Tryon Palace

I took two tours of the place proper and got to enjoy a bit of the museum sites down in S Front Street. The palace tour is very informative. Having taken the tour once and coming back with a friend, I realized that different guides highlight a variety of areas given their field of interest. There is the core information that they all share, and then that extra bit that they probably researched on their own. The last guide for example [ see photo] was really into making her own clothing. She mentioned that she had stitched her costume, as well as the pocket that the women wore, which I learned were embroidered in a way that truly represented her personal style even though, and maybe because, the pocket remained hidden beneath pounds of clothing.
The grounds around the palace are beautiful. And a great place to hang out or stroll along until late afternoon.

Tryon Palace, while historic (though a recreation of the building that previously burned down), is not necessarily the most exciting place in New Bern. We liked it, but didn’t love it.
On the 4^th of July, when we went, it was free to get on the grounds. The house was extra, so we skipped that. The grounds themselves are large, but the gardens are only okay. Perhaps because it was the dead of summer, I was less than impressed and quite happy that we didn’t pay for it.
If you’re a history buff, do give it a check. But I was definitely a bit underwhelmed.

North Carolina’s version of Colonial Wiliamsburg isn’t as grand or expansive as the Virgina attraction, but it’s worth a visit nonetheless. Like Williamsburg, Tryon Palace is a reconstruction of the 18^th Century original, built from the architect’s blueprint and furnished with period décor. Located in the historic and picturesque city of New Bern, it’s a great place to stop on the way to the Lower OBX, as well as a fun destination on its own.
The tour of the main palace runs just under an hour, and our guides made sure every minute was filled with valuable insights into North Carolina’s colonial history. The palace gardens are also worth a stroll, as are the two adjacent outbuildings containing stables, a kitchen, and the servant’s quarters (all self-​guided). If you have the time (we did not), there are also four authentic period houses surrounding the palace, all included in the standard ticket package.
The History Center, just a short walk away, is a great place to begin and end your visit. A short but detailed orientation video will provide some important historical background on the Palace and New Bern’s role in the colonial government. And the Pepsi Family Center lets kids travel back in time to discover the challenges of 18^th Century life through fun, interactive exhibits. A word of warning — save this for the END of your visit, as it will be next to impossible to pull your kids away.
When your day at the Palace is through, take some time to explore New Bern’s charming downtown. One of North Carolina’s prettiest and most historical towns, it’s the perfect place to stroll on a summer afternoon.

Cool place to visit. The Pepsi family center is a great experience for kids and adults and teaches history. The museum area is very near with a lot of interactive areas. My only complaint for the museum was that there was too much information everywhere I turned and it actually gave me sensory overload. The palace and gardens are beautiful and a must see. Definitely worth a visit. Oh, the staff was very friendly and helpful as well!!!

We decided to tour the gardens only, 5/25/14…with kids on a warm day we wanted a shorter less expensive day. Big mistake. The gardens, other than then English manicured garden, were very poorly maintained. Not at all a good value.

I loved the history. The scenery in general is beautiful. I miss New Bern in general. I just remember always going to this place. I would go back again if I ever get a chance.

This place was really cool to see! The guides give you a good history about the place and can answer almost any question you have. There are several historic houses surrounding the palace that you can tour also. The map that they give you when you buy the tickets say that some of them are open to tour at your own pace, but we couldn’t get into any of them without knocking so that a tour guide could open the door for us, so make sure you plan right to make it to all of the tours (every half hour or so)
The gardens were a litle overgrown but still pretty to see.
The only bummer was that you can’t take any pictures inside the palace or any of the historic houses so I don’t have much to remember them by — just pictures of the outside.
There are 3 floors in the palace that they take you around, and I don’t think that they are wheelchair accessible, so you should be able to climb stairs.
Apparently all of the items/​furniture in the house are actually from the 1800s, not just made to look that way, so it’s pretty authentic.
There’s a woman in the kitchen that actually cooks using a dutch oven/​fire so it’s cool to talk to her and find out how she does it, but the kitchen smells pretty smokey from the fire she uses so beware.

If you enjoy history, culture, early Americana, and just getting to know the place you live… this is a great way to spend a day (or half a day.) I really enjoyed the tours, and learned a tremendous amount. Go early in the day, especially in warmer months.

This place is huge. We only had a few hours to take it all in so we enjoyed the tours through some of the smaller houses and the last tour through Tryon Palace. It was a dreary day so sadly we did not get to wander through the gardens, but from what we did see, it was quite nice.
North Carolina’s first colonial and state capitol, Tryon Palace was the place where governors ruled, legislators debated, patriots gathered and George Washington danced. They liked to remind the visitors that George Washington was once there and share details of its destruction during the Civil War as well as the pride with which locals raised funds to rebuild it rather than take state funds for its rebuilding. The costumed guides add a nice touch and the older ladies tell the stories as if talking about old family members. This is definitely a must-​see on your list of places to check out when visiting New Bern.

After many years of seeing the signs for Tryon Palace I finally visited. As a fan of history and architecture, I wasn’t disappointed. Yes, the palace building itself is a recreation of the original, but that’s OK as the attention to detail (and the story behind its development) is amazing. The other houses included in the admission price are original and also have great details inside. The docents were VERY knowledgeable about the building, the activities of the time and the history of the residents. I enjoyed my walk around the gardens and the buildings and found many opportunities to stop & take photos.
Thumbs up for: price, quality, historical accuracy, docent knowledge.

Sorry, just not impressed with a reproduction of what a historic building might have looked like. There in August and the gardens weren’t exciting. If you are looking for something to do while you’re in New Bern for other reasons, give it a look, but I wouldn’t drive out of my way for it.

Fun little historical town. It’s probably much nicer in the spring when all the garden is in bloom. It was brutally hot in the summer but the visitors center was beautiful with all the amenities (a film about the history, a gift shop with all the souvenirs you can buy, and a refreshing restaurant to power up on). They have a little golf cart taxi that takes you from the main parking to the front of the palace, but its easy to walk to if its not swelteringly hot. Prices are steep, but its worth a look at least once. I was a little disappointed how strict they were about taking pictures.

I attended the Pepsi shareholders meeting and was impressed with the layout. However there isn’t much to it as a tourist. This is one of the newer facilities in the area and the website makes it seem much bigger than it really is. Not a big deal.

A must see if you’re visiting the eastern coast of North Carolina. We drove a little over an hour to New Bern from Topsail Beach and spent the entire afternoon at this large site. Although I thought the price was rather steep at first (an AAA discount knocks off a bit), by the end of the day it was well worth it.
Admission gives the visitor access to the reconstructed palace and gardens, several surrounding homes, and the newly constructed Regional History Museum.
Take the time to tour the palace and walk it’s beautiful gardens. Truly spectacular during the summer. However, it was the museum that was the real highlight of the visit. A must visit with children. Opened this past October, this beautiful and spacious museum has a theater, gallery, eatery /​ice cream parlor, gift shop, and a well done exhibit hall chronicling the local history and culture of the area. The highlight for us was the Time Machine activity area which allowed children to experience life in a North Carolina town set in 1835. Children traveled from station to station engaging in various crafts (printing, cooking, making pine tar, sailing etc.) and truly «experienced» it — great use of touch screens and hands on activities.
We had a great time — Tryon Palace was one of the highlights of our vacation. Highly recommended!

Really great place to see. The palace is very beautiful inside and out, also be sure to check out the garden, it’s pretty amazing.

Dang this place was awesome. I was staying in a nearby hotel, and decided to go for a run when I came across this place. I highly suggest it for a photo-​op (wedding etc.) Beautiful historic building, in a quaint town.

I would say this is a must see place for New Bern. The tour gives you a pretty comprehensive view of life in 1800, for the elite and the people who served them. The gardens were very impressive, especially the vegtable garden. I have never seen so many foods grown in one compact organized garden before. The guides did an excellent job of descibing all the activities that took place here. I took away a star because the actual buildings are interpretive reconstuctions due to a fire destroying the complex, and while spectacular and period correct, we don’t know if they are accurate, still if you are in new bern you should see this.

An elaborate (multi-​building) compound comprising North Carolina’s first capital. The entry fee is a bit steep, so if you want to get your money’s worth allocate at least an afternoon to tour the buildings and grounds. The historian may find it a bit of a mish-​mash, and the period actors may or may not be on their toes that day, but overall it’s well worth a trip.
Note on the grounds: they are in need of some sprucing up, but you can learn a lot about the local flora here.

This location is a step back in time. The Gardens are so Lovely, especially in the spring with Tulips everywhere. The Gardens are always free one week end in the spring and one week end in the fall. Guided tours of the once Governor’s Palace are also available. A must see if you visit our quaint little town. Did you know George Washington danced here?!