We offer a variety of tours to fit the unique interests and needs of your group. Find our tour options listed below, and see our pre-visit materials page for lessons, activities, and other information that will help your students prepare for their visit.
Free Tours
Self-Guided Tour
- All age groups, one hour, maximum 35 people, led by teacher or other adult.
- Offered year-round.
Tour the long-term exhibits The Story of North Carolina, Tar Heel Junior Historian Association Discovery Gallery, and North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, plus additional temporary exhibits. Groups will explore the museum at their own pace and learn more about certain artifacts or specific sections of the exhibits with the aid of interactive gallery carts staffed by volunteers.
The Self-Guided Tour meets the following NC Essential Standards:
Grades 4 and 8 Social Studies: 4.H.1.4, 4.H.2.1, 4.H.2.2, 4.G.1.1, 4.G.1.4, 4.C.1.1; 8.H.3.2, 8.H.1.3
Guided Tour
Visit a specific permanent or temporary exhibit based on the interests of your group. This tour provides an overview of the people and events shaping North Carolina history. For more information please contact at Percia.Swift@ncdcr.gov or 919-814-7044.
African American History Highlights Guided Tour
- Grades 6–12 and adults, one hour, maximum 35 people, docent led.
- Offered September–February and June upon request.
Visit several exhibits on this tour to discover the contributions of African Americans to North Carolina history.
The African American History Guided Highlights Tour meets the following NC Essential Standards:
Grades 6–8 Social Studies: 6.H.1.3, 6.H.2.3, 6.G.1.2, 6.E.1.1, 6.E.1.1, 7.H.2.1, 7.C.1.1, 8.C.2.3, 8.C.1.1, 8.C.1.2, 8.C.1.3, 8.G.2.3
Fee-Based Tours
Discovery Tours require a fee of $30 per class, plus state and local taxes. A confirmation and invoice will be emailed to you within five days of scheduling your tour. Mail or deliver your check, money order, or purchase order, payable to NCMOH Education Programs, to Discovery Tours, North Carolina Museum of History, 5 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1011.
Payment must be received at least one week before the Discovery Tour, or the tour may be canceled. The museum will grant refunds only when a cancellation is received at least two weeks before the tour. For more information, please contact Percia Swift at 919-814-7044 or to book a tour, please contact the Capital Area Visitor Services by completing an online registration form.
American Indian Discovery Tour
- Grades K–3, one hour, maximum 35 students, docent led.
- Offered September–January and June–August on weekdays.
- Fee: $30 per class, plus state and local taxes.
How did North Carolina’s first people look, dress, or cook, and how do we know these things? Touch, see, and even smell reproduction artifacts. See the American Indian community as it existed centuries ago, and learn about its contributions to today’s communities.
The American Indian Discovery Tour meets the following NC Essential Standards:
Grades K–3 Social Studies: K.H.1.3, K.G.1.2, K.G.2.2, K.E.1.1, K.C.1.1; 1.H.1.2, 1.G.2.2; 2.G.2.1, 2.C.2.1; 3.H.2.1, 3.H.2.2
American Indian Discovery Tour
Civil Rights Discovery Tour
- Grades 3–8, one hour, maximum 35 students, docent led.
- Offered February–May on weekdays.
- Fee: $30 per class plus state and local taxes.
What was the Civil Rights movement and what caused it? Learn about North Carolina’s connection to this social movement by exploring objects from the period. Each object tells a story about this fight for equal rights.
The Civil Rights Discovery Tour meets the following NC Essential Standards:
Grades 3–8 Social Studies: 3.H.1.1.; 3.H.1.2; 3.H.2.1; 3.C&G.2.1; 4.H.1.3; 4.C&G.2.2; 5.H.2.2; 5.C&G.2.3; 5.C&G.2.4; 6.C&G.1.4; 6.C.1.1; 7.H.2.1; 7.C&G.1.3; 8.H.2.1; 8.H.2.2; 8.H.3.3; 8.C&G.1.4; 8.C&G.2.1; 8.C&G.2.2; 8.C&G.2.3