City: Chapel Hill, NC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (919) 967-1400

Address: 523 E. Franklin St.

Description: Housed in a stone-walled 1968 structure that previously served as the town’s library, the Chapel Hill Museum tells the story of the university town through a dozen exhibits, some changing, some permanent. Exhibits are dedicated to early 20th-century playwright Paul Green, who attended and taught at UNC; singer James Taylor, who grew up in town; and clothing designer Alexander Julian, a native son. Other exhibits examine the history of Chapel Hill, including the town’s civil rights struggle in the 1950s and ’60s and the changing face of Franklin Street, the main street that abuts campus. Curators create programs for different children’s age groups, with varying themes: Puppets sing about fire safety and show off a 1914 fire truck for younger children, while fourth-graders can perform a short version of playwright Paul Green’s The Lost Colony. The museum also sponsors a series of adult-oriented fundraising events with historical and cultural enrichment themes, including walking tours led by costumed guides, progressive dinners, and cabaret performances of songs of earlier eras. Admission to the museum and programs are free.