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Photo: Mark Turner, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Official residence of the North Carolina governor and family, built in the late 1800s. Group tours are available mid-March to mid-June, but must be booked at least two weeks in advance.
The North Carolina Executive Mansion is the official residence of the governor of North Carolina and their family. The First Lady of North Carolina is the mansion's official hostess. Building began in the year 1883 and it was designed by architects Samuel Sloan and A.G. Bauer. The first occupants, Governor Daniel G. Fowle and his daughter, Helen Whitaker Fowle, moved into the unfinished building in January 1891. It is located within the Blount Street Historic District and is an example of Queen Anne style architecture.
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Extensive museum of North Carolina history, from ancient Native American cultures through colonization and independence up to the World Wars and the Civil Rights Movement. Everything is labeled with thorough and interesting interpretive signs, and some sections have little theater rooms showing videos with more details. Includes a genuine slave cabin rebuilt in the museum, a recreated 1920s drugstore, galleries of North Carolina military history, a children's discovery gallery, and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, which exhibits personal items donated by approximately 360 inductees. Also has a gift shop. Closed for renovation through fall 2028.
Contains a huge wing full of interactive exhibits, the Nature Research Center, with 3-story multimedia globe structure and exhibits such as a 10,000 gallon (40,000 liter) aquarium.
Built between 1833 and 1840 and to house the governor's office and cabinet offices. It's now a working capitol and a museum of North Carolina history, especially the period between the building's construction and the Civil War. Several rooms are restored with furniture and items from the era so you can see how they might have looked, including original legislative rooms, a collection of geological specimens, and a library. Full of plaques and informational signs. Gems include spittoons (for tobacco) in the legislative rooms, and a big statue of George Washington in the style of a Roman soldier. Guided tours are available Saturdays at 11AM and 2PM or by appointment for large groups, or take a self-guided tour whenever the building is open.
The former Exploris museum has merged with Playspace to form Marbles, an interactive kid's museum, still with an IMAX theater.
Local history museum, an excellent place to start your visit to the City of Oaks.