Press Releases

Join the Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle on Friday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. for a Gingerbread Workshop. Join FOMOA in its tradition of decorating a gingerbread house. The houses will be freshly baked by a local baker. Design your house with a wide variety of candies, cookies, cereals, and more. We do the clean-up, and you go home with a marvelous gingerbread creation to enjoy through the season.

Take a wagon ride around the historic Harper farm at Bentonville Battlefield’s annual fall festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. The program will include historic trades demonstrations, displays from community organizations, and an “old-timey” festival atmosphere featuring wagon rides, kid’s games, food trucks, live music, and more!

Underwater shenanigans with pumpkins, eerie frozen treats and sunken secrets await at Spooky Seas Saturday, Oct. 19 – Friday, Nov. 1 at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. The ghoulish fun is included with an Aquarium admission during regular hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Online tickets are required to visit the Aquarium. 

The North Carolina Historic Preservation Office has received an African American Civil Rights (AACR) Grant from the National Park Service to undertake an architectural survey of resources associated with the Civil Rights movement in northeastern North Carolina.

Step back in time with the CSS Neuse Museum to explore the captivating customs of Victorian-era mourning with the program “Mourning Etiquette, Rituals, and Jewelry in the Victorian Era,” highlighting the extensive collection of mourning items owned by reenactor and historian Thomas Bailey.  

All North Carolina state parks west of Interstate 77 are closed through at least Oct. 31, the Division of Parks and Recreation announced. These parks include Chimney Rock, Crowders Mountain, Elk Knob, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain, Lake James, Lake Norman, Mount Mitchell, New River, South Mountains, and Stone Mountains state parks, as well as Mount Jefferson State Natural Area and Rendezvous Mountain.

An American Indian tribe that settled in southeastern North Carolina soon will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker.

The North Carolina Museum of History is embarking on a transformative journey that will redefine how visitors experience the state’s rich history. As part of this project, the physical museum building will close to the public on Oct. 7 to begin an exciting makeover that will last two to three years. The Museum Shop will remain open to the public until Dec. 29, 2024.

The Museum of the Albemarle will host History for Lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 20,  at 12 p.m. in the Gaither Auditorium. Dr. Marvin “Marty” Richardson, member and vice chief of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe, will provide an informative talk on the history, culture, language, education, and contemporary issues of American Indian tribes in North Carolina. Dr. Richardson will focus on the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe concerning the cultural revitalization, including the Tutelo-Saponi language.

Due to expected impacts of Hurricane Helene, Gorges State Park and Mount Mitchell State Park will be closed Thursday and Friday, Sept. 26-27.The Mountain Monarch Festival at Gorges, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28, has been cancelled.The Blue Ridge Parkway expects to be closed for the next several days. Mount Mitchell State Park will reopen when the Parkway reopens.