Helpful Guidelines Schedule of Tours Tour Rates Visitors with Special Needs Take Home a Memory

Helpful Guidelines for Individuals

In order to make the visit to Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens an interesting and pleasant experience, we ask that you observe these guidelines:

All tours begin with an informative 20-minute audio-visual orientation program. Tours are guided by costumed interpreters. Large groups are always split into smaller groups of no more than twelve.

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.

Food, drinks, and gum are not allowed in the exhibition buildings. Gum should be removed before entering the Visitor Center area.

Visitors may take photos of the gardens and building exteriors; however photography is not allowed in the exhibition buildings.

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

For your convenience restrooms are located in the Visitor Center and on the grounds; drink and snack machines are located on the grounds. Please ask the Visitor Center staff for directions.

Scheduled Tour Hours

Monday through Saturday
Tryon Palace Visitor Center (ticket sales and information) - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Daily tours begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4:00 p.m.)
Garden tours – 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Sunday
Tryon Palace Visitor Center (ticket sales and information) - 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Daily tours begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4:00 p.m.)
Garden tours – 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Academy is closed and opens only for special tours.

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

In addition, a number of special events are scheduled throughout the year. For more information contact the Group Sales Coordinator, Karen Pierson, at kpierson@tryonpalace.org, 252-514-4935 or 1-800-767-1560.

Tour Rates

Rates and dates of future events are subject to change. Blooming dates of flowers can change as a result of unforeseen circumstances. For verification before you travel, phone Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens at 252-514-4900 or 800-767-1560, email to kpierson@tryonpalace.org, or write to P.O. Box 1007, New Bern, NC 28563-1007.

Provisions for Visitors with Special Needs

We welcome all visitors to Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens, 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.

Our Visitor 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. The Visitor Center Auditorium where the orientation film is shown is easily accessible and has plenty of room 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:

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.

Two parallel parking spaces on George Street in front of the Visitor Center are designated as "handicapped." There are also designated parking slots in the visitor parking area on Eden Street.

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

Taking Home A Memory From the Tryon Palace Museum Shop

Our Museum Shop offer a variety of items for sale.