• Search for North Carolina cultural and historical attractions by county on NC's ECHO site
  • Craven County (New Bern): Craven County Tourist Attractions
  • Surrounding Counties: Jones (Pollocksville) , Pamlico (Oriental), Onslow (Jacksonville), Carteret (Morehead City & Beaches), Beaufort (Washington and Avon) , Pitt (Greenville) and Lenoir (Kinston)

The primary attractions are the colonial Governor's mansion, the Tryon Palace Historic Site and Gardens, and the surrounding historic district homes, some of which are open year round. Others offer open house tours at different times during the year. Our revitalized downtown section is great for shopping, strolling or especially--munching, check out our dining section to choose your calories wisely. We're also re-doing the waterfront; the new Riverfront Convention Center is far exceeding initial expectations!   Antique/crafts/art shopping has become a local addiction!

Park near the Palace on Pollock St. and grab your camera. The Tryon Palace Visitor Center shows a short film after you buy your tickets, if you don't know any of the local history...see it.

The Tryon Palace is worth a lot of pictures. Every corner is another photo op.  A Punch & Judy puppet show is great fun, the blacksmith is really making iron items, they really grow food items in the kitchen gardens.  After a morning at the Palace, walk or drive the 4 short blocks to Middle Street. The Pepsi Store is on the corner of Pollock and Middle St.  It is certainly not restored to resemble the original, but it is on the exact spot where Caleb Bradham invented his "soft" drink that gave the drinker more "pep".  Free samples.  Great eating places on Middle St. (Click on our "restaurant" section for info).  Bear Plaza is a favorite "bench enhanced" park...head toward the river.  Stop in the Bank of The Arts, on Middle Street. They always have a show on display, of local or traveling artists/artisans. Across the street is the venerable Christ Church, a must see.  The bust of our founder, Swiss Baron DeGraffenreid, is tucked away on Pollock St. adjacent to the burying ground of Christ Church.

Go down Pollock toward the river and turn left. Walk along the Neuse River north up East Front St. past several historic homes to a small garden on the river walk with a marker celebrating-- the politicians of the area!  (There's a miniscule mention of the Indian tribes that were here originally too.) This spot is very near where the original Swiss settlers and DeGraffenreid met with the local Indian King, (whom they named "Taylor"), to buy land.  A nearby huge old water elm was a witness to the sale, and is listed as an historic tree.  None of this is mentioned however, politicians are always predictable.

After seeing many of the old homes and gardens, stroll down Johnson Street to the corner where the Masonic Theater sits caty-corner to the old Academy Grounds. The Masonic is the oldest theater in America that is in continuous use. This is a revered old building-- said to be haunted.  The charming old-time stage of the Masonic is now featuring live country bands every Friday and special performances throughout the year. 

Across the street, the first schoolhouse in North Carolina is worth a visit.  The Academy Building has a restored schoolroom museum that will show kids that the old folks did have it rough back then.

Probably the most haunted place in North Carolina is the Cedar Grove Cemetery.  Under the Confederate statue in the center is a crypt with the bodies of 300 plus Confederate soldiers.  Around 1900, grave robbers opened the crypt and stole all the metal items, sword, guns, buttons, picture folders that the bodies were buried with---and since then, the Cemetery has a very strange nighttime atmosphere, according to locals. 

The local Fireman's Museum on the corner of Broad almost has a cult following. It's one of the most charming museums of its ilk in America. Lots of old equipment and great stories. The kids will love this one.

Union Point Park is a great way to end the day. Drive there and park on the circle. This is the point where our two mighty rivers (Neuse and Trent) merge-the union point. Designated by DeGraffenreid as a government site-never realized-- it has had a chequered past. Now, it's a picture perfect park with spectacular water views, swings and picnic tables.

The New Bern Trolley Tour, which lasts around 90 minutes, is a delightful way to see the historic area without straining your feet. Our guides are knowledgeable, and make you smile as you get the story of New Bern in a nutshell. Catch it in front of the Tryon Palace. Also, horse drawn carriage rides are available in the summer season.

(We're excited about the new Children's Museum and Visitors' Center that the Tryon Palace is planning on the waterfront adjacent to the Palace grounds.  This will be an inter-active children's center and has been financed by grants from the state and the Pepsi Corp. The architects are working on it now, and construction will be started when state budget constraints allow, and the EPA standards are met.)

Follow US 70 E straight to the Atlantic Ocean. You'll turn right onto the causeway to Atlantic Beach, one of Emerald Isles' northernmost beaches. The entire Emerald Isle is optimal vacation land....relatively undiscovered as well. All year long, you can find beach strollers, but in December and January they are rea-l-l-ly bundled up!  New Bern is a beach town surprisingly, summer weekends you'll find your doctor, dentist, lawyer, grocery store clerk, yard man and the local DJ all at the beach in shorts and flip flops.  The summer style of life is celebrated here, no one complains when their dentist opens late Monday mornings in the summer. It's Tradition!

Other key attractions include the Civil War Museum, New Bern Academy Museum, Attmore-Oliver House, Bellair Plantation, Bank of the Arts Gallery, many, many art galleries, and nearby attractions such as Croatan National Forest and Blackbeard's hideout, Beaufort, NC, a sailing town