Because of seasonal hours, please call or check individual websites before visiting.

African American Heritage Trail

African American Heritage Trail

 A driving tour of Pender County African American Heritage.

The Pender County African American Heritage Trail features locations throughout Pender County that are important to our culture and history. Historians and community members are coming together to bring to life the stories, histories, and events of the Black community from the time of the Revolutionary War to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. The trail features locations, events, and people that had a great impact on the development of Pender County and in some cases the United States of America. This will be a forever-evolving project that will educate our community and visitors on the important but almost forgotten history of generations of Pender County African American residents and their ancestors.

 
The African American Heritage Trail encompasses all of Pender County and includes highlights such as Canetuck Community Center, a restored Rosenwald school, the community of Edgecombe’s Manhollow Missionary Baptist Church and Sloop Point School, Poplar Grove Plantation, which is part of the Gullah Geechee National Corridor, the Pender County Courthouse, and Moores Creek National Battlefield’s Old Stagecoach Road.

The African American Heritage Trail draws upon family histories, such as the community of Edgecombe, where five families can trace their ancestry to the children of an enslaved couple named Tuney and Janey.

Get Outdoors, History & Culture, Trails, ,

Historical Downtown
Burgaw, NC
Phone: (910) 259-1278
Website: https://www.visitpender.com/Blog/361378/Pender-County-Tourism-launches-African-American-Heritage-Trail
The trail is featured on the app, Pocketsights.com. The link to the trail is 
https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Hampstead-Pender-County-African-American-Heritage-Trail-5823

Burgaw Train Depot

Burgaw Train Depot

Come take a tour of the Burgaw Train Depot. It is believed to be the oldest train depot in the state of North Carolina, dating back to 1850. Recently renovated, the depot contains the Burgaw Area Chamber of Commerce and Railroad Museum.  So take a step back in time enjoy the museum and take a tour. The kids are sure to love the rail car and loading dock. The building is also on the National Register of Historic Places and the Civil War Trail. We have rental space that includes a 2,000 sq ft banquet room that can accommodate up to 250 people, 120 with tables and chairs. There is also a Conference Room, sound and video equipment and kitchen.

Special Occasions, History & Culture, , ,

115 S. Dickerson St.
Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone: (910) 300-6401
Website:
burgawnc.gov/312/Burgaw-Train-Depot
Email: csuggs@burgawnc.gov
Canetuck Community Center

Canetuck Community Center

The Canetuck Community Center, formerly the Canetuck Rosenwald school, was constructed as a two-teacher Rosenwald school in western Pender County, NC.  It opened in 1922 and was purchased back by the community after the school’s closure in 1958.  In 2009 there was a complete exterior restoration of the building, ensuring that this important building can be used for years to come making it one of the oldest standing Rosenwald Schools left standing in the state.  The Center can also be used for private events.  Donations and written inquires may be made to Canetuck Community Center, P.O. Box 274, Currie NC 28435

History & Culture, Special Occasions, , ,

6098 Canetuck Rd.
Currie, NC 28435
Phone: (910) 259-1278
Website: stackstories.com/preservation-work
Email:
Civil War Trails

Civil War Trails

The NC Civil War Trail is a segment of the United States Civil War Trail. The trails spotlights historical Burgaw and the oldest standing train depot in the state.  There are also other sites throughout Pender County.

Get Outdoors, History & Culture, Trails, ,

Historical Downtown
Burgaw, NC
Phone: (757) 378-5462
Website: www.civilwartrails.org
www.facebook.com/civilwartrails
Historic Downtown Burgaw

Historic Downtown Burgaw

Tree-lined streets of historic downtown Burgaw boast an eclectic variety of 18th and 19th-century architecture that represent a vanishing example of a bygone era. In addition, the historic district is the home of the NC Blueberry Festival and the recently renovated oldest depot in the state, dating back prior to the Civil War. Though Burgaw has gone through many changes, one thing that hasn't changed is the small-town charm and rich historic character. Get your walking shoes ready and stroll through our shady streets. See for yourself what makes Burgaw A Charming Town Year Round.

History & Culture, , , ,

106 E Wilmington St.
Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone: (910) 259-1278
Website:
Email: info@visitpender.com
Missiles & More Museum

Missiles & More Museum

The Missiles and More Museum opens in April and showcases their Women Airforce Service Pilot exhibit that traces the history of this elite group of women and pays tribute to their service and valor during WWII. Other exhibits at the Museum include Pirates of the Carolinas, NASA Operation Bumblebee, Camp Davis, The communities of Topsail Island, Topsail's Natural Beauty and Fragility, Traces of Native Americans on the Island and an International Shell Exhibit.

History & Culture, Beach, Attractions, ,

720 Channel Blvd.
Topsail Beach, NC 28445
Phone: (910) 328-8663
Website: www.missilesandmoremuseum.org
www.facebook.com/topsailhistoricalsociety
Email: info@topsailhistoricalsociety.org
Moores Creek National Battlefield

Moores Creek National Battlefield

Site of one of the first battles in the South of the Revolutionary War and the first patriot victory of the war. Throughout the park, remnants remain of the 1776 road traveled by patriot and loyalist forces. A .7-mile trail with wayside exhibits leads through the battlefield and across Moores Creek. The historic bridge site is located along the trail. The park offers a visitor center with exhibits, lighted troop movement maps and film, a .3 mile colonial forest trail, and a picnic area. Point of interest on the MST Trail Seg. 14 found at mountainstoseatrail.org/segment/14/

Attractions, History & Culture, Trails, ,

40 Patriots Hall Dr.
Currie, NC 28435
Phone: (910) 283-5591
Website: www.nps.gov/mocr
www.facebook.com/moorescreeknps
Email: Matthew_Woods@nps.gov
Pender Arts Council

Pender Arts Council

ArtBeat, Burgaw's Community Center for the Arts, offers programming to the community with art classes, workshops, and events!  Times and prices of classes vary so be sure to call us or check out our website to find out more information about what you can participate in!

History & Culture, Children's Activities, Arts, ,

108 E. Wilmington St.
Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone: (910) 259-9510
Website: facebook.com/penderartscouncil
Email: penderartscouncil@gmail.com
Pender County Blueberry Trail

Pender County Blueberry Trail

Pender County Tourism announces a Blueberry Trail created to lead you to fresh blueberries, blueberry fields, downtown shops, eateries, history, and more. July is National Blueberry Month and Pender County is home to many blueberry farms, making us one of the largest growing locations for blueberry producers.

Pender County Tourism created a new trail that highlights fresh blueberries, points of interest to Pender County's blueberry culture, and places to shop for fantastic Blueberry merchandise, and homemade favorites. Pender County is home to everything blueberry, Annually, during the blueberry season, typically from May to July, Pender County produces millions of berries that are sold to businesses, residents, and visitors by the pints, pounds, or flats. 

Pender County and the Town of Burgaw are home to the North Carolina Blueberry Festival, founded in 2003 and held annually the third weekend in June. The festival is a premier event for Pender County and the Town of Burgaw, attracting more than 50,000 visitors. In addition to celebrating our Blueberry Heritage, the festival hosts the Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast each February, there is the NC Blueberry Scholarship Pageant, and the Annual New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop. Special thanks to all Town of Burgaw downtown merchants, The North Carolina Blueberry Festival, Pender County Public Library, and the Pender Historical Society for helping put this together. 

Visit https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Burgaw-Blueberry-Trail-4289 or download the PocketSights app for details on the Blueberry Trail Blueberry Treasures you can find!

 

Get Outdoors, History & Culture, Trails, ,

Historical Downtown
Burgaw, NC
Phone: (910) 259-1278
Website: www.visitpender.com
https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Burgaw-Blueberry-Trail-4289
Pender County Courthouse

Pender County Courthouse

The courthouse is one of the most attractive historical buildings in Burgaw. Built on November 6, 1936, this three-story structure was designed with several unique features by William Henley Dietrick. The brick-veneered H-shaped structure holds a mixture of Georgian Revival and Colonial Revival architecture features. The building is historically known for its architecture and engineering design. The courthouse was renovated in 1989 by Wilmington Architect, John Sawyer. Take a scroll under the 100-year-old oak trees on the courthouse square and notice the distinctive architectural features of the unique building.

History & Culture, , , ,

100 S. Wright St.
Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone: (910) 259-1278
Website: www.pendercountync.gov/2021/08/the-history-of-the-pender-county-courthouse
Email: Info@visitpender.com
Pender County Museum

Pender County Museum

Preserving the history of Pender through documents, artifacts, photos, and a genealogy collection.'The house contains the Mattie Bloodworth Room, a collection of WWII Veterans remembrances, several family bibles, civil war information, clothes from the 19th century, old medical equipment and many other artifacts from years gone by. The barn contains a blacksmith shop and a collection of agriculture equipment and items relating to Pender's past as a hub of naval stores, timber and Blueberry industries.

History & Culture, , , ,

200 W. Bridgers St.
Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone: (910) 259-8543
Website: pendercountymuseum.webs.com
Email: penderhist@hotmail.com
Penderlea Homestead Museum

Penderlea Homestead Museum

The Penderlea Homestead Museum is housed in one of the first homesteads built-in 1936 by the Department of the Interior on Penderlea Homestead Farms, a resettlement community in Pender County developed under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Museum sponsored efforts resulted in the listing of Penderlea Homestead Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places 9-27-13. This is a large rural historic district of farms, dwellings, and a school on approximately 4,250 acres.

, , History & Culture, ,

284 Garden Rd.
Willard, NC 28478
Phone: (910) 604-1616
Website: penderleahomesteadmuseum.org
facebook.com/Penderlea-Homestead-Museum
Email: info@penderleahomesteadmuseum.org
Poplar Grove Plantation

Poplar Grove Plantation

With Southern Charm, Poplar Grove Plantation was once the largest peanut plantation in NC.  It offers tours of the Manor House museum as well as the grounds and outbuildings.  Being over 100 years old, Poplar Grove features thousands of artifacts and several exhibits on life in the 1800's including Agriculture, Civil Rights, the Gullah Geechee Culture, the Foy Family tree and more.  In addition to day tours, they also offer nightly Paranormal investigation tours and they have an animal rescue where visitors can get a hands-on experience with animals that were important to farming and life.  They also provide a beautiful backdrop for weddings and other events.  Poplar Grove also hosts several special events throughout the year.

History & Culture, , , ,

10200 US Hwy 17 N
Wilmington, NC 28411
Phone: (910) 686-9518
Website: www.poplargrove.org
www.facebook.com/poplargrovenews
Email: pgp@poplargrove.org
W. Dallas Herring Carolina Heritage Research Center

W. Dallas Herring Carolina Heritage Research Center

The W. Dallas Herring Carolina Heritage Research Center offers genealogy and local history resources concentrated on eastern North Carolina, particularly Duplin, Pender, and Sampson counties

History & Culture, , , ,

108 S. Cowan St.
Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone: (910) 259-1906
Website:
penderpubliclibrary/CarolinaHeritageResearch
Genealogy Center across from the Pender County Library Main Branch.
Wild Child Art Studio

Wild Child Art Studio

Come explore art at the Wild Child Art Studio. We offer homeschool classes, adult and children’s sessions, workshops, special events, and more. We teach a variety of art styles from clay to watercolors. How about destressing with one of our meditative art classes or explore your abstract side with alcohol inks? Participate in family-friendly events, group classes and private sessions. Whether its teacher workdays, holiday breaks, summer camp we’ve got art fun for all ages. What kind of art speaks to you?

Children's Activities, History & Culture, Arts, ,

16324 US Hwy 17
Hampstead, NC 28443
Phone: (336) 309-3040
Website: www.thewildchildartstudio.com
www.facebook.com/thewildchildartstudio
Email: thewildchildartstudio@gmail.com
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