Bentonville Battlefield 910-594-0789; http://www.nchistoricsites.org/bentonvi/bentonvi.htm
Four Oaks — site of largest Civil War battle in North Carolina
March 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. /7-10 p.m., and March 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. — “War So Terrible” – 147th anniversary program includes artillery and infantry demonstrations, evening candlelight tours of the Harper House (used as an 1865 field hospital), artificial limb historical presentation, and medical demonstrations comparing Civil War practices to 21st-century treatment in Iraq and Afghanistan (military participants include Army and Marine Corps medical crews); evening program March 17 on hospital care has $5 admission fee and may not be suitable for some children
Bennett Place 919-383-4345; http://www.nchistoricsites.org/bennett/bennett.htm
Durham – farm that was the site of the war’s largest Confederate troop surrender
March 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and March 25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. – “Tarheels: Soldiers of the Old North State” — living historians demonstrate the camp life, uniforms and equipment of Southern soldiers who served the Confederacy; free activities on the Bennett Family farm include marching drills and musket firings
March 31, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. – “Civil War Park Day” projects include preparing the spring garden, landscaping, and preparations for upcoming events including the Confederate surrender commemoration; free event, in cooperation with the Civil War Preservation Trust and with Civil War parks across the nation
April 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and April 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. – “147th Anniversary Surrender Commemoration” (also the 50th anniversary of Bennett Place State Historic Site) — guest speakers and authors explore the history of Bennett Place and the designation of this national landmark as a formal historic park; free activities include military encampments and depictions of civilian life both days, plus a wreath-laying ceremony and special presentations Sunday at the Unity Monument
State Capitol 919-733-4994; http://www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol/default.htm
Raleigh – National Historic Landmark completed in 1840
March 24, 1 p.m. – “Between Heaven and Hell: Raleigh at the End of the Civil War” – in the old House Chamber, historian Ernest Dollar discusses how joyous federal soldiers, despondent Confederates and terrified civilians experienced the dramatic end of the war in North Carolina’s occupied capital in April 1865
Fort Fisher 910-458-5538; http://www.nchistoricsites.org/fisher/fisher.htm
Kure Beach – coastal fort that protected Confederate army supply lines (with daily tours by costumed interpreters)
Ongoing – tours of Civil War battle site
Zebulon Vance Birthplace 828-645-6706; http://www.nchistoricsites.org/vance/vance.htm
Weaverville – farm birthplace of former Gov. Zebulon B. Vance (a Civil War officer)
March 24, 2 p.m. – lecture “Guerrilla Warfare and Remembrance” by Dr. John Inscoe on UNCA campus, cosponsored with Western N.C. Historical Association and N.C. Center for Creative Retirement ($5 for non-WNCHA members)
Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson 910-371-6613; http://www.nchistoricsites.org/brunswic/brunswic.htm
Winnabow — Civil War fort constructed over remains of pre-Revolutionary port village
April 9-14 – “Civil War Heritage Days” — hands-on living history program with demonstrations and exhibits; activities April 9-13 will be geared to eighth-grade students, and programs April 14 are open to the public
Tryon Palace 252-639-3500, 1-800-767-1560; http://www.nchistoricsites.org/tryon/tryon.htm
New Bern — colonial government historical site with structured gardens, N.C. History Center
March 9-10 — “Thunder in the East: The Civil War in Eastern North Carolina” –s ymposium with New Bern Historical Society, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of New Bern, with national and local speakers; registration $85 (ticket and schedule info at http://newbernhistorical.org/sesqui-centennial-symposium/)
March 10, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and March 11, 1-4 p.m.– “Commemoration of the Battle of New Bern” – 150th anniversary events include living history program at New Bern Academy Museum (Union camp life in occupied New Bern), with firing demonstrations and interactive drilling; special opening of Academy Museum’s Civil War exhibit; Civil War-themed tours of Tryon Palace’s historic houses; and kids’ crafts in the N.C. History Center
March 15, 7 p.m. – Joyce Grear portrayal of Harriet “Moses” Tubman in “Let My People Go,” part of African-American lecture series (free admission); explores the life of this woman who led some 300 slaves north to freedom
Roanoke Island Festival Park 252-475-1500; http://roanokeisland.com/
Manteo – historic site with educational/entertainment resources at location of state’s first English colony
Through Sept. 4 – exhibit at Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse on “Workboats and Watermen in the Civil War” explores the critical role of local boats in the war, in connection with the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Roanoke Island
N.C. Office of Archives and History 919-807-7090; http://www.history.ncdcr.gov
Raleigh – home of the State Archives, part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources
March 7, April 4 – “First Wednesday” document posting to Archives’ resource blog http://civilwar150nc.wordpress.com/
N.C. Museum of History 919-807-7900; http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/
Raleigh – a public museum with exhibits exploring all aspects of North Carolina’s rich history
Through Oct. 29 – first of three-part exhibit, “North Carolina and the Civil War: The Breaking Storm, 1861-1862”
April 29, 2 p.m. – lecture “When Will This Cruel War Be Over?” – author/historian James M. McPherson discusses failed peace negotiations during the war; $5 fee (free to Museum members and full-time students)
Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex 910-486-1330; http://museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov/
Fayetteville – historical/educational facility housing the Museum of the Cape Fear, 1897 Poe House and Arsenal Park
Ongoing – “Suit Up Soldier,” a Civil War “teaching corner” including a tent and uniforms for children to use
Ongoing – daily “History Ranger Arsenal Park Scavenger Hunt” about the N.C. Arsenal destroyed in 1865
March 10, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. – free program “Hands-On History: The Civil War” on Arsenal Park grounds includes army drills, molding, setting up a soldier’s tent, signing enlistment papers, and send/receive messages using Myers Flag signals; at 1 and 3 p.m. April Turner performs traditional African stories and dances
March 18, 2 p.m. – Women’s History Month program “Dr. Mary Walker: Union Army Physician” focuses on the Union Army’s only female doctor (who later received the U.S. Medal of Honor); presentation is by Dr. Matt Farina, a retired physician who lives in Southern Pines
Museum of the Albemarle 252-335-1453; http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/
Elizabeth City – a public museum with exhibits exploring the northeastern region’s history
Ongoing – exhibit “Under Both Flags: Civil War in the Albemarle” commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Elizabeth City and shows how the war impacted the lives of the people of the Albemarle region
Ongoing — “Our Story” exhibit features smokestack from the C.S.S. Albemarle (the Confederate ironclad), frock coat from Confederate Brig. General James Martin, wooden leg from Pvt. Isaac Byrum (who lost his leg in the Battle of Gettysburg), a model of the C.S.S. Albemarle, a Confederate camp chair and more
March 11, 2-4 p.m. – “Isaac Byrum Day” observance explores the life of the Chowan County native who lost his leg in the Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., in 1863; author/historian Ansley H. Wegner will discuss her book Phantom Pain: North Carolina’s Artificial Limbs Program for Confederate Veterans
March 16, 3:30-4:30 p.m. – History Tales program “Make It, Take It: To War! The War Between the States”
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum 252-986-2995; http://www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com/
Hatteras – a public maritime history museum focused on the Outer Banks
Through April 24 – registration open for national “Flags Over Hatteras” conference April 26-29, with activities at Hatteras and Buxton locations including the Graveyard of the Atlantic (go to http://flagsoverhatteras.com)
April 26, 2 p.m. – unveiling and dedication of Dare County Heritage Trail/N.C. Bugle Trails historical marker for USS Minnesota (Atlantic Blockade Squadron flagship) and “Hotel De Afrique” (first “safe haven” built for African American fugitives, forerunner of Freedmen’s Colony); several national and local speakers, and refreshments
April 26-29 – “Flags Over Hatteras” conference on Hatteras Island, about the battles of Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark in 1861(Union’s first naval victory); national and local speakers include Outer Banks History Center Curator KaeLi Schurr showing period images and letters from OBHC collections
Through July 31 – exhibit “Flags Over Hatteras” features OBHC collections and loaned items from around the country
N.C. Maritime Museum/Beaufort 252-728-7317; http://www.ncmaritimemuseums.com
Beaufort – a public maritime history museum focused on the Crystal Coast area
Through Sept. 30 – exhibit “Watched by Sound and Sea: Occupation of Beaufort, 1862” shows how the occupied town and harbor became a hub of Union activity (amphibious operations base, and refitting/recoaling station for vessels)
March 10, 3 p.m. – lecture by LeRae Umfleet, Department of Cultural Resources, on “Women and Mourning Customs”
March 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – living history program “Watched by Sound and Sea: Occupation of Beaufort, 1862,” as part of activities throughout downtown Beaufort including an evening cannon-firing display at nearby Fort Macon State Park
April 14, 3 p.m. – lecture by Paul Branch, Fort Macon State Park, on the Battle of Fort Macon
N.C. Maritime Museum/Southport 910-457-0003; http://www.ncmaritimemuseums.com
Southport – a public maritime history museum focused on the Cape Fear region
March 31, 9 a.m. – “Park Day” volunteers needed for annual preservation event sponsored by Civil War Trust
April 17, 7-9 p.m. – free lecture “Civil War Ironclads” by Jim McKee of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, held at Southport Community Center; learn about three ironclads of the Lower Cape Fear — their construction, changes in shipbuilding technology, and how the environment (not weaponry) brought about their demise
Outer Banks History Center 252-473-2655; http://www.obhistorycenter.ncdcr.gov
Manteo – coastal archives and research library, part of the N.C. State Archives
Through July 31 – OBHC items featured in “Flags Over Hatteras” exhibit at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
Through Dec. 30 – Gallery exhibit, “The Civil War Comes to Roanoke Island: Fishers, Fighters and Freedmen,” examines the Battle of Roanoke (Feb. 7-8, 1862) and subsequent four-year Union occupation including formation of a “contraband” community of over 3,000 residents, the Freedmen’s Colony on Roanoke Island
Civil War 150th commemorative photo exhibit touring the state through May 2013 – for monthly schedules, go to http://news.ncdcr.gov/2011/03/14/civil-war-150-photo-exhibit-freedom-sacrifice-memory/
Posted March 13, 2012. Call ahead to verify. www.ncculture.com, www.nccivilwar150.com