Learn about back-to-school challenges from over 50 years ago in a free online program hosted by the State Archives of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site will debut a new family-friendly event on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 6-9 p.m. When the sun sets, “Reed Glow Mine” comes to life with the addition of 25,000 lights around every twist and turn of the property. Ticket sales begin on Sept. 1 and the site anticipates a sell-out event. Reed Gold Mine is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island will celebrate its 50th anniversary Sept. 9-12, with a series of public events inviting guests to join in the festivities. The aquarium, part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and one of four facilities in the N.C. Aquariums system, first opened its doors to the public on Sept. 9, 1976.
Food, fun and fintastic trivia await at the 2026 Suds for Sharks Saturday, Aug. 29, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Savard Beer & Board hosted by the NC Aquarium Society to raise funds for shark conservation. Shark experts from the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) will make this an unforgettable afternoon with trivia, bingo, one-on-one chats and exciting updates on shark conservation. This family-friendly event will also feature fun for children as our teams are committed to inspiring the next generation of shark conservationists.
North Carolina State Parks and the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, two divisions of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, will be hosting this year’s N.C. Bat Working Group "Bat Blitz" to conduct a species inventory in five southeastern North Carolina counties Aug. 24-28. More than 80 trained participants from federal and state agencies and other organizations will be engaging in this effort, centered at Singletary Lake State Park in Bladen County.
Today Governor Josh Stein announced that he will present the state’s highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award, to six distinguished North Carolinians on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh. The 2026 honorees are Jason Mott for Literature; Richard Petty, Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen (Ret.), and Randy Woodson for Public Service; Lindsay Zanno for Science; and Beverly McIver for Fine Arts.
North Carolina State Parks, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, will be co-hosting a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the grand opening of Lumber River State Park's Wire Pasture access. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Robeson County, and the Museum of the Southeast American Indian at University of North Carolina at Pembroke are co-hosting.
Join the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum (CHB), Planted Soul Life, and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension for “Palmer Presents: Let’s Grow Together,” a fall gardening workshop. This free event will take place at the CHB picnic shelter on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. This immersive experience will also highlight the history and importance of agriculture at Palmer Memorial Institute. CHB is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).