Take a Guided Tour in Orange County to learn about some exciting and interesting sights as well as some hidden gems in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, NC. You'll have a planned itinerary to learn about history, history-makers, attractions, garden landscapes and even our ghosts. Some tours are free, while others have a minimal cost. If reservations are required, visit the perspective website. Take advantage of area tour guides who have a wealth of knowledge. If you like to go at your own pace, there are a few self-guided options mixed in. Here are 10 can't-miss walking tours.
Chapel Hill
1-Free Walking Tours of Chapel Hill
On this walking tour of the beautiful town of Chapel Hill, learn about the history of the town and its relationship to the oldest state university in the US.. See the distinctive murals that decorate this slice of heaven. Get tips on where to dine, and hints on some of the hidden gems. Your guide, Sally, is a native of Chapel Hill, and has lived here most of her life.
2-Triangle Guided Walking Tours
Every city is a living museum and Chapel Hill is no different. Four Chapel Hill Guided Walking Tours are available on Saturdays, each lasting an hour long and taking place at 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm and 8 pm. All tours must be booked online ahead of time and tickets are $14 each. Topics include Chapel Hill's LGBT History, Historic Churches, True Crime and Ghost Walk. All begin at Rougarou (Imbibe) at 108 Henderson Street. .
3-UNC Visitors Center Tours
Their Sense of Place tour is a 90-minute walking tour hosted by student guides who introduce campus history and traditions as well as some of the University’s current endeavors in research and innovation. Schedule your tour online or take a self-guided tour. The guided tour begins at the UNC Visitors Center at 134 E. Franklin Street.
4-North Carolina Botanical Garden Tours
The second Saturday of the month from March - November. Each month offers a glimpse into what’s happening in the unique native plant gardens – from spring wildflowers to fall color – and what makes the NCBG one of the premier conservation gardens in the US. Tours are one (1) hour and space is limited. Tour is at 10 am and fee is $6 ($5 for members).
5-Northside Audio Tour
‘Histories of Home’ is an invitation to listen to everyday history-makers and features the voices of community members and narrated by Northside longtime residents. Northside, Pine Knolls, and Tin Top are historically Black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC. This audio tour is an introduction to some of their stories, struggles, and the aspirations of the Northside community. You can stream the audio tour directly from a smart phone or download it to any MP3-compatible device as you walk through Northside. Or, come to the Jackson Center at 512 W. Rosemary Street to check out a CD and portable player and get a map of the neighborhood.
6-Welcome to Franklin Street - Where Stories are Made
This self-guided tour of downtown Chapel Hill is designed to spark memories, challenge remembrances and cause conversations as you reflect and pose questions of the present & future. Most of all, this tour experience aims to engage & connect you to the local history and the shared treasure that is Franklin Street. Coordinated by the Chapel Hill Historical Society and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, as you walk put your phone on the QR code at noted stops and you get a story. Come to the Welcome Center at 308 West Franklin Street for a brochure with map to get you started..
Hillsborough
7-Historic Walking Tours
Experience American history through the unique perspective of one of North Carolina’s oldest and most historically significant towns with a guided walking tour of Hillsborough. Established in 1754 as the seat of government for Orange County, Hillsborough’s colonial legacy and signs of its importance in North Carolina and American history can be seen everywhere.
The guided tour begins at the Hillsborough Visitors Center at 150 E. King Street, March - October on Saturdays at 10:30am and guides visitors downtown to a variety of historic places from the site of a 1790s African American-owned distillery to the 1840s Orange County Courthouse and the grave of one of North Carolina’s signers of the Declaration of Independence. Tickets are $10, with kids 10 and under free. Be sure and check out the list of special interest self-guided tours available.
8-Ayr Mount House Tours
Ayr Mount is a Federal-era plantation house built in 1815 in Hillsborough, North Carolina by William Kirkland. Kirkland, named the house in honor of his birthplace, Ayr, Scotland. Ayr Mount is open to the public on Thursday - Saturday at select times from April through November. All guests must purchase tickets in advance.
9-Haunted Hillsborough Tours
Named one of the best ghost walks/tours in North Carolina, come take an Historical Ghost Tours in the Triangle's Oldest Town. Guided tours offer spooky, verified tales told by your deceased guide, Enoch Pugh (b.1735-d.1771). Three haunted houses, two old cemeteries, and an execution site! Sign up for tour tickets on the website.
Carrboro
10-Carrboro Historic Self-Guided Walking Tour
Discover the history of Carrboro on this self-guided walking tour. The tour begins at Town Hall, 301 W. Main Street and takes you roughly 1.8 miles around to 30 interesting spots.
(Photos Free Walking Tours of Chapel Hill with Sally Sockwell, Chapel of the Cross Wikipedia, Tour of the North Carolina Botanical Garden, Hillsborough Guided Tours by Alliance for Historic Hillsborough and Ghost of Enoch Pugh, Haunted Hillsborough Tours)
