If you've ever seen lines of school buses unloading in downtown Raleigh or watched hundreds of excited students winding their way through the city's most prominent sites, chances are you've seen the work of the Capital Area Visitor Services (CAVS) in action!
CAVS, established in 1976, is a small but impactful team at the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources that specializes in coordinating group visits to downtown Raleigh sites including:
- NC Museum of History
- NC Museum of Natural Sciences
- NC State Capitol
- NC Legislative Building
- NC Executive Mansion
- NC Freedom Park
Under the leadership of Stephen Nicholson, Experiential Learning Director, and Karen Thornton, Experiential Learning Assistant Director, CAVS provides logistical planning and group registration services to schools, clubs, and other organizations. Acting as both coordinators and communicators, the small but mighty team ensures a smooth and organized experience by managing site-specific protocols, capacity limits, and visitation schedules for nearly 300,000 visitors each year.
Each year, Stephen and Karen help ensure nearly 300,000 visitors have safe, well-organized, educational, & enriching experiences at North Carolina’s most iconic sites in downtown Raleigh.
Beyond logistics, CAVS also promotes educational opportunities, special exhibitions, and digital resources, helping groups get the most out of their visits and connecting the public to the state's rich cultural and governmental landmarks.
Learn more about Karen and Stephen below, and contact them when you are ready to book your group visit to DNCR’s downtown Raleigh sites! (While most of our downtown sites are free to visit, public schools can also utilize the Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund for travel costs, special activity fees, and other allowed expenses!)
How long have you been with DNCR?
- Stephen Nicholson: I can’t believe how time flies; I’ve been with DNCR for 18 years this year!
- Karen Thornton: Since 2013!
What do you most enjoy about your work?
- Stephen Nicholson: I enjoy the service component of my work the most. I take pride in being able to take a situation that can be very stressful and make it flow seamlessly for visitors.. I also enjoy connecting groups to financial resources that ease the burden of their travel cost.
- Karen Thornton: I get excited by being constantly busy & CAVS does that for me. Forms are always being submitted, teachers are always calling or emailing, something always needs to be done. Walking outside our office in March or April shows what we do. On most days, there will be lines of buses unloading hundreds of children who are so excited to be here. Knowing that we’ve been a part of helping those kids get to Raleigh is so rewarding.
Can you share a particularly memorable/meaningful moment on the job when you made a difference?
- Stephen Nicholson: A few years ago, I contacted several senior living facilities to offer our services to fill a few less busy times for downtown tours. I was able to work with an activity coordinator, who hadn’t realized that our tours were free, to ensure her seniors could visit and have an enjoyable experience. After the group visited, her call to thank us for caring enough to reach out meant the world. Often, seniors are overlooked, especially those who are situated in senior living facilities if they do not have families. It made my heart smile knowing I could bring a little joy to their day by helping plan an excursion to our sites.
- Karen Thornton: A school group from High Point faced last-minute scheduling changes just days before their visit that left them with 2 less hours for their one-day visit. After hours on the phone with the frantic teacher and our site partners, I ultimately reworked the schedule twice to ensure the group still had a meaningful experience. Though they had to cut some stops, I was able to preserve key visits and reassure the teacher throughout the process. In the end, the teacher felt supported and grateful and her students had an amazing experience. Providing service like this is what makes me feel like what I do has a purpose.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
- Stephen Nicholson: I like to think of myself as handy with around-the-house repairs: hanging ceiling fans, changing out light fixtures, and painting. I also enjoy showing others how to do minor repairs to save them money.
- Karen Thornton: I love EXCEL…. I’m a numbers guru and working in EXCEL makes me happy!
What's your job in another life?
- Stephen Nicholson: It would have to be something that involves helping others. That’s my passion.
- Karen Thornton: I went to cosmetology school at 39 years old and loved it. My passion at the time was “fixing” all the little old lady’s hair. I enjoyed the time that I spent with them and their sweet little stories. Sometimes I wish I had pursued doing that as a career instead of a hobby.
“Stephen and Karen have transformed what could be a basic administrative function into a meaningful and welcoming gateway to our state’s Capitol area sites. From the first point of contact with the groups who contact them, the warmth, clarity and patience they exude make visitors feel seen, valued, & welcome. Their exceptional communication, reliability, & outstanding customer service exemplify the best of DNCR.” - Christie Norris, Director of Education