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families

Plan Your Visit

Helpful Guidelines For Family Tours

In order to make the visit to Tryon Palace an interesting and pleasant experience, we ask that you observe these guidelines.

All tours begin with an informative orientation video. Tours are guided by costumed interpreters. Large groups are always split into smaller groups of 25 people or less.

The furnishings of Tryon Palace and the other historic sites are several hundred years old and must be treated with great care. We ask that they not be touched by students or adults.

Photography is permitted in the gardens and in the Pepsi Family Center, but not inside galleries and historic homes.

Thank you for not smoking inside the homes.

Food, beverages and gum are not allowed inside the galleries and historic homes.

Please turn off your cell phone and History Navigator devices when touring inside the buildings.

Please stand on the visitor side of the stanchions.

Only pencils may be used for note taking during programs.

It is recommended that visitors wear soft-soled shoes and comfortable clothes appropriate for weather conditions.

Strollers may be parked in the covered walkways by the Governor’s Palace, at the front entrance of buildings, or in the North Carolina History Center.

Wheelchairs are available in the North Carolina History Center. The following first-floor areas are accessible: Governor’s Palace, Kitchen Office, Stable Office, Blacksmith Shop, and the Museum Store at the North Carolina History Center. The gardens are accessible to all visitors, but surfaces may be uneven.

Please call ahead to arrange special tours for the hearing- or visually-impaired.

Restrooms with changing tables are located in the North Carolina History Center, the Waystation, and next to the Stable Office.

Beverage vending machines are adjacent to the restrooms near the Stable Office.

Tryon Palace offers many free events throughout the year so be sure to check the calendar frequently. Tryon Palace also offers discounts for senior adults (62+), military families, AAA members, college students and group tours.


Scheduled Tour Hours

Monday through Saturday
Tryon Palace Visitor Center located in the North Carolina History Center (ticket sales and information) 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Daily tours of the Palace begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4:00 p.m.). Galleries and tour buildings are open until 5:00 p.m.

Sunday
Tryon Palace Visitor Center located in the North Carolina History Center (ticket sales and information) 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Daily tours of the Palace begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4:00 p.m.). Galleries and tour buildings are open until 5:00 p.m.

We are closed Thanksgiving Day, December 24, 25, 26, and January 1.


The Day of Your Visit

Most tours involve walking and being outside; please dress appropriately. This includes soft-soled, comfortable shoes and clothing appropriate for changing weather conditions.


Tour Rates

Military Tickets
The discounted rate is extended to all active duty military and their family members. Large families pay for two children only - the others are free.

Complimentary Tickets

Caretaker
The person or persons accompanying their client (the visitor), in group tours (from special homes, hospitals, etc.).

Preschooler
Any child not in school and under five.

Family
In family groups, the first two children are charged the student rate; any additional children are not charged.

(Rates and hours are subject to change; please call to verify.)


Tour Options

Two Day Pass

RECOMMENDED FOR: All ages
TIME INVOLVED: 1-2 Days
SCHEDULE: Available year-round
ADMISSION FEE: $10 per student; $20 per adult

Explore more than 300 years of local history with the Two Day Pass! Step into the past by touring Tryon Palace’s historic and reconstructed buildings. Interact with costumed interpreters as they bring early American history to life. Then get a 21st-century experience with the North Carolina History Center’s state-of-the-art exhibits and galleries. This comprehensive ticket allows you to explore all that Tryon Palace has to offer and fully explore the rich history of New Bern and eastern North Carolina. And with our History Navigator, you can experience Tryon Palace in a whole new way. Come face-to-face with the past from the viewpoint of historic citizens - African-Americans, women, children, and town leaders - or get an all-access pass to Tryon Palace’s inner workings from professionals such as a curator, gardener, or architectural historian.

One Day Pass

RECOMMENDED FOR: All ages
TIME INVOLVED: 6-8 hours
SCHEDULE: Available year-round
ADMISSION FEE: $6 per student; $15 per adult

The Explore more than 300 years of local history with the One Day Pass! Step into the past by touring Tryon Palace’s historic and reconstructed buildings. Interact with costumed interpreters as they bring early American history to life. Then get a 21st-century experience with the North Carolina History Center’s state-of-the-art exhibits and galleries. This comprehensive ticket allows you to explore all that Tryon Palace has to offer and fully explore the rich history of New Bern and eastern North Carolina.

Galleries Pass

RECOMMENDED FOR: All ages
TIME INVOLVED: 2-4 hours
SCHEDULE: Available year-round
ADMISSION FEE: $4 per student; $12 per adult

For those groups who want to experience the atmosphere of Tryon Palace but not go on a guided tour, the Galleries tour is an ideal option. You begin your visit in the new North Carolina History Center, a 60,000-square-foot museum beautifully sited on the Trent River. Discover the history of coastal North Carolina in the Regional History Museum. In the Pepsi Family Center, step back into 1835 and explore an interactive virtual village. Visit the Duffy Gallery to see our latest exhibits. And explore our sixteen acres of magnificent colonial revival gardens.

Gardens Pass

RECOMMENDED FOR: All ages
TIME INVOLVED: 2 hours
SCHEDULE: Available year-round
ADMISSION FEE: $3 per student; $6 per adult

For those visitors who want to experience the atmosphere of Tryon Palace gardens but not go on a guided tour, this pass is an ideal option. Explore our sixteen acres of magnificent colonial revival gardens. It’s the best of both the past and the present!

All About Tea Tour - Adults

TIME INVOLVED: Approximately 3 hours
SCHEDULE: January-November
ADMISSION FEE: $25 per person

Explore the history of tea drinking and etiquette in a behind-the-scenes tour of Tryon Palace. Discover the origin of tea, when it was introduced to the western world, and its changing role in society. Become familiar with the evolving style of tea in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Learn how tea played a role in politics and how we arrived at the southern tradition of drinking iced tea. Enjoy a light 21st-century tea at the end of your tour. Group tour must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance.

African American Downtown Walking Tour

RECOMMENDED GRADE LEVELS: All ages
TIME INVOLVED: Approximately 1˝ hours
SCHEDULE: March-June, September-November
ADMISSION FEE: $3 per student; $6 per adult

New Bern has a long and rich African American history. On this walking tour of the downtown area, you will view houses of prominent individuals and sites significant in the city’s African American heritage. This program is also available as a PowerPoint presentation by request and in case of inclement weather. Group tours must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance.

Architectural Downtown Walking Tour

RECOMMENDED GRADE LEVELS: All ages
TIME INVOLVED: Approximately 1˝ hours
GROUP SIZE LIMIT: 50
SCHEDULE: March-June, September-November
ADMISSION FEE: $3 per student; $6 per adult

New Bern is a historical treasure with more than 150 buildings listed as contributing to the National Register Historic District. A stroll through some of its historic neighborhoods reveals a virtual cornucopia of American architectural styles dating back to the 1700s. This guided walking tour examines external architectural details of Victorian, Italianate, Federal and Georgian homes built from the late 18th through early 20th century. Group tours must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance.

Tryon Palace Theater

RECOMMENDED GRADE LEVELS: All ages
TIME INVOLVED: Approximately 30 minutes
GROUP SIZE LIMIT: 50
SCHEDULE: January-November
ADMISSION FEE: $3 per student; $6 per adult

Come join us and experience the dramatic side of history! Tryon Palace offers a number of theatrical programs that offer a unique way for your group to experience history. Whether you’re looking for a puppet show or to debate the issues of the American Revolution, Tryon Palace Theater brings the people and stories of the past to life. Show availability can vary; please call to inquire about current offerings. Group programs must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance.

Candlelight Holiday Tours

RECOMMENDED GRADE LEVELS: All ages
TIME INVOLVED: Approximately 2˝ to 4 hours
GROUP SIZE LIMIT: 50
SCHEDULE: Second and third Saturdays in December
ADMISSION FEE: $10 for students; $20 for adults

Tickets will be sold for specific times to tour the Palace and Kitchen; all other venues and events are toured at your leisure.

Let us welcome you home for the holidays, as you step back in time to the 18th century for an unforgettable evening in New Bern. The Palace is illuminated and filled with elegant dancers and fascinating characters. Circus performers astound with daring feats of balance, juggling and death-defying feats. Performances by the Fife & Drum Corps and Jonkonnu bring the sights and sounds of the past alive. The grand finale of the evening is a spectacular fireworks show on the South Lawn.

Provisions for Visitors with Special Needs

We welcome all visitors to Tryon Palace, and we like to emphasize what can be done by visitors with disabilities rather than what cannot be done. Prior notice by special needs visitors will assist our staff in providing an enjoyable tour experience. The following specific information may be helpful in planning a tour for visitors with special needs. We hope that with this information, those planning tours for visitors with disabilities or limited mobility can make more informed decisions about tour options.

Every effort is made to accommodate our visitors with special needs. However, because of the historic period and age of many of our tour buildings, some areas may be inaccessible to visitors with physical disabilities. For best arrangements, please phone in advance for any special needs.

The North Carolina History Center is completely accessible to all visitors with disabilities. Restrooms have a clear pathway to stalls with grab bars available and complete “turn-around” space. Mirrors, water fountains and other fixtures are mounted at appropriate heights for visitors who use wheelchairs.

We have added a ramp outside Tryon Palace to enable a visitor who uses a wheelchair to access the first floor with ease. For visitors who cannot or choose not to tour the second floor of Tryon Palace, there is a photo album available with photographs of the second-floor rooms.

First floors of other historic sites are accessible to visitors in wheelchairs; however, some steps must to be negotiated with an assistant:

Kitchen and Stable Offices	1 step
Stanly House	4 steps
Dixon House	5 steps
Hay House	8 steps

From the start, our gardens have been designed to be accessible for all visitors. To avoid stairs when entering the Kitchen Garden, follow the path around the wood shed. Access to the parterre (main) level of the Latham Garden is via the Hawks Allée from the Wilderness Walk. Walkways may be uneven due to the nature of the material used to reconstruct period gardens.

We will make every effort to accommodate hearing- or visually-impaired visitors and others with special needs with advance notice. We have a “hands-on” policy for persons with visual impairments. A sign language interpreter is available for hearing-impaired visitors with advance notice.

There are designated “handicapped” parking slots in both the History Center visitor parking area and the Visitor Parking Lot on Eden Street.

Reduced rates are offered to special needs visitors and their assistants to compensate for areas which may not be accessible.


Emergency Contact Information

We hope that your visit will be trouble-free. However, if you should need help, here are some sources. New Bern and Craven County support the 9-1-1 emergency response system.

Carolina East Medical Center
2000 Neuse Blvd.
New Bern NC 28562
252-633-8111 - Main Number
9-1-1 for emergencies

Tryon Palace
PO Box 1007
610 Pollock Street
New Bern NC 28563
800-767-1560
252-639-3500
252-514-4876 fax


Take Home A Memory From the Tryon Palace Museum Store

Our Museum Store offer a variety of items for sale.

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