BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer ~~
Layout by SHELLEY CAMPBELL
Raleigh is a capital capital. The seat of North
Carolina government since 1792, Raleigh is
both a modern, bustling center of commerce
and politics, as well as a city with a fascinating
past. Located about three hours straight up I-85
from Gaston and Cleveland counties, Raleigh
is full of things to see and do for kids as well as
adults.
Top on the list of sights in Raleigh is the N.C.
State Capitol. Constructed between 1833 and
1840, the Capitol is in the Greek Revival style of
architecture. Cost to build the structure in 1840
was just over $500,000. This figure represented
three times the entire state budget at the time.
On the Capitol grounds are statues of the U.S.
Presidents from North Carolina, several can-
non, and a Confederate monument. The
Capitol has just undergone much restoration
work and can be toured from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
weekdays, 9 am. until 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 1
p.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday.
Locate near the Capitol at 109 E. Jones Street,
the new N.C. Museum of History contains
everything from the original 1663 Carolina
Charter to exhibits on Tar Heel aviation. Other
attractions at the museum include a large col-
lection of Civil War uniforms and equipment,
displays of clothing from earlier times, and
exhibits tracing the history of agriculture in our
state. The N.C. Museum of History is closed on
Mondays, but open Tuesday through Saturday
9 am. until 5 p.m. and noon to 5 p.m Sunday.
For alook at the flora and fauna of our state
past and present, a trip to the N.C. Museum of
Natural Science is in order. Located in a new
200,000 square building at 5 E. Edenton Street,
the museum is the largest of its type in the
Southeast. Exhibits in the N.C. Museum of
Natural Sciences include a dinosaur skeleton,
gemstones, live snakes, all types of stuffed ani-
mals, birds, and profiles of the state’s ecosys-
tems. There's also a neat gift shop. The muse-
um'’s website is www.naturalsciences.org.
For folks with a love of things visual, the
North Carolina Museum of Art at 2110 Blue
Ridge Road will provide a feast for the eyes.
Built in 1983, the 181,000 square foot museum
features not only painting and sculpture by
artists from this country, but also an extensive
collection of works by European artists in the
Dutch, Flemish., and Italian styles. Admission
to the museum is free. Hours are 9 am. to 5
p-m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m.
until 6 p.m. Sunday.
Not far from the Capitol Building, the
Governor's Mansion at 200 N. Blount Street is
not only home to our state’s chief executive and
his family, but also has its first floor open for
tours.
Constructed in the Queen Anne style, the
executive mansion was started in 1883 and
completed in 1891. It is built of native North
Carolina materials. Many of the bricks that
form the sidewalks bear the initials of the crafts-
men who made them. The home is decorated
with many antiques and other items from dif-
ferent areas of our state.
Two other historic Raleigh homes are the
Joel Lane House and the Modecai House. The
Lane House is on the corner of Hargett and St.
Mary's streets, and is the former residence of
the guy who sold the state part of his plantation
to start the town of Raleigh. It dates back to
1760. The Mordecai House is at 1 Mimosa St.
and was built in 1785. The grounds of the
Mordecai House also contain the birthplace of
Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the
United States.
Located in one of Raleigh's oldest and most
elegant neighborhoods, Oakwood Cemetery is
the final resting place for many famous North
Carolinians. Bounded by Person, Franklin, and
Edenton streets, Oakwood Cemetery is also the
site of many Civil War-era graves. Interred at
Oakwood are dozens of North Carolina
Confederate soldiers who were killed at
SE
Kings Mountain Herald
August 24, 2000
An eclectic blend of attractions
Captiol Building in Raleigh PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
Gettysburg.
No visit to Raleigh would be complete
without a tour of the Legislative Building on
Jones Street. Designed by Edward Stone, the
206,000 square foot structure opened in 1963 to
great acclaim or its modern architecture.
During weekdays, the building is open to the
public.
One of Raleigh's biggest attractions comes
every autumn. A blockbuster of rides, exhibits,
contests, food, and people watching, the N.C.
State Fair is a 10-day jamboree held starting on
the third Friday in October. To illustrate how
popular the State Fair really is, over 700,000
folks attend the event in a typical year.
Transportation to the State Fairgrounds can be-
by rail- Amtrak will drop you off right out
front- or by shuttles from downtown. If you
decide to drive, then be prepared for quite a
hike from your car to the entrance.
An eclectic blend of attractions, Raleigh is
a showcase of many things that makes North
Carolina great.
For more information, call the Greater
Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1.
800-849-8499.
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TTT
Exit 26 bbey
OTT TE A
Hawthorne
| XC
Wilkinson Blvd.