Settled along the shores of the Albemarle Sound, that watery connection between the Outer Banks and Inner Banks, Edenton’s location makes it unmatched to welcome those entering town by land or sea.
Boaters having just made the often-sporty passage across the expansive sound relish the feeling of tucking into Edenton Bay, where a snug harbor, beautiful waterfront, and walkable historic downtown await. Those same features also lure great numbers of day-trippers and weekenders who make the not-too-far drive from the Outer Banks and the Triangle.
Experience history and charm with Harbor Towns Cruises on the Albemarle Queen. This remarkable vessel is ready to host your next event or gathering as we tour the beautiful Albemarle Sound, from corporate events and fundraisers to weddings and private parties.
North Carolina’s second oldest town (incorporated in 1722) and the state’s first colonial capital, Edenton has done an excellent job of preserving and interpreting its 300 years of history, which can be explored through an extensive historic district of elegantly restored 18th and 19th-century homes, public buildings, landmarks, museums, and gardens. Add in a charming downtown with brick sidewalks, old-growth trees and smart shopping and dining options, and you get a popular northeastern North Carolina destination.
“Edenton might seem like a sleepy town at first glance, but this is a much busier and more social town than people realize,” says Alexandria Evans, owner of North No. 4, a shop along Broad Street, and vice chairman of Edenton’s Destination Downtown. “There is a lot going on here.”
Begin your trip at the welcome center, a preserved 18th-century home that’s decorated with opulent period-appropriate furnishings and offers information for visitors to Edenton. Photography courtesy of Visit Edenton
Upon arriving in Edenton, Evans suggests heading straight to the Penelope Barker House Welcome Center on the waterfront. “Go there first and make a plan so you don’t miss out on something you really want to do,” she advises.
Inside the beautifully restored 1782 Barker House, you will learn about all the historic and recreational offerings in Edenton and about the house’s namesake, who organized a resolution against the British Empire, the earliest-known act of women’s political defiance in America. Known as the Edenton Tea Party, the event celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2024.
Many people start their visit with a Historic Edenton Trolley Tour, the best way to get an overview of the town’s history. Trolley booking and departure is at the Barker House.
If you’d rather walk around, you can pick up information on the Museum Trail to see 15 historic sites including 1736 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, homes, and monuments. You need tickets to go inside the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse, and 1800/1827 James Iredell House, but you can purchase one five-dollar ticket for admission to all three sites at any of the locations.
If you plan ahead for your trip, you may want to make a reservation for the town’s increasingly popular Harriett Jacobs Tour. Jacobs was born into slavery in Edenton and escaped to become a well-known abolitionist and author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The informative guided tour requires reservations a week in advance, but in case you make a spontaneous trip to Edenton, there is a self-guided walking tour available at the Historic Edenton Visitors Center.
Launch your watercraft at Colonial Park. Photography courtesy of Visit Edenton
Edenton’s historic district and downtown area are concentrated along and adjacent to Broad Street and easily walkable. If you have children in tow, they will immediately spot the playground and docks at the waterfront Colonial Park, and there are benches where parents to rest. If you want to get out on the water, the Town of Edenton offers kayaks, canoes, and standup paddleboards to rent at the park.
Spend a day (or more) browsing the boutiques, home decor shops, and mercantiles in downtown Edenton. Photography courtesy of Visit Edenton
The number of top-quality clothing, gift, and home decor boutiques in town have all led to Edenton’s surge in popularity as a shopping destination. Several clothing boutiques cater to a range of ages, including Simply Stated Boutique, which offers clothing and accessories with a young, beachy vibe.
A Still Life is an elegant interiors shop displaying finely crafted housewares, furniture, and antiques with a decidedly French aesthetic. Shop owner Cindy Gandee is especially proud of her collection fine Italian linen women’s wear.
Gandee, who moved to Edenton from Atlanta in 2006, appreciates that this Inner Banks town is cultivating increasingly sophisticated offerings. “Edenton is attracting retirees, and people are moving in from urban areas,” she says. “As a result, our little Hallmark town is growing and evolving.”
At North No. 4, Evans’s thoughtfully curated and expertly merchandised shop offers a range of modern-classic home goods, accessories, jewelry, toys, and more with a focus on great design. You’ll find it hard to leave without getting a few little gifts for yourself.
Byrum Hardware Co. offers a pleasantly dichotomous shopping experience: on one side, an old-time hardware store for necessary and useful things and a scent that will take you back to shopping with your grandparents; on the other, a whimsical collection of contemporary gift lines.
And then there’s Surf, Wind and Fire, an outdoors outfitter, complete with a bar. Shop for quality camping and outdoor gear or name-brand surf clothing with a North Carolina beer in hand.
Dine with a view on the outdoor deck at The Herringbone on the Waterfront. Photography courtesy of Visit Edenton
Temptations abound along Broad Street, so be prepared.
To satisfy a sweet tooth, Corner Baking Co. beckons with big picture windows revealing fabulous fresh-baked pastries, cookies, éclairs, doughnuts, cupcakes, and more. If they are selling oatmeal cream pies, be sure to get several to take home. And for a nostalgic small-town throwback, stop into Blount’s Mutual Drug Store and order a fresh-squeezed lemon-, lime-, or orangeade at the soda fountain counter.
Edenton Bay Trading Company is Edenton’s gathering spot. In this bottle shop and lounge, you’ll find folks lingering on a sofa in the lounge any time of day, by firepits in the evening, and over an éclair or macaron with tea or Prosecco in the in-house Patisserie at Edenton Bay in the afternoons. Townspeople and visitors alike gather for Vinyl Night on Saturdays and Trivia Night on Wednesdays along with Music Bingo and any other evening entertainment that owners Malcolm and Debbie King come up with.
“Edenton is like a little college town for older people,” Malcolm says. “It’s got all the good things of a small town: everybody knows everybody, and there’s plenty to do. It’s not a boring small town by any stretch.”
For weekend brunch and daily lunch and dinner, The Herringbone on the Waterfront is Edenton’s pride and joy. Housed in a restored 19th-century herring fishery icehouse, it’s an upscale yet casual restaurant with a full bar and chef-prepared cuisine from wood-fired pizzas to Southern classics with a twist. The in-house pastry chef is known to prepare stellar breads and desserts. Outside is The Trolley on the Waterfront, the restaurant’s beverage trolley serving beer, wine, and ice cream to enjoy in the yard.
Carriage Culinary + Fine Foods, the Herringbone owners’ newest offering, offers sit-down fine dining three nights a week, catering, made-to-order carry-out items, and cooking classes.
If you’re still in town after dinner, a treat is the historic Taylor Theater on Broad Street. Showing current movies, the theater serves sodas, beer and wine, and substantial snacks.
All this is just a small sampling of what Edenton has to offer, so a word to the wise: Plan to spend more time here than you think you’ll need. Ready to arrange your trip? Click here to make your arrangements, and check out our guides to North Carolina’s other Harbor Towns below:
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