Spend the afternoon exploring three free state museums of art, history and natural sciences. Stroll along the tree-lined streets of a Victorian-era neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Shop for some of the tastiest, most color fruits and vegetables around at the State Farmers Market. Or take the kids on a panning-for-gems adventure.

ATTRACTIONS

African American Cultural Complex
A unique collection of items created by African Americans who have contributed to the development and improvement of North Carolina and America. Innovations in science, business, politics, medicine, sports and the arts are included in the exhibit. An outdoor "Amistad" drama is performed annually. Replica of slave ship "Amistad" is planned.

Contemporary Art Museum
The Triangle's only museum solely dedicated to presenting the art of our time. Currently working to renovate its new home in downtown Raleigh, the Contemporary Art Museum is a "museum without walls." In the meantime, the museum continues to organize exhibitions and educational programs and classes.

Exploris
The world's first global learning center opened its doors in October 1999. Features interactive exhibits and programs for all ages focusing on global trade, telecommunications, changing cultures and the global environment. Gift shop and daily performances.

North Carolina Museum of Art
Paintings and sculpture representing more than 5,000 years of artistic heritage from ancient Egypt to the present. Several changing exhibitions each year. Lectures, workshops, films, family festivals and performing arts events offered in landmark Museum Park.

North Carolina Museum of History
The museum tells the state's history through innovative, long-term exhibits, including chronological history, folklife, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, Health and Healiing Experiences in North Carolina, and a variety of temporary exhibits.Gift shop, auditorium and parking deck on premises.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
The museum opened its new building on April 7, with four floors of exhibits, live animals and hands-on programs. Highlights include a two-story waterfall, the world's only Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur and an Arthopod Zoo crawling with critters from butterflies to tarantulas.

North Carolina Railroad Museum
This museum is maintained by volunteers and is open for self-guided tours. On the first Sunday of each month (May through December), visitors may take an eight-mile, round-trip train ride in open cars and cabooses.

North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
Located in the North Carolina Museum of History, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame exhibits personal items donated by the more than 200 inductees. Learn about these sports heroes and the impact of sports in the state.

Raleigh City Museum
Featuring exhibits that change periodically and focus on the history of the city, the museum is housed in the historic Briggs Building, built in 1874 as a hardware store. The building retains many of its original features, including a tin ceiling in the museum gallery. A gift shop carries unique items associated with Raleigh's history.

Wake Forest College Birthplace Society Museum
A house museum dedicated to the history of Wake Forest College and the town of Wake Forest. The circa-1820 structure served as the home of the first president of the college and the location of the school's classrooms.The well-preserved collection of artifacts includes objects of interest relevant to the beginnings of campus, the town of Wake Forest, medical and law schools, athletics and student life through 1956.

Haywood Hall House and Gardens
John Haywood, the state's first elected treasurer, built this Federal-style frame house in 1799. His descendants occupied it until 1977. This is the oldest residence built within the original city limits still on its original site with family furnishings.

Historic Oak View County Park
This antebellum farmstead features an 1855 Greek Revival house, detached plank kitchen, cotton gin house museum and two outbuildings. Included are the pecan grove, 1870s gazebo, and a Farm History Center.

Historic Oakwood
A Victorian neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with restored homes built between 1870 and 1912. This 20-block area may be enjoyed by driving or walking. Self-guided walking tour brochures available at the Capital Area Visitor Center. Admission is free. Bordered by Oakwood, Brookside, Watauga, Monroe, Madison and State Streets, (919) 834-0887.

Joel Lane Museum House
Built in the 1760s, this landmark is Raleigh's oldest dwelling. During the 18th century, it was the site of numerous historic events. Informative guided tours of the fully restored and authentically furnished house, period gardens and dependencies are provided by costumed docents.

Mordecai Historic Park/President Andrew Johnson's Birthplace
Featuring an antebellum plantation house museum, kitchen and other historic structures grouped together along a "village street," providing a unique glimpse into 19th-century Raleigh life. U.S. President Andrew Johnson's birthplace also is preserved here.

North Carolina Executive Mansion
This fine Victorian-style mansion, home to N.C. governors since 1891, once was described by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as having "the most beautiful governor's residence interior in America." Built from native North Carolina materials, it has been occupied by 25 governors' families.

North Carolina State Archives
The State Archives preserves original and microfilm records of the colony and state of North Carolina from 1663 to the present. This includes state agency and county records, private manuscript collections, maps, photographs and other documentary evidence available for research.

North Carolina State Capitol
Built between 1833 and 1840, this National Historic Landmark is one of the best-preserved examples of a civic building in Greek Revival-style architecture. It originally housed the governor's office, cabinet offices, legislative chambers, state library and state geologist's office.

North Carolina State Legislative Building
Home of the North Carolina General Assembly, the building is unique because it is devoted solely to the legislative branch of state government. Throughout the building, provisions are made for easy public access and observation of the legislative process.

Oakwood Cemetery
Adjacent to Historic Oakwood, Oakwood Cemetery is the resting place of 2,800 Confederate soldiers, five Civil War generals, seven governors and numerous U.S. Senators. Established in 1869, it is an excellent example of Victorian landscaping and mortuary art. Free maps of the cemetery area available at the cemetery office.

Page-Walker Arts and History Center
A circa-1868 hotel built to service the passengers on the Chatham & Seaboard Railroad, Page-Walker now serves as a cultural center for the Town of Cary. Open to the public for tours, classes, and cultural and historical performances.

Saint Augustine's College Chapel
Built in 1895, the chapel is home to the bishop's chair, a memorial to the Right Reverend Henry Beard Delaney. Delany was the first black bishop elected to the Episcopal Church and the first bishop to graduate from St. Augustine's.

St. Mary's School
Founded in 1842, Saint Mary's is a college preparatory boarding and day school for women. The 25-acre campus in the heart of Raleigh is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and four of the school's 25 buildings are Raleigh historic sites. St. Mary's Chapel, a striking neo-gothic structure which dates back to 1856, also is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Spring Hill House
Spring Hill is located on the site of a large plantation house once owned by Colonel Theophilus Hunter, Jr. The land is now the site of Dorothea Dix Hospital for mental illness, and the house contains memorabilia from the hospital.