Museums & Gardens

Our attractions are broadly divided into the three categories to the right, but individual facilities have their own unique features and characteristics. Museums, for example, include a new children's museum, a nationally renowned art museum, a planetarium and science center (where NASA astronauts trained), several sports museums and more. In a nutshell, there's something for everybody, and the best way to discover what appeals to you (and your family or friends) is to explore them, starting with their descriptions.

Ackland Art Museum

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South Columbia St (off East Franklin St)
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3400

phone (919) 966-5736

Open Wed.-Sat., 10am-5pm; Sun., 1-5pm. Also open 2nd Fri., till 9pm.

The permanent collection of over 15,000 objects includes the art of Asia, Africa, Europe and America, with works ranging from ancient times to the 21st century. The Museum holds the most significant collection of Asian art in the state and one of the largest collections of works on paper in the Southeast. Long known for its strength in European painting and sculpture, the Ackland has recently added additional emphasis to the building of its collection of 20th-century and contemporary art.

Alexander Dickson House

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150 East King St (Downtown)
Hillsborough, NC 27278

toll-free (877) 732-7748; phone (919) 732-7741

Open Mon.-Fri., 9am-5pm; Sat., 10am-4pm; Sun., noon-4pm; closed major holidays.

Late 18th century Quaker-plan house was moved from its original site 1-1/4 mi. SE of Hillsborough and restored. An adjacent garden displays traditional 18th and 19th century plants used for cooking, medicine and dyeing cloth. The site includes an office used by Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston before he surrendered his troops to Union Gen. William T. Sherman at nearby Durham Station in April 1865, which ended the Civil War. Parking.

Ayr Mount and Poet’s Walk

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376 St. Mary's Rd
Hillsborough, NC 27278

phone (919) 732-6886

Open for guided tours (Mar. 21 to Dec. 20) Wed.-Sat., 11am; Thu.-Sun., 2pm; other times by appointment.

One of North Carolina’s finest Federal-era plantation homes (c. 1815), built by William Kirkland of Ayr, Scotland. Carefully restored and exquisitely furnished with period antiques (Duncan Phyfe and Charles Honore Lannuier), portraits by Ezra Ames and James Wollaston, Chinese export porcelain, Waterford crystal and many original family pieces. Occupied by four generations of the family until 1985. Owned by Classical American Homes Preservation Trust. A National Trust Partner Place. $10 per person. Group rates available. Free parking. Poet’s Walk: Open daily (year-round), 9am-5pm (till 6pm, Mar-Apr & Sep-Oct; till 7pm, May-Aug). One-mile walking trail meanders through woodlands and pastures along the banks of the Eno River, with views of the Kirkland family cemetery, the old tavern foundation and the Indian trading path. Picnic tables under hardwood and pine trees. Dogs allowed, but must be on leashes.

Battle Park

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Country Club Rd (near Battle Ln)
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375

phone (919) 962-0522

Open daily, dawn to dusk.

A 93-acre wooded park with pedestrian trail system and small picnic areas adjacent to the Forest Theatre. Named for University President Kemp Plummer Battle, who cleared paths and built benches here in the late 1800s. The North Carolina Botanical Garden cares for the park and has been working to restore trails, bridges and the natural forest system.

Burwell School (The)

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319 North Churton St (Downtown)
Hillsborough, NC 27278

phone (919) 732-7451

Open Wed.-Sat., 11am-4pm; Sun., 1-4pm; closed mid-Dec. to -mid-Jan. and major holidays.

Site of the Rev. and Mrs. Burwell’s School for Young Ladies from 1837-1857 and home to the prominent Collins family during the Civil War. The site offers free docent-led and self-guided tours, a variety of cultural events, and engaging and innovative programs for children and young adults. Parking.

Carolina Basketball Museum

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450 Skipper Bowles Dr (off Manning Dr)
Chapel Hill, NC 27599

phone (919) 962-6000

Open Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm, plus other times on home game days.

This new 8,000-sq.ft. state-of-the-art museum honors the rich tradition of Carolina Basketball.  Located on the first floor of the Ernie Williamson Athletics Center, the museum features a “Game Day” theme where visitors enter a theater for pre-game build-up, then into the main museum space where they can visit interactive displays and view memorabilia from Carolina’s storied program on the UNC court. A 32-ft. tower accents one corner and will allow fans to make their own call on great Carolina plays. The “Month of March” rooms highlight the ACC and Carolina’s NCAA Tournament successes.

Chapel Hill Museum (The)

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523 East Franklin St (Downtown)
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

phone (919) 967-1400

Open Wed.-Sat., 10am-4pm; Sun., 1-4pm; closed major holidays.

Preserves, exhibits and interprets the history and culture of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the surrounding region. The museum serves as a community resource through permanent and special exhibits, educational programs, seminars and special events. Free admission, but donations are welcomed. Gift shop and bookstore. Free parking. NEWLY OPENED permanent exhibit, ‘Meet Me on Franklin Street,’ celebrates the character and characters of Chapel Hill along main street from the early 1800s.

Charles Kuralt Learning Center

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In Carroll Hall, off South Columbia St below East Cameron Ave
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365

phone (919) 962-1204

Open Tue. & Thu., 1-4pm; other times by appointment.

Contents of Kuralt’s three-room penthouse office suite in Manhattan were donated to the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication by his widow Suzanna after her death in 1999. The center includes his office complete with Oriental rugs, desk, floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves, library, paneled walls, brick fireplace, his program tapes and many awards.

Coker Arboretum

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East Cameron Ave at Raleigh St
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375

phone (919) 962-0522

Open daily, dawn to dusk.

This five-acre garden was created in the heart of the UNC campus in 1903. It contains more than 500 species of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Two prominent features are the recently renovated 300-ft. native-vine arbor and an adjacent stone gathering circle. Every third Saturday of the month, you may join a tour of this historic five-acre site, starting at the stone gathering circle. March, April and May tours promise a bounty of color. 3rd Sat., 11am. Free. No reservations required.

Eagle Masonic Lodge #19

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142 West King St (Downtown)
Hillsborough, NC 27278

eaglelodge19@hotmail.com

Open by appointment.

Chartered in 1792, Eagle Lodge meets in this Greek Revival building designed by state architect William Nichols and built in 1823 by John Berry. It’s a cube that measures 40 ft. in width, depth and height, with walls of solid brick. Through its history, the building has also served as an opera house, unofficial town hall and Civil War hospital.

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Did You Know?

Ayr Mount Historic Site is one of North Carolina's finest Federal-era plantation homes, built in 1815 and lovingly restored and furnished in the period.