based on reports by the U.S. Weather Bureau about the place's characteristic winds. The brothers also liked the privacy of being in this far-flung place.

On March 2, 1927, it was named as the Kill Devil Hill Monument ...
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11 Ocracoke Lighthouse

7 /10

In 1823, Massachusetts-based builder Noah porter built a lighthouse on Hyde Country in Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. This lighthouse became the Ocracoke lighthouse, which stands 23 meters tall. It was erected on two acres of land near Silver Lake harbor, which was bought from a Jacob Gaskill for a measly $50.

The diameter at the base is 8 meters while the diameter at the peak is 3.7 meters. It is 75 feet above sea level. The walls of the base are approximately 8 feet thick. The present Ocracoke lighthouse is the twelfth oldest in the country, and cost $11,359 when it was made ...
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12 Charlotte Motor Speedway

7 /10

In Concord, North Carolina, you can find a vast motor sports complex named the "Charlotte Motor Speedway." This huge facility is famous for its 2.4 kilometer or 1.5 miles of quad oval track that is usually used during NASCAR races.

The speedway was created by Bruton Smith in 1959, to serve as the home track of NASCAR teams based in nearby Charlotte. In June 19, 1961, the Speedway played host to the first-ever World 600 NASCAR race. In 1988, the Smith Tower was opened ...
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13 North Carolina State Capitol

7 /10
14 North Carolina Museum of Art

7 /10
15 Lake Lynn

7 /10
16 JC Raulston Arboretum

7 /10
17 William B. Umstead State Park

7 /10
18 North Carolina Executive Mansion

7 /10
19 Sarah P. Duke Gardens

7 /10
20 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

7 /10
21 City Market

7 /10
22 North Carolina Museum of History

7 /10

* Regular pre-pandemic touristic activity level.

You can also rate and vote for your favorite North Carolina sightseeing places, famous historical landmarks, and best things to do in North Carolina by visiting the individual North Carolina attraction pages.

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