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All United States North Carolina

The Atlas Obscura Guide To North Carolina

172 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in North Carolina

Updated March 30, 2023

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Attractions
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Unusual Attractions in North Carolina

Littleton, North Carolina

Cryptozoology & Paranormal Museum

Bigfoot prints, Feejee mermaids, and haunted dolls on display in a tiny North Carolina town.

Hendersonville, North Carolina

Blue Ghost Fireflies

These eerie outliers of the lightning bug family glow a mysteriously blue color, for too long, and it's awesome.

Bryson City, North Carolina

The Road to Nowhere

This road in the Great Smoky Mountains was supposed to assuage a displaced community, but ended up a $52 million dead end.

Raleigh, North Carolina

Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky

This woodland architectural installation acts as a camera obscura for the heavens.

Rougemont, North Carolina

Castle Mont Rouge

A sculptor's dream castle turned fantastical ruin.

Hildebran, North Carolina

Abandoned Henry River Mill Village

An abandoned village that doubled as "The Hunger Games"' post-apocalyptic wasteland is up for grabs.

Pisgah Forest, North Carolina

Sliding Rock

Who needs fancy modern water slides when this giant North Carolina rock works just as well?

Asheville, North Carolina

Helen's Bridge

This bridge is haunted by the ghost of a distraught mother.
See All 172 Things To Do in North Carolina

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in North Carolina

Manteo, North Carolina

The Mother Vine

Perhaps the oldest vine in North America, this sprawling plant helps make a sweet wine.

Rose Hill, North Carolina

The World's Largest Operational Frying Pan

The 15-foot-wide, 2-ton pan fries hundreds of chickens once a year.

Mount Airy, North Carolina

Scoops Ice Cream & Such

Follow the path behind this treat-slinging camper van to a sculpture garden in the forest.

Asheville, North Carolina

The Odd

A 17th-century bezoar, dirt from an infamous site, and other curios decorate this unusual bar.
See all 9 Places to Eat in North Carolina
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Secret History & Hidden Wonders of Charlotte, North Carolina

At the heart of the south, Charlotte is a booming city full of new life. Cranes have dotted the skyline for more than a decade as it has become the most populous city in North Carolina. There is so much to see in Charlotte, from a rose garden hidden just outside the city center to a retro video rental store with over 30,000 titles. What many newcomers don’t know is Charlotte’s deep-rooted history that dates back to before the colonies became the United States. This list of 10 destinations will only scratch the surface of the many special places to visit in the Queen City.

View Itinerary

Explore North Carolina

History 16
Museums And Collections 15
Houses 12
Homes 12
Art 12
Monuments 11
Architectural Oddities 10
Collections 10
Animals 10
Outsider Art 9
Mountains 8
Nature 8
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2
Places To Stay 1

North Carolina Leaderboard

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Places Edited

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Recent North Carolina Activity

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    has been to Clyde's Critter Crossing

  • A

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    has been to Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island

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    has been to Grave Digger's Dungeon

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    has been to Jockey's Ridge

Stories About North Carolina

What’s Inside the New Gastro Obscura Vending Machine?

The second iteration is filled with rare and unexpected treats from the American South.
Sponsored by Partners of Travel South

Podcast: Shipwrecked Doritos

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
December 15, 2021

Meet the Appalachian Apple Hunter Who Rescued 1,000 'Lost' Varieties

Tom Brown's retirement hobby is a godsend for chefs, conservationists, and cider.
by Eric J. Wallace
June 3, 2021

The Radical Act of Opening a Brewery as a Native American

Many associate beer and spirits with disease and colonialism.
by Eric J. Wallace
November 16, 2020

A North Carolina Artist’s Search for a Lost Sound Uncovered a Dark History

Freeman Vines honors a lost Black life with his ‘Hanging Tree Guitars.’
by Winnie Lee
September 29, 2020

The Rise and Fall of North Carolina's National Hollerin' Contest

Hollers are sort of like the yodels of the American South.
by Emily Cataneo
September 25, 2020

Scientists Need Your Sourdough to Solve a Microbial Mystery

For North Carolina researchers, every starter is more data.
by Hannah Thomasy
June 1, 2020

The Carolinas' Mysterious Great White Shark Cluster Is Not Mysterious, Not a Cluster

They're just doing what sharks do.
by Sabrina Imbler
February 14, 2020

Lists Featuring North Carolina

Rats of Karni Mata Temple
Paxton Gate Exterior
Albino Squirrels of Olney, Illinois

A Rat Lover's Tour of the World

15 places where rodents are celebrated, feared, preserved, and studied.

15

Including Karni Mata Temple, Nutty Narrows Bridge, and Paxton Gate

Original letter of Abraham, the son of Maimonides found in the Cairo genizah.
A sculpture of the Tower of Babel, by Alan Baughman, from the Introductory Room of the Museum of the Alphabet
Boontling word of the week in the tap room of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company.

A Linguistics Lover's Tour of the World

12 places to marvel at the history of human language.

12

Including The Cairo Genizah , The Museum of the Alphabet , and Boontling Language of Boonville

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