Durham owes its whole existence to the Duke University, which has a botanical garden and a museum of art on its campus.
The fine city of Durham is closely associated with Duke University, Research Triangle Park, and North Carolina Central universities. The city is mid sized with a population of just under 300,000 inhabitants and provides all the visitor amenities travelers would expect in a city of this size.
To those who follow the history of the US Civil War, Bennett Place will be a familiar locale. Not farm from Durham, it was here, in this simple farmhouse, that the Southern Armies signed the surrender papers. Bennett Place was recreated and restored to its former appearance in 1960 from drawings after a fire destroyed the original building in 1921.
Historic re-enactments at Bennett Place in Durham, North Carolina.
A wooden fence and building at the Bennett Place State Historic.
For those interested in the cultivation and history of tobacco, the Duke Homestead and Tobacco Museum in Durham should be on their itinerary. The Duke family have been heavily involved in the tobacco trade over the years and their background and history is well laid out for all to view. The homestead has several interesting buildings on the property including a wonderfully restored 19th Century mansion that can be toured by visitors.
A structure at the Duke Homestead and Tobacco Museum in Durham.
Address: Duke Homestead State Historic Site, 2828 Duke Homestead Road, Durham, NC 27705-2726, United States
Phone: 1 (919) 477-5498, Fax: 1 (919) 479-7092
Historic Stagville was originally the property of the Bennehan-Cameron families and was one of the largest plantations in the southern USA in the last half of the 19th Century. Today visitors can come here to learn about plantation life in the 1800s.
Historic Stagville consists of a number of buildings including the Bennehan House, and a timber framed barn, along with the Bennehan Family cemetery.
When in Durham visiting some of the many attractions, be sure to stop in at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science. Here you will find a plethora of interactive displays sure to delight young and old. Of particular note is the Butterfly house, and for those that can handle them, an Insectarium. If you get hungry there is an on-site café and a gift shop sells take home mementos.
Address: North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, 433 Murray Avenue, Durham, NC 27704-3101, United States
Phone: 1 (919) 220-5429, Fax: 1 (919) 220-5575
Hours:
May 25 to September 3: 10am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm
September 4 to May 24: 10am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
West Point on the Eno in Durham is an historic park with a reconstructed water-powered grist mill, along with a blacksmith shop and the Hugh Mangum Museum of Photography. The Museum of Photography displays old photos done using early methods.
West Point on the Eno is also a fun place for outdoor recreational opportunities with walking trails and canoeing or rafting.
Hours:
8am-6pm
Tips: The three historic buildings are open 1 - 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, mid-March through mid-December. Admission is free.