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Since before the birth of the United States, North Carolina played a lead role in shaping history. Visit the battlefields and structures that paved the way to life today.
Listicle View
Halifax State Historic Site
It’s hard to chart the birth of the US without the early influence of this Colonial community within a few miles of I-95. On April 12, 1776, the provincial Congress here unanimously adopted the Halifax Resolves. This made NC the first Colony to call for total independence from Great Britain. Less than three months later, the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia.
“With America’s 250th anniversary commemoration taking place right now, it’s a pretty big deal,” says Frank McMahon, assistant site manager at Halifax State Historic Site. Depending on the day, you can find McMahon and other costumed interpreters giving Colonial beer-making presentations, leading printing-press demonstrations and teaching 18th-century games in the restored 1790 Eagle Tavern. Along the Roanoke River, Halifax also served as a hub in a maritime Underground Railroad for freedom seekers.
Averasboro Battlefield and Museum
More than 28,000 Union and Confederate troops clashed on this former plantation of the John Smith family in March 1865. The multiday battle left nearly 1,500 wounded and dead. You can visit the restored Chicora Civil War Cemetery and a tract of land that the Confederates’ first defense line occupied.
Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site
Plan a March trip for the dynamic 160th anniversary reenactment of the state’s largest-ever battle. The grounds mark where Confederate troops mounted the only significant attempt to defeat Gen. William T. Sherman’s march through the Carolinas.
Fort Fisher State Historic Site
Once home to a firing range and other services in the early 1940s, visitors now meander through marshland, forest and beaches, following 6 miles of shoreline to sightings of loggerhead sea turtles and piping plovers.
Fort Macon State Park
The US Army built this brick fortress before the Civil War as a national coastal defense. An ambitious restoration preserved impeccable details throughout the barracks and exterior walls. It’s no wonder the popular park draws some 1 million visitors a year.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
When loyalist forces reached Moores Creek on Feb. 27, 1776, it sparked the first battle of the American Revolution in North Carolina. The National Park Service site offers a visitors center, miles of trails and a November candlelight tour of the battlefield after dark.
Outdoor NC tip: Be considerate of others and share the outdoors. People have a range of skill levels and different ideas about how to enjoy the outdoors. Respect others so that North Carolina’s natural spaces will be welcoming and relaxing for all.
Locate sites with more historical lore in The Official 2025 North Carolina Travel Guide.