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Special Events
 programs of interest to children or families
FEBRUARY
History Corner: The Correct Thing
Wednesday, Feb. 1
10–11 a.m.
Ages 6–9 with adult
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Educator Charlotte Hawkins Brown taught not only the basics—reading, writing, and arithmetic—but also polite behavior. Learn how knowing the proper etiquette benefited her students. Presented with Cameron Village Regional Library.
History Hunters: The Whirligig Man
Wednesday, Feb. 1
10–11 a.m.
Ages 10–13
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Learn about Wilson County craftsman Vollis Simpson and the park that is being created to show off his giant whirligigs. Make a small whirligig of your own!
African American History Tour
Saturday, Feb. 4, 11, 18, and 25
1:30–2:30 p.m.
Explore the lives and accomplishments of African American North Carolinians from the antebellum period to the Civil Rights era.
A Rollicking Tale of Blackbeard, Pirate of the Carolina Coast
Saturday, Feb. 4
2–3 p.m.
Presented by Raleigh Little Theatre’s Storytellers to Go!
Avast, matey! Take to the sea with Blackbeard and his crew. With storytelling, songs, puppets, and your help in doing a pirate dance, this will be an adventure to remember! See Special Events section.
Time for Tots: Clay Creations
Tuesday, Feb. 7 or Feb. 14
10–10:45 a.m.
Ages 3–5 with adult
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
People have been making items out of clay for thousands of years. Find out about North Carolina’s pottery traditions and make your own clay creation.
History à la Carte: Operation Dixie
Wednesday, Feb. 8
12:10–1 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.
James Wrenn, Phoenix Historical Society
Nearly 10 years before the Montgomery bus boycott, black workers in eastern North Carolina campaigned for civil rights in tobacco warehouses. Discover how thousands organized and secured union contracts in nearly 30 “leaf houses.”
Music of the Carolinas: Boo Hanks
Sunday, Feb. 12
3–4 p.m.
Drawing from a deep musical well, Hanks showcases his virtuosity in the delicate finger-style guitar of classic Piedmont blues. Presented with PineCone, with support from the N.C. Museum of History Associates, Williams Mullen, and WLHC-FM/WLQC-FM.
Exhibit Opening: Greetings from North Carolina
Friday, Feb. 24
See vintage postcards, souvenirs, and other artifacts highlighting tourism in the Tar Heel State.
MARCH
First Friday Performance: Sojourner Truth and Her Children
Friday, Mar. 2
7–9 p.m.
$5 per person; ages 12 and under free
Purchase tickets in advance below or night of event in Museum Shop.
This new readers’ theater work by local performance group Voices in Concert dramatizes the family life of 19th-century abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth.
Music of the Carolinas: Cotton Mill Colic: Songs of Labor from the North Carolina Piedmont
Sunday, Mar. 4
2–3 p.m.
Historian and musician Gregg Kimball and singers Jackie Frost and Sheryl Warner will perform songs from Piedmont cotton mills. The trio will draw on commercial recordings by millworkers and on accounts of union strike songs.
Time for Tots: Saint Patrick’s Day
Tuesday, Mar. 6 or Mar. 13
10–10:45 a.m.
Ages 3–5 with adult
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Discover the history, foodways, and traditions of Saint Patrick’s Day, a holiday observed by the Irish for 1,000 years. Then make a take-home craft to give you the luck of the Irish!
History Corner: Fantastic Foods
Wednesday, Mar. 7
10–11 a.m.
Ages 6–9
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Explore foods that were invented in the Old North State. Listen to a short story and sample a few sauces, desserts, and snacks! Presented with Cameron Village Regional Library.
History Hunters: Greetings from North Carolina!
Wednesday, Mar. 7
10–11 a.m.
Ages 10–13
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Before Facebook and Skype, how did you say, “Wish you were here!” when you vacationed? Learn about North Carolina holiday spots, get a bit of postcard history, and make your own postcard.
Make It, Take It: Blimps
Saturday, Mar. 10
1–3 p.m.
Discover how blimps protected ships off the North Carolina coast during World War II and make a paper model to take home. DROP-IN PROGRAM
Music of the Carolinas: Patrick and Cathy Sky
Sunday, Mar. 11
3–4 p.m.
Get ready for Saint Patrick’s Day with a program of Irish reels, jigs, and hornpipes. Presented with PineCone, with support from the N.C. Museum of History Associates, Williams Mullen, and WLHC-FM/WLQC.FM.
History à la Carte: Variety Vacationland
Wednesday, Mar. 14
12:10–1 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.
Sandy Webbere, Associate Curator
What was a typical family vacation in North Carolina in decades past? Using historic postcards, maps, and film, Webbere will identify early tourist destinations from the coast to the mountains and discuss how they have evolved.
Curator’s Choice Tour: The Story behind The Story of North Carolina
Sunday, Mar. 25
2–2:30 p.m.
How do you cover 14,000 years of history in one exhibit? Join curator RaeLana Poteat for this special tour and hear how staff worked to tell the state’s story through artifacts, multimedia presentations, and hands-on interactives.
2012 Women’s History Month Celebration
Tuesday, Mar. 27
6:30 p.m.
To register, call 919-807-7992 by Mar. 23.
Anita Brown-Graham, Executive Director, Institute for Emerging Issues, N.C. State University
Women compose more than half of the U.S. electorate and have influenced electoral outcomes for over 40 years. Learn about their importance to the 2012 campaigns. Sponsored by the N.C. Council for Women.
APRIL
Time for Tots: Mail Call!
Tuesday, Apr. 3 or Apr. 10
10–10:45 a.m.
Ages 3–5 with adult
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Find out how news traveled before computers and the Internet. Then make a craft that’s something to write home about!
History Corner: North Carolina’s Heartland
Wednesday, Apr. 4
10–11 a.m.
Ages 6–9
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Discover what makes the Piedmont a great place to live. Enjoy a short story and a hands-on craft. Presented with Cameron Village Regional Library.
History Hunters: Radio Days
Wednesday, Apr. 4
10–11 a.m.
Ages 10–13
$1 per person
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Return with us to the thrilling days of yesteryear and learn how to create a radio show!
History à la Carte: Folk Potters of North Carolina
Wednesday, Apr. 11
12:10–1 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.
Charles Zug, Retired Professor of English and Folklore, UNC–Chapel Hill
Generations of potters in our state have produced traditional utilitarian pieces of earthenware and stoneware. Learn about craftspeople and the development of the pottery industry in North Carolina.
TeenFest
Saturday, Apr. 14
Education and health workshops, 10:30 a.m.–noon; teen talent contest, 1–4 p.m.
For more information or to register, visit http://teenfest.org.
This annual event for teens and their families focuses on building healthy communities. See Special Events section for details.
Make It, Tale It: Spy Games
Saturday, Apr. 14
1–3 p.m.
How did people keep messages secret during wartime? Go on a spy hunt through the Civil War section of The Story of North Carolina and make a cipher wheel to take home! DROP-IN PROGRAM
Music of the Carolinas: Alejandro Santoyo
Sunday, Apr. 15
3–4 p.m.
Catch this performance by pianist-composer Santoyo, whose music is described as “moving, gentle, and romantic.” Presented with PineCone, with support from the N.C. Museum of History Associates, Williams Mullen, and WLHC-FM/WLQC.FM.
Conservation Assistance Day
Friday, Apr. 20
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Appointment required. Call Jan Sweatt at 919-807-7823.
Got questions about caring for your treasured possessions? You’re invited to bring up to three objects to the museum for assessment and advice on care from our conservators.
Curator’s Choice Tour: Tar Nation: North Carolina Naval Stores
Sunday, Apr. 22
2–2:30 p.m.
On this special tour of The Story of North Carolina, curator Earl Ijames will discuss how the Tar Heel State once led the world in the production of naval stores.
Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble
Sunday, Apr. 22
3–4 p.m.
Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month with a performance by this group of talented young musicians from area high schools.
Civil War Sesquicentennial Lecture
When Will This Cruel War Be Over?
Sunday, Apr. 29
2 p.m.
$5 per person (free to members and full-time students)
To register, call 919-807-7992.
James M. McPherson, George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History Emeritus, Princeton University
McPherson, author of numerous best-selling books on the American Civil War, will discuss the failed attempts at peace negotiations during the war and consider why the conflict could only have ended with an unconditional military victory.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Raleigh Little Theatre’s Storytellers to Go!
A Rollicking Tale of Blackbeard, Pirate of the Carolina Coast
Saturday, February 4
2–3 p.m.
FREE!
Ahoy there! Blackbeard is going on a treasure hunt, and he needs your help! Join the infamous pirate of the Carolina coast as he retraces his steps with the help of Shelley, a loggerhead sea turtle, in search of his crew, his ship the Queen Anne’s Revenge, and his hidden treasure. Along the way you will meet some of the people he knew and get a glimpse of North Carolina’s coastal history. Featuring puppets, a sea chantey, and a wild pirate dance, this play is appropriate for all ages.
TeenFest
Saturday, April 14
Education and health workshops, 10:30 a.m.–noon; teen talent contest,
1–4 p.m.
FREE
Come to the North Carolina Museum of History for TeenFest, an annual event for teens and their families focusing on building healthy communities.
Participate in teen-focused workshops on topics such as substance abuse prevention, teen volunteerism and community involvement, violence reduction, healthy habits, and family and community history. Special attractions include a hands-on kids’ area, a parent workshop, a memory wall, and information booths.
Sign up for the teen talent contest! All acts must be original and have an antidrug, antiviolence, or procommunity theme. Open to students ages 14–19. Cash prizes awarded for first, second, and third place. A live DJ, door prizes, and celebrity judges will add to the excitement. For more information or to register, visit http://www.teenfest.org/.
Summer Camps 2012
Are you ready for summer? The museum offers fun hands-on history all summer long. Reserve your spot today to experience the past with us! Registration for the general public begins March 1. Need-based scholarships are available. Visit ncmuseumofhistory.org for complete camp listings or to register. For more information, call 919-807-7979 or e-mail emily.grant@ncdcr.gov.
Completed Grades K–2
| June 18–22 and July 30–August 3 |
Pirates, Ships, and Lighthouses |
| June 18–22 |
Moccasins to Rocket Ships |
| July 9–13 |
History Heroes
Mountain Life
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| July 30–August 3 |
Through the Seasons |
Completed Grades 3–5
| June 25–29 |
Colonial North Carolina
They Got Game
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| July 16–20 |
Farm to Factory NEW!
American Indian Life NEW! |
Completed Grades 6–8
| August 6–10 |
The Fabulous 1950s NEW!
History Training Shop
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