HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS / REGIONAL MUSEUMS
Airborne & Special Operations Museum
100 Bragg Boulevard
Fayetteville 910-483-3003
www.asomf.org
One of the region’s premier attractions showcases many rare and impressive artifacts as it tells the story of Army airborne and special operations units from their 1940 move into the Fayetteville area through the present.
Averasboro Museum
NC Highway 82
Dunn 910-891-5019
www.averasboro.com
Along with the battlefield and Chicora Cemetery, the museum interprets the events of this March 1865 military action and features an 1825 plantation home used as a Confederate hospital.
Coats Museum & Coats Cotton Museum
Highway 55, McKinley Street
Coats 910-897-8352
www.coatsmuseum.com
Set in an historic two-room schoolhouse, these museums feature artifacts from the town founder’s family, various rotating displays, and a tribute to the South’s important cotton industry.
Davis Memorial Library
Methodist College
5400 Ramsey Street
Fayetteville 910-630-7123
www.methodist.edu/library
Open by appointment, the library features a collection of letters, books, and artifacts pertaining to the Marquis de Lafayette at Methodist College.
82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum
Ardennes & Gela Streets
Fort Bragg 910-432-3443
Gift Shop 910-436-1735
www.82ndairbornedivisionmuseum.com/
Displays and exhibits include an extensive collection of weapons, uniforms, aircraft, parachutes, and other items from World War I through the Global War on Terrorism.
Erwin History Room
100 W. F Street
Erwin 910-897-5780
www.facebook.com/erwinhistory
Adjacent to the town library, Erwin Historical Society maintains this collection related to the old Averasboro, Duke, and early Erwin communities — for years known as the “Denim Capital of the World.”
Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Armory & Museum
210 Burgess Street
Fayetteville 910-433-1612
https://www.fili1793.com/
Celebrating the nation’s oldest southern militia unit in continuous existence, serving North Carolina since 1793, this venue houses two centuries of preserved documents, uniforms and artifacts.
Fayetteville Museum of Art
839 Stamper Road
Fayetteville 910-485-5121
www.fayettevillemuseumart.org
Set on a lush parcel of panoramic land, the museum houses a variety of changing art exhibits and educational programs but also offers concerts in a relaxing setting.
General William C. Lee Airborne Museum
209 W. Divine Street
Dunn 910-892-1947
www.generalleeairbornemuseum.org
The home of the “Father of the U.S. Army Airborne,” is a three-story, early 20th-century, Neo-classical Revival residence.
Hammerstone Scout Museum
Leaflet Church Road
Lillington 910-814-2955
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hammerstone-Boy-Scout-Museum/283250481698244
Step back in time over the past century and discover the very roots of the Scouting movement at this unique museum just west of Lillington.
Harnett County Indian Museum
US Highway 401
Kipling 919-552-2336
www.visitnc.com/listing/JFwe/harnett-county-indian-museum
This rustic museum includes a craft shop, artifact displays, and a log cabin highlighting the early Harnett Native American villages and settler cabins along the Cape Fear River.
JFK Special Warfare Museum
Ardennes and Marion Streets
Fort Bragg
910-432-4272
www.jfkwebstore.com
Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at unconventional warfare that includes displays of weapons, military art, and international cultural items with an emphasis on Special Operations units from World War II to present day.
Museum of the Cape Fear
801 Arsenal Avenue
Fayetteville 910-486-1330
https://museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov/
Exhibits and displays cover the cultural history of southern North Carolina from prehistory to the present. Permanent galleries include Native American cultures, pioneer life, traditions, transportation, and special topics.
National Railroad Museum & Hall of Fame
2 Main Street
Hamlet 910-582-2383
https://www.facebook.com/nationalrrmuseumhof
The Former Seaboard Air Line Railway depot (circa 1900) is a prime example of Victorian railway depot architecture. It is one of the most photographed stations in eastern U.S. and attracts railroad enthusiasts from around the globe.
North Carolina Railroad Museum & New Hope Valley Railway
3900 Bonsal Road
New Hill 919-396-5833
www.triangletrain.com/
In addition to a collection of train equipment that includes a Vulcan Tank Steam Locomotive, this site offers a one-hour adventure from Bonsal to New Hill and back.
Raeford-Hoke Museum
111 S. Highland Street
Raeford 910-875-2279
www.raefordcity.org/raeford-hoke-museum/
Enjoying a park-like setting, the museum covers nearly an entire block of downtown Raeford and features a stately Southern Colonial Revival residence, the former home of Senator John McLauchlin.
Rankin Museum of American Heritage
131 W. Church Street
Ellerbe 910-652-6378
https://rankinmuseum.org/
19th Century pottery, medical memorabilia, natural history, antiques and much more can be found in the Rankin Museum.
