NC Zoo Adds Asia to Its Continental Lineup of Displays
The North Carolina Zoo, the world's largest natural habitat zoo, adds a third continent to its realm with an 8-acre Asia exhibit, targeted for a 2026 opening. Tigers, red pandas, Komodo dragons and Chinese alligators are among the species expected to occupy the space, which will also include a glass-walled restaurant overlooking the tiger habitat and an overhead tiger walk. With 500 developed acres, the Asheboro zoo currently features Africa and North America displays plus desert habitat and an aviary with exotic birds and tropical plants. Visitors can opt to stroll 5 miles of trails through the main property or take a free tram to explore the wonders.
New Queen City Museum to Elevate Nature
Nature lovers can walk through treetops in the heart of NC's largest city when the Charlotte Museum of Nature opens as early as summer 2026 in Freedom Park. The Canopy Walk, which will sit 20 to 40 feet above the forest floor, will be the outdoor signature of the museum, which aims to inspire deeper connections to the natural world. Part of the Discovery Place museum family, the new nature hub will feature a state-of-the-art naturalist lab, a woodlands garden with Fog Bog and live frogs, and different turtle species. Freedom Park is a 98-acre expanse with a lake, trails, recreational amenities and a playground. It has been seen on screen in "Homeland," "Shallow Hal" and the 2025 crime comedy-drama "Roofman."
America's Largest Pump Track to Open in Swannanoa
Beacon Bike Park, designed by designed by Velosolutions and billed as America's largest pump track, is expected to open this fall in Swannanoa, a community east of Asheville. The 4.7-acre park transforms the site of a former blanket factory into a community space with bouldering walls, a mile-long greenway and walking path, an event lawn, playground and pavilion plus a tap house and food truck parking. Plans call for yoga on the lawn, farmers markets, concerts, camps and competitions. The park's arrival follows the community's enormous effort to recover from 2024's Hurricane Helene.
New Carowinds Log Flume to Reach New Heights
Rip Roarin' Falls, coming to the Carowinds amusement park in 2027, is on course to set records with the world's highest water-ride drop at 100 feet, reverse drop at 42 feet and reverse camelback at 32 feet. The super flume's storyline transports riders through an abandoned lumber mill that might be haunted by the fictional brothers who owned it. The 6½-minute ride from WhiteWater sends passengers through 2,240 feet of surging waters at speeds reaching 50 mph before an unforgettable splashdown. The 400-acre Charlotte park, whose main season runs mid-March through early January, is known for its elite collection of roller coasters (including the NASCAR-invoking Fury 325 and Copperhead Strike), the Carolina Harbor waterpark, an expansive children's area, and the seasonal SCarowinds and WinterFest events.
Avett Brothers' Family Amplifies Hometown Theater Revival
After a major restoration, the historic Paula Theater will return in 2027 with a new name (the Avett Theater) and an elevated purpose: to ignite creativity, community and culture in Mount Pleasant, where members of the Avett family have lived since 1947. The 634-seat theater, which opened in 1948, will host nationally touring artists, regional acts and local talent. “On behalf of Scott, Seth, Bonnie and the entire Avett family, it is especially meaningful to have this new theater named for our family in our hometown,” patriarch Jim Avett, a musician-storyteller, said in a statement. “We look forward to helping it become a premier destination for live music in the state and region.” The original stage and historic character will be preserved at the theater, where the Avett Brothers filmed the video for the 2024 song "Orion's Belt."
Coore & Crenshaw Create Pinehurst Resort’s 11th Course
With more courses than any other US resort, Pinehurst Resort boosts its score with No. 11 from Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Routing the 18 holes through the old Pinehurst Sandmines, the architects promise a course that will differ from the adjacent No. 10, designed by Tom Doak for a 2024 opening. A fall 2027 debut is planned. Coore and Crenshaw, who restored Donald Ross’s course No. 2 masterpiece in advance of the 2014 US Open. Pinehurst is currently home to 10 18-hole courses, a short course called The Cradle and the Thistle Dhu putting course. Architects of record include Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Ellis Maples and Gil Hanse. Pinehurst, home of the USGA Golf Experience and the World Golf Hall of Fame, has hosted the US Open four times with future dates in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.
NC Museum of History Aims to Reopen in Style in 2028
More gallery space, stories and amenities are in the works for the NC Museum of History in Raleigh, where a transformative restoration is under way. The museum, which closed for the project in October 2024, is adding 40,000 square feet, relocating its main entrance for improved accessibility, and upgrading its climate control system as well as adding classrooms, community spaces and a new restaurant. During the building’s closure, the museum continues to offer programs, sponsor events and share exhibitions. The completion target is 2028.
Weldon Mills Resort To Feature Mattel Indoor Waterpark
One of the first Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks will become a headline attraction at the evolving Weldon Mills Resort in Roanoke Rapids off Interstate 95. When the project is completed in 2029, Barbie, Hot Wheels and other iconic brands will star in the splash-filled experience, joining the resort's current anchors: Weldon Mills Theatre, Carolina Crossroads Amphitheatre, Carolina Crossroads Motorsports and the award-winning Weldon Mills Distillery. The owners also envision a full-service resort hotel, an adventure park with a signature Ferris wheel, a sports and events center, retail and dining, and a central plaza with a light-and-music-filled fountain. Other Mattel Wonder destinations will include Orlando, FL; Bellevue, NE, and Bradley, IL.
2029 World University Games Head to NC
The International University Sports Federation has selected North Carolina's Research Triangle region for the summer 2029 World University Games. The two-week event attracts 7,000 athletes from more than 150 countries for competition in swimming, basketball, track and field, and other sports. In its proposal, the state's Local Organizing Committee pitched the region (which includes Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary) as part of a "University Hub" that extends to the Piedmont Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point). The biennial Games, which were inaugurated in 1959, have been staged in the United States three times, twice in Lake Placid, N.Y. (winter 1972 and 2023) and Buffalo, N.Y. (summer 1993).