Explore the Historic Albemarle Highway

Your Journey Through Time Awaits

The Historic Albemarle Highway commemorates its milestone anniversary as the Southeast's oldest heritage trail!

A Journey Through Time

Join us as we commemorate the Historic Albemarle Highways milestone anniversary, marking two decades as the oldest heritage trail in the Southeast. This remarkable journey invites you to explore the rich tapestry of history that has shaped our region, from the early European settlers to the vibrant Native American cultures that thrived long before. Discover the stories, the landscapes, and the heritage that make the Historic Albemarle a unique destination for history enthusiasts and curious travelers alike.

The Historic Albemarle Highway serves as a gateway to over 20 historic sites, each offering a glimpse into the past. Our information hub provides brochures, resources, and event details to help you navigate this fascinating region. Whether you're a local or a visitor, there's always something new to uncover along the trail. Experience the charm and history that Northeastern North Carolina has to offer.

As we celebrate this significant anniversary, we invite you to join us in honoring the legacy of the Historic Albemarle. Explore our events, engage with our resources, and immerse yourself in the stories that have defined our community for centuries. Together, let's continue to preserve and celebrate the rich heritage of this remarkable region.

With its charming colonial-era towns and historic landmarks set amid vast rivers, sounds, fields, and wetlands, the Historic Albemarle region is a paradise for enthusiasts of history and nature alike. Since 1975, members of the Historic Albemarle Tour (HAT) have been dedicated to helping visitors explore and deepen their understanding of the area's rich heritage, vibrant culture, and diverse ecology.

As the oldest organized Heritage Trail in the Southeast, this self-guided Historic Albemarle Tour fosters a profound sense of place, time, and history. When combined, the Tour's array of attractions, towns, and natural wonders offer a captivating look into both American and Southern culture and heritage.

For decades, travelers in northeastern North Carolina have been guided to the Tour’s significant historic, natural, and cultural sites by the unmistakable brown Historic Albemarle Tour signs adorning the region's highways and byways. The stops along the Tour range from one of the oldest surviving colonial homesteads in the state to the meticulously restored plantation home of North Carolina’s Federal-era governor; from the charming residences and structures of colonial Edenton to a nineteenth-century Outer Banks lifesaving station. The Tour encompasses lighthouses, walking tours, museums, aquariums, gardens, arts organizations, eco-tourism opportunities, and even the nation’s oldest outdoor drama.

The founders of the Tour recognized a unique opportunity in the mid-1970s when managers of various historic sites and towns came together to combine their promotional and funding efforts. “It was a revolutionary concept back then,” recalls former HAT President Russ Haddad. “At the outset, there were just nine HAT members. The Historic Albemarle Tour was among the first organized attempts at regional tourism in North Carolina. Today, regionalism is a widespread concept, but years ago, it was quite novel.”

In 1975, under the guidance of Snookie Bond, a lifelong resident of Edenton, NC, and a passionate advocate for regional tourism, the original sites came together to form the Historic Albemarle Tour. Their mission, which remains unchanged, is to “promote cultural sites and natural attractions of the region as part of a comprehensive effort to enhance the travel and tourism industry in northeastern North Carolina.”

Attracting visitors has been a challenging endeavor. “Throughout the years, the allure of the Albemarle’s distinctive attractions has often been overshadowed by the development of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and other conventional coastal vacation spots,” Haddad remarked. “This, coupled with our constrained marketing budget and a historically visitor-unfriendly infrastructure, has led to only modest advances in our promotional efforts.”

However, the landscape has shifted. Modern travelers are increasingly drawn to the appeal and value of rural and heritage tourism. In fact, the North Carolina Department of Commerce has established a Heritage Tourism Division to support this expanding demographic. A recent study by the Department revealed that while beaches remain the primary attraction in eastern North Carolina, nearly 45% of visitors to the region explored historical sites or parks and participated in outdoor activities.

With a growing array of sophisticated accommodations, dining options, shopping, and enhanced four-lane highways, the environment is now primed for heritage and cultural tourism to emerge as a significant economic driver for the Albemarle.

“Situated within a 200-mile radius are four major metropolitan areas,” Haddad noted. “With the new four-lane highways 17, 64, and 264, access has never been easier. Furthermore, we boast some of the state’s most unique inns, restaurants, and shopping experiences. The outcome is a rediscovery of the Albemarle by people living right in our own vicinity.”

Since its inception, the Historic Albemarle Tour continues to lead the way in tourism within this area. Its members are offering an extraordinary insight into the rich and diverse heritage of this ancient region, captivating thousands of new visitors each year.g thousands of new visitors each year.

Our Mission

Preserving Heritage, Inspiring Journeys

At Historic Albemarle Highway, our mission is to lead the way in showcasing the historic, cultural, and environmentally significant sites across the 17-county Northeast North Carolina region. We are dedicated to creating innovative strategies and unifying efforts that interpret the rich heritage of our area, attract visitors, and promote the region as a premier cultural heritage tourism destination.

Cultural heritage tourism invites travelers to immerse themselves in the authentic stories and experiences that define our past and present. By exploring our diverse cultural, historic, and natural resources, visitors can connect with the essence of our region and its people.

Founded in 1975, the Historic Albemarle Tour stands as one of North Carolina's oldest Heritage Trails. When you embark on this journey, you traverse 400 years of American history, culture, and environmental significance, discovering the unique narratives that shape our community.

Connect and Collaborate: Our Site Members and Contact Info

Frisco Native American Museum

Historic Edenton

Chicamaomico Station

Aurora Fossil Museum

Explore History

Welcome to the Historic Albemarle Highway