What Are The Biggest Attractions In NC?

Considering the locations list below and using the READ MORE link, tell us which of these locations is your favorite, which you think gets the most visitors per month, and why. You can also use this section to suggest or recommend the addition of other places.

This memorial sees over 500,000 visitors a year making it one of the most visited places on the Outer Banks and easily one of the biggest attractions under the Outer Banks ecosystem. This place memorializes the contributions of the wright brothers and their foundations to make our great state first in flight.

This memorial is open every day except Christmas and provides a great historical experience amidst the backdrop of the beautiful Eastern NC beaches and endless waterways travelers and vacationers expect to see. As a past visitor, what accommodations are on the grounds of this Outer Banks exhibit? What historical relevance does this location offer to families interested in history of the state and foundations of flight?

This village is one of the most visited places and well known attractions in Rutherford County, with the focal point of this village being the scenic overlook above the village offering intense views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. As a visitor to this large attraction in Western NC, expect to find a small town feel, hiking trails, caverns and caves to explore, and rich folk music.

As a past traveler to this location, what is unique and interesting about this overlook and village? Why should someone choose Chimney Rock for a family vacation or to visit for the day? As with any location in the mountains of the western part of the state, consider visiting in the middle of October when the leaves are changing colors.

This forest has to make our list of most visited places in the state, along with one of the biggest attractions in NC. While not on the scale of the Outer Banks in the eastern region of the state, or the enormity of the Blue Ridge Parkway in October when the leaves are changing, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers seemingly endless miles of deep wilderness, hidden caves, majestic waterfalls, wildlife and nature including black bears and elk, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, scenic overlooks high above valleys, and a lot more.

This forest is actually the northernmost of 3 national forest which together make up over 5,300 square miles of wilderness. This location is an easily drive from Knoxville, TN, Asheville, NC, and Greenville, SC making it a favorite location for travelers and vacationers.

While this location won’t make our top most visited attraction in the state, it still gets thousands of daily visitors. Sliding rock is a natural waterfall where the water slides down a rock formation and over the decades the rock surface became smooth. At the bottom is a natural pool of frigid and icy cold water. So naturally, this location allows children and adults to slide down the rock into the water in the summer months of Western NC.

Trust me, it’s a lot of fun. I can remember going to this location as a child. What other information can you tell us about this location and others within the Pisgah National Forest?

This battleship is located in Wilmington NC within New Hanover county and is a big attraction for the area catering to visitors who come to visit the beaches. The USS North Carolina offers official tours and self-guided tours and is a reminder of the contribution our state gives to the armed forces.

This tourism destination is open year-around every day of the year, including all holidays, and is kid friendly. All areas of the ship are open to the public.

This location offers 11,786 acres of wilderness, caves, waterfalls, bountiful wildlife, and scenic views sure to impress anyone who sees this area. Located along the Linville River, this naturally formed gorge is a massive state park known for it’s rock formations, hiking trails, fishing, and numerous scenic overlooks which vacationers can use to view this impressive location.

If your family really wants to make this a special adventure, visit when the fall leaves are changing colors. While you are visiting this large attraction, be sure to check out Linville Falls and Linville Caverns on U.S. Route 221.

This destination is a perennial favorite for tourist and vacationers, and offers a 5,946 foot overlook of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This area is widely known for it’s mile high swinging bridge built in the 1950s.

In 2008, the State of NC purchased 2,600 acres and developed a state park on the land. Grandfather Mountain is just one of many which offers visitors breathtaking views of the various ranges which make up the Appalachian Mountains. What information can your family tell us about this destination?

This arboretum offers visitors educational opportunities, hiking and bicycling trails, a bonsai collection, a holly garden, and a stream garden for your enjoyment. This collection of botanical gardens is a part of the UNC system and was established in 1986 by the N.C. General Assembly.

If your family is looking for a peaceful place to enjoy beautiful plants and flowers, then we think you will enjoy this arboretum located in mountains of Western NC. What makes this attraction unique and interesting?

The 3 NC aquariums along the Eastern region beaches see tens of thousands of daily visitors in the busy Spring, Summer, and Fall tourism season. All three offer collections of marine mammals, fish, jellyfish, and other marine creatures which make our area their natural habitats.

Additionally, each aquarium offers daily educational programs, exhibits, static displays, shark tanks, and displays of their vulnerable and protected sea turtles programs. Any of the aquariums in the state will be a big deal for children.

When considering the biggest attraction in NC, and thinking about children, this is a good bet. With over 2,600 wooded acres, and being the world’s largest natural habitat zoo, your family can expect the best in what this destination has to offer.

Additionally, the Asheboro zoo offers many nature-based camps and exhibits for kids of all ages. For me, the neatest thing about this zoo is it’s focus on conservation and natural habitats for animals instead of the presentation you find at other zoo facilities.

This is a historic museum and major tourism attraction for the Western NC region of the state. This destination offers visitors tours of the 178,926 square feet mansion, gardens on the complex, and is a great representation of how Gilded Aged mansions looked during that period.

But, did you know that the Biltmore Estate is privately owned today by the descendants of George Washington Vanderbilt II? To make this a great experience, plan to visit during early October when the fall leaves are starting to change colors.

This is the biggest racetrack in the state hosting a 1.5 mile track and is home to the Coca-Cola 600 which takes place each Memorial Day.

Additionally, it features the NASCAR All-Star Race, and the Bank of America Roval 400. As a visitor to NC, and if you or your family loves car racing, this speedway is a good bet.

This attraction sees over 1 million visitors a year, is the oldest established museum in the State of NC, and is the largest of all museums in the Southeastern United States.

While being centered on the natural sciences, this museum seeks to inform visitors on what do we know?, how do we know?, what’s happening now?, how can you participate? for all ecosystems on Planet Earth. This is a great experience for the entire family when you are visting the Central NC Piedmont region of the state.

The Outer Banks of NC coastal region in the eastern portion of the state is a global destination for people who travel to this area to visit the secluded and remote beaches, to see the still functional lighthouses, diving, for the inshore and offshore fishing, for the the majestic sand dunes, and to experience the old fashioned feel of this coastline.

It’s hard to say how many people visit this coastal area, but with over 1500 square miles of area including beaches, waterways, wilflife refuges, marshlands, small towns, world-class fishing and diving, beautiful lighthouses, and plentiful shipwrecks to dive, we surmise this area is very well-traveled.

Some cities to consider when visiting this attraction includes Cape Hatteras, Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Roanoke Island.

Do you think this destination sees the same number, or larger crowds than the Blue Ridge Parkway during the October changing of the leaves?

If the thought of driving along a winding mountainous road deep in the wilderness and looking out over valleys of purple, red, yellow, orange, and gold covered trees, then driving the Blue Ridge Parkway in the middle of October is something you should consider when traveling to Western NC.

If I had to guess, driving this parkway in October is likely the single biggest attraction in the western part of the state, if not the entire state. This destination is likely on the same scale as the number of people who visit the Outer Banks beaches in the summer months.

People literally travel to America from other countries to see the Great Smoky Mountains this time of the year. Ready to try it? We recommend catching the Blue Ridge Parkway starting in Asheville NC near I-40 and just driving for hours or days and take in the scenic beauty.

You agree with our statement on this being the largest attraction in the state?

The NC Seafood Festival takes place annually every October and is located in Morehead City NC.

This festival is the 3rd biggest in the state attracting tens of thousands over the 3 day event. Additionally, this festival is a celebration of the NC seafood industry and the accomplishments of commercial fishing to the state economy.

Expect to see music concerts, kids rides, seafood tastings, commercial fishing exhibits, carnival rides, and meeting local businesses in the community who thrive on tourism.

What information can you provide on this festival?

Filed: Eastern NC