Visit Hillsborough, NC | The getaway you've been waiting for...

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Hillsborough is no ordinary southern small town.

Its scenic beauty, graceful architecture spanning three centuries, lively arts and culture scene, and convenient location provide a charming getaway for the day - or longer.

Events

From art walks to live music, farmers markets to festivals, there's always something going on in Hillsborough.

View All Events.

May 15

Flashes of Hillsborough

May 18

Birdland (and All That Jazz)

May 18

Virtual Supported Playgroup

May 18

Lunch & Learn Series: Behind the Scenes of A Passion to Preserve with Courtney Smith

May 18

Adapted Play: Sensory STEAM

May 19

Birdland (and All That Jazz)

Hillsborough is a close and easy getaway.

From	Distance	Time
Asheville	212 miles	3 hours
Chapel Hill	12 miles	20 minutes
Charlotte	131 miles	2 hours
Durham	14 miles	18 minutes
Greensboro	42 miles	43 minutes
Greenville, SC	229 miles	3.5 hours
Morehead City	190 miles	3.25 hours
Nags Head	226 miles	4 hours
Raleigh	38 miles	43 minutes
Richmond, VA	163 miles	2.5 hours
Wilmington	170 miles	2.5 hours
Winston-Salem	68 miles	1 hour

What type of adventurer are you?

Explore Hillsborough using self-guided tours.

The Art Whisperer

The History Enthusiast

The Outdoor Adventurer

The Sweet Seeker

View All Tours.

Do you have your tickets yet for “On the Banks ...

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May 10

Do you have your tickets yet for “On the Banks of the Eno”, happening this weekend at the old courthouse? Funds from this new play by Seymour Playwrights will benefit @orangehistorync .
“On the Banks of the Eno” is a courtroom drama set in 1930s segregated Hillsborough, NC. Young teacher Virginia Curtis is on trial for the murder of Harold Campbell, the father of one of her students. The bloody crime scene by the Eno River implicates Virginia. Her attorney is a black man, and the gossips of the town can hardly stop chiming in, but facts quickly emerge that confound the prosecution.

@strikeanywhere.nyc is taking over our social! ...

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May 6

@strikeanywhere.nyc is taking over our social! Check out our Instagram Stories and Highlights for more info and behind the scenes look at #PopUpHillsborough.

Thank you community partners for making this possible: @ohs_theatre @orangehighschoolbands @ocncarts @enoriverfarmersmarket @hillsboroughnc @weaverstreetmarket and to all of the 60+ community members interviewed including @hillsboroughnc_mayor! Our students thank you for your stories, and hope you’ll come see your dreams animated at our shows, Saturday May 7, 1:00 and 6:00 PM.

Tickets: ohstheatre.com

The Occaneechi Replica Village Rededication event ...

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Apr 27

The Occaneechi Replica Village Rededication event this past Saturday was a wonderful event! Thank you to the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation for hosting it, as well as all of the volunteers and everyone who had a hand in making this event happen. Be sure to check out https://obsn.org/ for more information about the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, including events and a shop.

Happy Earth Day! Did you know that the first Earth...

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Apr 22

Happy Earth Day! Did you know that the first Earth Day took place in 1970 following the publication of "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson, which raised public awareness for the environment and the links between pollution and public health?

In 2016, Hillsborough became the 35th city to be named a Bee City USA. Bee sure to check out our Bee Hotel and pollinator garden in Gold Park, and our many natural areas like our Riverwalk, pictured here!

This Saturday, April 23rd: Join tribal members and...

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Apr 21

This Saturday, April 23rd: Join tribal members and community volunteers for a ceremonial rededication of the Occaneechi Replica Village from 1-3pm. The event will be held in River Park, located behind the Eno River Farmers Market in downtown Hillsborough. It is free and open to the public.

The event is sponsored by the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Orange County, and the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough.

This Thursday, April 21st at 5:30pm, ...

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Apr 18

This Thursday, April 21st at 5:30pm, @orangehistorync is hosting “Letters From Red Farm with Elizabeth Emerson.”

Award-winning artist and Chapel Hill resident Elizabeth Emerson will share the story of the 40-year friendship between Helen Keller and her great-great grandfather, Joseph Edgar Chamberlain, a renowned columnist, essayist, and editor.

This exciting event will be held at Eagle Lodge #19 and will also be live streamed if you wish to attend virtually!

@historichillsborough's guided walking tours ...

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Apr 5

@historichillsborough's guided walking tours are back! Available 4/30 and 5/21, experience a guided walking tour of downtown Hillsborough. The tour begins at the Hillsborough Visitors Center, located in the eighteenth century Alexander Dickson Farm House, and guides visitors 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. Go to https://bit.ly/hborotours for tickets and more information!

The @enoriverfarmersmarket opened with regular ...

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Apr 2

The @enoriverfarmersmarket opened with regular season hours this morning! From now until November, the farmers market will be open 8 am - noon on Saturdays. Stop by for live music, over 30 regular vendors, handmade crafts, and fresh food and goods!

Flowers are blooming at the Hillsborough Visitors ...

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Mar 30

Flowers are blooming at the Hillsborough Visitors Center! Stop by to check out our garden, gift shop, and resources. We're open Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm, and Sunday 12pm-4pm!

Last Fridays start back up tomorrow! Hosted by the...

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Mar 24

Last Fridays start back up tomorrow! Hosted by the Hillsborough Arts Council with support from the Town of Hillsborough Tourism Board, full programming for Last Fridays & the Art Walk occur on the last Friday of each month, March – November 2022, from 6-9 PM! Activities span both the historic downtown area and Nash Street’s West End.

Have you seen the new arch under construction at ...

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Mar 18

Have you seen the new arch under construction at the entrance to the River Park? The Hillsborough Arts Council (HAC) and the Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) initiated this project when an approximately 250 year-old, venerable Southern Red Oak on Calvin Street in West Hillsborough fell during Hurricane Florence in September 2018. This arch uses strips of the repurposed wood from this tree.
Jonathan Brilliant is the artist, and is based out of Raleigh. The public is invited to River Park over the next several weeks to watch the installation and meet Brilliant, including during Last Fridays ArtWalk on Friday, March 25.

On Tuesday, March 15th, join the Alliance for ...

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Mar 12

On Tuesday, March 15th, join the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough and local author Amanda Boyd for a zoom event on Boyd's first book "Collective History" about the Colonial Inn. To register, please visit https://eventbrite.com/e/collective-history-book-talk-with-author-amanda-boyd-tickets-265176549197.

Do you recognize this porch? Nancy Dickson, ...

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Mar 2

Do you recognize this porch? Nancy Dickson, daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Dickson, stands on the porch of the Dickson House - now home to the Visitors Center. March is Women's History Month, and Hillsborough is home to countless amazing and accomplished women. Learn about some of them through The Women of Hillsborough Walking Tour by @historichillsborough, and stop by the Visitors Center to learn more about Nancy and other Hillsborough women.

#visithillsboroughnc #womenshistorymonth

Did you see the 2022 James Beard Foundation Award ...

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Feb 25

Did you see the 2022 James Beard Foundation Award Semifinalists have been announced - and our very own Aaron Vandemark of @panciutorestaurant is on the list for best chef! Congratulations!! 🎉🥳⁠
Click here to see the rest of the semifinalists: https://bit.ly/3Inn6uu

Every year, the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough...

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Feb 24

Every year, the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough invites the public to experience the local history of the American Revolution with a day of family-friendly events. With reenactors, dancers, historic tours, interactive activities, and collaborative events throughout town, this is a day all can enjoy.

Revolutionary War Living History Day focuses on Hillsborough’s unique role in the American Revolution, recalling the occupation of Hillsborough by British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and his 1,900-man army on February 20th, 1781.

This year, Revolutionary War Living History Day takes place on March 5th, 2022 from 10am-4pm, with events at the Visitors Center, the Burwell School, and the Orange County Historical Museum.

The Visitors Center, located at 150 E King St., will have the following:

– 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers, 33rd Regiment of Foot and HM 64th Regiment of Foot reenactors

– Colonial cooking, sewing, and beer-making demonstrations by Historic Interpretations

– Visit with colonial reenactors

– Meet and greet historical fiction author Suzanne Adair

The Burwell School, located at 319 N. Churton St., will have the following:

– Continental Lafayette Long Rifles reenactors

– Colonial dancers will be performing throughout the day

And finally, the Orange County Historical Museum, located at 201 N. Churton St., will have:

– Colonial artifacts

– Rev. War Day Museum Tour

– Interpretive talks at William Hooper’s grave in the Old Town Cemetery

*Revolutionary War Living History Day is free and open to the public. Masks are required. We hope you’ll join us!

Join Orange County Historical Museum Curator ...

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Feb 17

Join Orange County Historical Museum Curator Courtney Smith *tonight*, Thursday February 17 at 7pm for a virtual talk examining an 1886 racially charged court case that surprisingly ended with justice being served.

Register at www.orangehistorync.org/events.

The life and accomplishments of ...

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Feb 14

The life and accomplishments of Hillsborough's Henry Evans (1817-1886) are important to acknowledge during #blackhistorymonth . Henry Evans was born into freedom and was a cabinet and carriage maker. His workshop and cabinet store was located across from the Old Courthouse until 1853 when it was sold at auction. Evans moved to Oberlin, Ohio in the mid-1850s, where his family became well-known abolitionists, becoming a part of the underground railroad and participating in John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry. Even though many in the family were born free in North Carolina, it is said that the large Evans family left North Carolina due to the state’s poor treatment of free Blacks. The original building of Evan's store, located on the corner of King and Churton Streets, was said to have been destroyed by a fire.⁠
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Take a look at @historichillsborough 's website for a full walking tour of Hillsborough's African American history!⁠

Are you ready for this year's Revolutionary ...

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Feb 11

Are you ready for this year's Revolutionary War Day? On March 5th you can watch shooting demonstrations by British soldier reenactors, cooking demonstrations and games by historical interpreters, and much more! Author Suzanne Adair will be on site at the Hillsborough Visitor Center selling and signing her Hillsborough based Revolutionary War series.⁠
Stay tuned for details on events happening at @burwellschoolhistoricsite and @orangehistorync!⁠

In recognition of #blackhistorymonth, we want to ...

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Feb 9

In recognition of #blackhistorymonth, we want to share with you some of the important African American history behind Reed's Ordinary, which is right across from the Visitor Center! Reed’s Ordinary originally belonged to the local sheriff, William Reed. Often referred to as Seven Hearths because of its seven fireplaces, the house has also twice served as a tavern. The creek at the back of the lot is called the Stillhouse Branch, as freedman Africa Parker operated a legal still on the creek that served many local taverns. Africa Parker was given his freedom through the Hillsborough courts in 1799 by his owner William Cain. In his emancipation trial, Cain, who is thought to have been a Quaker (Quakers typically were against slavery), testified that he wanted to give Parker his freedom because he was “honest and faithful.” After his emancipation, Parker went into the distillery business with Cain. It is interesting to note that Parker could read and write, which was rare for a freedman at the time, and often wrote “freed man” after his signature. ⁠
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Take a look at @historichillsborough 's website for a full walking tour of Hillsborough's African American history!⁠

In recognition of #blackhistorymonth, we want to ...

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Feb 7

In recognition of #blackhistorymonth, we want to highlight the removed African American community which once stood where a portion of the Riverwalk stands today. After the Civil War, African Americans created their own thriving community along the banks of the Eno River with businesses such as a parsonage, cobbler, funeral home, and boarding house, along with residential homes. Mt Bright Church also originally stood here until it was moved to its current location on West Union Street. When the Churton Street Bridge was built in the 1960s, these homes and businesses were displaced and destroyed. While the buildings are no longer standing, the current park is a reminder of the vibrant Black community that once stood here. ⁠
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Be sure to check out Hillsborough's African American History Walking Tour on the @historichillsborough 's website!