Press Releases

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is launching a new online campaign to encourage North Carolinians to get moving and get outside. Parks and Trails for Health (PATH) is an initiative designed to encourage physical activity in parks, trails, greenways, and other outdoor spaces in North Carolina.

Initially enslaved by North Carolina native President James K. Polk, Elias Polk took up the fight for black economic independence after the Civil War. His advocacy and rise as a leading black conservative in the southeast will be examined in a virtual program presented by the President James K. Polk State Historic Site Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. 

Fort Dobbs in Statesville is the state’s only historic site about the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years War, that spanned five continents from 1754 to 1763. Discover various aspects of the soldiers’ lives through a virtual program Feb. 27. Participants may sample subjects during the day, or make a day of it, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Hear stories of how freed people built Durham, the wealth and influence of the Cameron family, and how sharecropping shaped the lives of African American families post-Emancipation. All of this will be revealed during in-person tours at Historic Stagville in Durham, Feb. 20.  “Over 900 people were enslaved by the Cameron family in what is now part of Durham, Orange and Granville counties,” observes Site Manager Vera Cecelski. “The people and profits from these massive plantations shape the history of our communities to this day.”

The Governor’s Advisory Council on Film, Television and Digital Streaming will meet via teleconference Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting agenda includes an update from the North Carolina Film Office, updates from council subcommittees, and a review of draft recommendations regarding the N.C. film industry for Governor Roy Cooper. 

African American History in North Carolina involves a range of rich experiences and you can enjoy some of them during Black History Month from the comfort of home. Several museums and programs of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will offer online programs during February for children and adults. All are free. Sit back and enjoy any or all of them from anywhere in the state. East 

When north winds would blow with falling snow in the 1800s, handmade quilts kept families warm. Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center in Old Fort presents an exhibit of vintage textiles, “Uncovered: Airing the Stories of Heirloom Bedcoverings” through Memorial Day. 

RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is pleased to announce that four historic districts and four individual properties across the state have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, one previously listed historic district received additional historical documentation as well as a boundary adjustment through both an increase and a decrease.

Celebrate literature and hear from North Carolina authors with the Fourth-Annual Black History Month Read-In! The North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, in partnership with the North Carolina State Capitol, the State Library of North Carolina, the Richard B. Harrison Community Library, Liberation Station Bookstore, and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, is presenting the Read-In virtually for 2021. Throughout Black History Month in February, the Commission will highlight individual Black North Carolina children’s book authors. 

North Carolina state parks experienced a record number of visitors in 2020.  State parks and recreation areas welcomed 19.8 million visitors last year — 400,000 more than any other year on record and 1.2 million more visitors than in 2019. The previous record for visitation was set in 2017 when the parks welcomed 19.4 million visitors.