Historic Hillsborough Guided Tours
2025-08-23 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-09-06 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-09-13 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-09-20 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-09-27 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-10-04 10:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Hillsborough Visitors Center, 150 E King Street, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
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 downtown 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 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.
This is an in-person walking tour that sometimes crosses uneven terrain. Please plan to be walking or standing for the duration of the event, wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a water bottle (plus your curiosity)!
For groups that are concerned about the length, duration, or terrain of the tour. Please, contact The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough for other options, including bus tours.
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/3277bebb-5a4c-48ec-9a1e-0c4e287138b5

Ayr Mount Tours 2025
2025-08-23 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-28 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-29 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-04 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-05 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-06 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-11 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-12 13:00 - 14:00 and 11 more dates | Ayr Mount Historic Site, 376 St. Mary's Rd, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Located in Hillsborough, North Carolina, Ayr Mount strikes a startling figure in the historical town. The 1815 federal, masonry edifice was the first of its kind in this once bustling trade town, and thanks to the preservation efforts of our founder Richard Jenrette, remains well preserved with several original family objects on display.
CAHPT invites you to explore the site to learn about the design, construction, and maintenance of the estate as well as the lives of those, enslaved and free, who crafted and occupied the extravagant home and landscape from 1820 to 2018.
Visitors are welcome to explore the site select Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays April through November. Guided tours will be offered Thursday & Friday at 1:00pm and 2:30pm. Tour times for Saturday take place at 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 2:30pm. All guests must purchase tickets in advance.
Tickets can be bought here: https://secure.jenrette.org/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents
This is a potentially strenuous tour which includes climbing stairs, traversing uneven terrain, and enduring uncomfortable weather conditions and the presence of bugs or other wildlife. We regret that we cannot be responsible for those needing assistance and encourage all guests to dress accordingly. No food or beverages are allowed in the houses with the exception of a closed bottle of water.

Masonic Hall Guided Tours
2025-08-29 18:00 - 20:30, 2025-09-26 18:00 - 20:30 | Mason’s Lodge, 142 W. King St. , Hillsborough, NC, United States
The brothers of Eagle Lodge #19 are inviting the community to our historic Masonic Hall building for guided tours from 6-8:30 pm on the last Friday of each month from April to September. Tours are ongoing, so stop by anytime during Last Friday.

You will begin with a history of our lot, located along the Occaneechi Trading Path, where the Regulators destroyed Edmund Fanning’s house in 1770. We will then welcome you inside and guide you through one of the earliest and most significant Masonic buildings in North America. Designed by North Carolina state architect William Nichols in the early 1820s, our Greek Revival lodge building was constructed to be a lodge under the supervision of master builders Samuel Hancock and John Berry and was completed in 1825. Inside, you will learn about the fire that nearly destroyed the building in 1945, the unique arrangement of masonic lodge rooms, some of the meaning behind our iconic symbols, our connections to the history of UNC, the design feature that was removed from our roof during the Civil War, as well as the building’s many additional uses. For example, the building once doubled as the Hillsborough Opera House and during several wars the building served as a hospital or preparatory for the American Red Cross.

We will also have cold bottled water and sodas for guests, with additional activities throughout the summer in conjunction with the Arts Council’s Last Fridays celebrations. Tours are free, though donations to our Historic Eagle Lodge Foundation are greatly appreciated and will contribute to ongoing preservation of our building.

West Hillsborough Walk and Talk
2025-08-30 10:30 - 12:30 | West Hillsborough Parking Lot, West Hillsborough Parking Lot, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us for a fun and informative stroll through the charming streets of West Hillsborough. Discover the rich history, historic mills, and hidden gems of this beautiful community.
Embark on a captivating Stroll of West Hillsborough, where the echoes of its industrial past still resonate today. See the historic Eno Cotton Mill and Bellevue Manufacturing Company, learning about the techniques that powered them and the different owners. Delve into the stories of the local mill villages, once bustling with the energy of hardworking communities. Experience the vibrant spirit of modern-day West Hillsborough, where local businesses continue to thrive. Join us for an unforgettable journey through time and tradition in this picturesque corner of North Carolina.
Buy tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/west-hillsborough-walk-and-talk
* This is an in-person walking tour that sometimes crosses uneven terrain. Please plan to be walking or standing for the duration of the event, wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a water bottle (plus your curiosity)!

Last Sunday Open House
2025-08-31 13:00 - 16:00 | Moorefields Historic Site, 2201 Moorefields Rd., Hillsborough, NC, United States
Join us for this month’s
Last Sunday Open House Afternoon THIS Sunday, July 27th
1:00 to 4:00

Stroll the grounds and gardens and take a free tour of the 1785 historic house listed on the National Register.
Visit the Moore family cemetery and the graves of the cats of former owner Edward Draper-Savage. If you are so inclined, you take a walk through the adjoining Seven Mile Creek Nature Preserve.
July 27 and August 31
1:00 to 4:00
Visits are free and no registration is required, but a
donation of $5 per person is suggested

Outlandish Hillsborough Walking Tour
2025-09-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Hillsborough Visitors Center, 150 E King Street, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Beginning in the 4th book of the Outlander series and the 5th season of the hit TV show, Jamie and Claire Fraser settle in a fictional Scottish community in North Carolina. The story intertwines with that of the Regulator Uprising that took place in and around Hillsborough in the 1770s, making Hillsborough a natural location for this event.

The tour will begin at the Hillsborough Visitor Center and will take you along the Frasers’ footsteps to see many of the sites featured within the Outlander series relating to Hillsborough and the Regulator uprising prior to the Revolutionary War.

This is an in-person walking tour that sometimes crosses uneven terrain. Please plan to be walking or standing for the duration of the event, wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a water bottle (plus your curiosity).
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/outlandish-walking-tour–2026
