Biltmore Estate is even more magical during the holidays, when the 250-room French Renaissance-style château, completed in 1895, is decked with garlands, greenery, thousands of ornaments, and 67 Christmas trees — including a 35-foot Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall.
Experience the sights and sounds of historic Beaufort on a double-decker bus ride with carolers from local churches.
Explore this Art Nouveau mansion when it’s decorated in the tradition of the 1920s — using fruit, candy, and nuts. Plus, listen to a live performance on Whalehead’s original Steinway piano.
Enjoy live music, dancing, singing, and holiday cookies as costumed interpreters lead tours around this National Historic Landmark, brought to life as it might have been in 1870, when tobacco magnate Washington Duke and his family called it home.
dukehomestead.org/special-events
During the Holiday Jubilee, visitors to the 1897 Poe House listen to carolers on the front porch and admire beautiful decor. photograph by Joshua Steadman
Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy live music, take a costumed guided tour of the house, and watch a cooking demonstration on a 1902 Glenwood stove.
Twinkling candles, 1940s holiday music, and Christmas greenery will fill The Mitford Museum, housed in the historic Hudson Uptown Building where best-selling novelist Jan Karon attended elementary school while living with her grandparents from 1941 to 1949.
Costumed interpreters will lead visitors through the early 1800s-era ancestral home of Thomas S. Kenan, son of the town’s namesake, while sharing stories and traditions of the South.
At Körner’s Folly, built in 1880, no two windows, doorways, or fireplaces — there are 15 — are exactly alike. photograph by Jay Sinclair
Each of the 22 rooms in this Victorian house museum will be decorated from floor to ceiling. Be sure to add a Christmas wish to the Reception Room’s 12-foot tree.
Ride through the historic district — with music, beautiful greenery, and candlelit walkways — in a horse-drawn carriage, watch a blacksmith demonstration, explore significant sites, and more.
During Candlelight Christmas, colonial characters perform short vignettes around the first North Carolina State Capitol. photograph by Charles Harris
Enjoy a magical night of storytelling by interpreters in period costumes as they bring stories of North Carolina’s colonial past to life.
Take a walk through Raleigh’s Historic Oakwood neighborhood and explore 10 beautifully decorated properties with Victorian, Queen Anne, and Craftsman architectural styles.
Docents guide visitors through a Victorian-inspired Christmas inside the Latimer House. photograph by Matt Ray Photography
Discover 15 historic buildings decorated according to the tales of those who once walked their halls — including the Victorian-era Latimer House, in all its glory.
At the restored home of former North Carolina Gov. David Stone, sample holiday foods popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, including syllabub, wassail, crab dip, country ham biscuits, and more.
Stroll the grounds of the historic 1917 estate of Katharine Smith and R.J. Reynolds, decorated as it would have been during their first Christmas at the manor. Stop and grab a hot chocolate before crafting vintage-style holiday cards to the sounds of the home’s original Aeolian organ.
A cake first made in Depression-era kitchens using household staples now helps us savor the season, no green thumb necessary.
From woodsmoke to salt air, certain scents carry memory, tradition, and comfort across North Carolina.
Visit a renowned writer’s home, catch a show, and wander Little Rainbow Row with our springtime guide to Flat Rock.
Across the Carolina coast, silvery strands offer texture, shelter, and quiet wonder.
