Us? An icon? Well, after 90 years and more than 2,000 issues celebrating North Carolina from mountains to coast, we hope you’ll agree that we’ve earned the title.
The Wild & Wonderful North Carolina Zoo
In Asheboro, come face to face with incredible animals at the world’s largest natural habitat zoo.
NC Icons: Barbecue
’Cue is our state’s signature sustenance, but with two distinct styles — eastern and Lexington — that’s typically where our agreement ends. Luckily, no matter which side of this delicious rivalry you fall on, barbecue is a food that brings people together.
The Seasons in Highlands: Spring
Go paddling on pristine headwaters, hike to spectacular waterfalls, watch falcons soar, and explore downtown shops in the sunshine during a spring trip to Highlands.
NC Icons: The Appalachian Trail
A record-setting hiker and North Carolina native reflects on what makes our state such an iconic part of the most famous hiking trail in the world.
NC Icons: The Legend of Methuselah
Deep in the remote Three Sisters Swamp of the Black River stands an ancient old-growth forest. For decades, a famed bald cypress, dated to 372 AD and known as Methuselah, was its patriarch — until two even older trees were discovered.
NC Icons: Pottery
In a state naturally rich in red clay, potters like the legendary Sid Luck carry on a long-held North Carolina tradition.
NC Icons: Textiles
In the 19th and 20th centuries, hundreds of textile mills — which produced everything from socks to blue jeans — supported a booming industry that created entire communities, turned North Carolina into a manufacturing powerhouse, and helped to weave the very fabric of our state.
NC Icons: Tryon Palace
During Christmastime in New Bern, 18th-century holiday traditions come to life at North Carolina’s first State Capitol.
