Once upon a time, before CGI and interactive video screens, you could step into the vastness of space at the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill and watch moons orbit planets and planets circle the sun.
Whispers in the Wood
In Pitt County, a luthier’s handcrafted guitars are sometimes discolored or full of knots; some are shaped liked snakes or shotguns. Each instrument’s story starts with the wood used to make it. And while the past may have left its scars, beauty can be found in the sights and sounds of art.
Friendship by Design
At first, a new house in Raleigh’s historic Oakwood neighborhood spurred controversy among residents who didn’t want contemporary next to traditional. Now, two friends — one a modernist architect, the other a historic preservationist — have helped bring their community back together through a mutual respect for each other and a passion for beautiful homes.
Made in NC: Our Most Honorable Mentions of 2020
From a sleek new take on a classic rocking chair to a stylish Blue Ridge Mountain scene in miniature, these incredible runners up are worthy of wonder.
Tales from the Archives at Shaw University
Shaw University in Raleigh set the template for historically Black colleges and universities across the South — and helped establish the nation’s largest HBCU, North Carolina A&T State University.
Oh, the Places We’ve Been
When a writer’s oldest daughter heads to college, a flood of memories from their travels around North Carolina causes him to reflect — and to write a letter so they’ll never forget.
19 Hidden Treasures at North Carolina’s Universities
These places are the stewards of some very special items: Doc Watson’s first recording, the desk Virginia Woolf used to redefine the novel, and Elisha Mitchell’s pocket watch are just some of the cherished pieces that teach us about our state’s history and the people who preserve it.
A Pungo Homecoming
A coffee shop in Raleigh is a world away from the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina. But a writer discovers that they have something in common: love.
A Most Welcome New Year
Possibilities and new beginnings await us in 2026 — and, ready or not, it all starts on January 1.
