4 Best Sights in Central North Carolina, North Carolina

The elegant home of former governor John Motley Morehead is considered the prototype of the Italian-villa architecture that swept the country during the mid-19th century. Noted architect Alexander Jackson Davis designed the house, which has a stucco exterior and towers and still contains many of its original furnishings. A kitchen garden and rose garden on the grounds are maintained by local volunteers. Guided tours highlight the architecture and history. The house also serves as the headquarters of Preservation Greensboro. Among the fascinating and well-preserved artifacts is a bracelet woven by Governor Moreland's daughter from her deceased husband's hair, featuring a posthumous portrait.

Since 1891, this 37,500-square-foot brick Queen Anne–style structure, made entirely from materials from the Tar Heel State, with elaborate gingerbread trim and manicured lawns, has been the home of the state's governors. Encompassing an entire city block, the brick-walled gardens explode with color during the spring. Reservations for tours must be made at least two weeks in advance.

Dating to 1769, the oldest dwelling in Raleigh was the home of Joel Lane, known as the "Father of Raleigh" because he sold 1,000 acres of his property to the state of North Carolina on which the beginnings of the capital city were built. Costumed docents lead tours of the restored house and beautiful period gardens. The last tour starts an hour before closing: 1 pm Wednesday through Friday, and 3 on Saturday.

The only dedicated house museum to an African American person in the state, this historic house was built for Dr. Manassa Thomas Pope around 1900 with all the modern conveniences of the time. Dr. Pope had been a military surgeon during the Spanish American War, then the first practicing black doctor in North Carolina, and later a mayoral candidate in the heavily segregated Jim Crow era. The two Columbia-educated daughters of Dr. Pope maintained the house until the 1990s, preserving 3,000 artifacts that give a glimpse of the life of a prominent black family in the 20th century.