July – December 2019 Jul – Dec 2019
Behind the Scenes: Museum Technology
Rob Jones, Tryon Palace Multi-Media Coordinator, will take visitors on a tour inside the technology that operates the interactive exhibits inside the North Carolina History Center. Get an in-depth look into making history come alive and learn how Tryon Palace combines modern technology with meeting educational goals inside the Pepsi Family Center and Regional History Museum. Space is limited on each tour and flash photography is prohibited. Tours may involve walking and climbing stairs.
North Carolina History Center
The Fifes and Drums of York Town Performance
On Friday, July 19, The Fifes and Drums of York Town will be performing on the Tryon Palace grounds. At 11:30 a.m., The Fifes and Drums of York Town will begin their march down the Grand Allée to the Tryon Palace South Lawn for their performance. The Fifes and Drums of York Town was formed for the American Bicentennial Celebration in 1976. Today they continue their mission to recruit youth between the age of 10 and 18 and train them in the rudiments and drill of 18th Century field music. A typical performance season consists of approximately 80 shows, many of which are conducted for the National Park Service and York County, as well as various historic venues along our Eastern seaboard including Mount Vernon, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Valley Forge Pennsylvania, West Point, New York, and Boston, Massachusetts. Our members dress in period uniforms. The goal of all members is to promote into the Senior Corps and wear the red regimental uniform reminiscent of the uniform worn by 18th century musicians who served in the Continental Army in Yorktown, Virginia…where Freedom was Won! Learn more about The Fifes and Drums of York Town HERE! Location: Tryon Palace South Lawn Event Price Included with your purchase of a One-Day, Gardens, or Galleries Pass. Contact Email: info@tryonpalace.org
Tryon Palace
First Friday: Hair!
Join us for a tour of women's hairstyles from 1750 through 1870. Historic Clothing Interpreter Leslie Lambrecht will talk about styles, changes in hair care, and the use of wigs.
Cullman Performance Hall in N.C. History Center
Garden Lecture Series – August
Our August garden lecture series, Saturday, August 10, features Charlotte Glen, the statewide coordinator for the NC State Extension Master Gardener Program, discussing "Perennials for Pollinators." Are you seeking beautiful, low-care, flowering plants that will return year after year and attract pollinators to your landscape? Attend this presentation to learn about perennials that thrive in eastern North Carolina's challenging climate, with a focus on varieties that support birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. In addition to recommended varieties, the presentation will also discuss how to select the right plants for growing conditions in your yard, designing plantings for maximum benefit to pollinators, and share tips for establishing and caring for perennials so they will thrive for years to come. An eastern North Carolina native, Charlotte has studied horticulture and gardened in the North Carolina coastal plain and piedmont, Scotland and New Zealand. She is an avid gardener with a keen interest in native plants, sustainable landscaping, and garden ecology. This lecture is free and begins at 10 a.m. in Cullman Performance Hall at the North Carolina History Center.
Cullman Performance Hall, North Carolina History Center
Stanly-Spaight Duel
On September 5th, 1802, a prominent New Bern lawyer met his political rival, a former State Governor, in a lethal duel on the streets of New Bern. Step back in time to an era where a man's personal honor was his most cherished quality and any incursion on this prized value could result in fiery and violent retribution. Watch the drama unfold before your eyes in a gripping reenactment of this fateful day.
New Bern Academy
First Friday: "Military Camp Life"
Have you ever wondered what life was like in a military camp? What did soldiers do in their downtime? Join Interpretive Programs Coordinator Gary Riggs for a closer look at camp life. Event Price: $6, Foundation Members Free
Garden Lecture Series – September
"Heritage Plants of ENC & Trade Specials" Tryon Palace and Craven County Agricultural Center will co-host the September garden lecture, "Heritage Plants of ENC & Trade Specials". This garden lecture will focus on plants best adapted to face the weather challenges of Eastern North Carolina with a sneak peek of the plants available at the Tryon Palace Fall Plant Sale. The lecture features Hadley Cheris, Tryon Palace Gardens and Greenhouse Manager, and Jennifer Knight, community gardener and owner of Knightscapes Enterprises, a design/ build landscape firm. Knight is also a Craven County Master Gardener. This lecture is free and begins at 10 a.m. in Cullman Performance Hall at the North Carolina History Center.
Lanterns on the Lawn: A Family Campout at Tryon Palace
Sep 21 @ 2:00 pm – Sep 22 @ 10:00 am
Bring the family and your camping gear for a night under the stars at our Fall 2019 Spring Lanterns on the Lawn: A Family Campout on the Tryon Palace South Lawn to benefit the Tryon Palace Foundation. Campers can reserve 15-foot square plots on the South Lawn for a campsite and set up for the evening. Setup begins 2:00–6:00 p.m. Saturday. The Tryon Palace Gardens and Garden Shop will remain open until dusk to allow campers to walk through the gardens, and purchase items from store. Saturday evening activities will continue with crafts, lawn games, an All-American dinner buffet of hamburgers and hot dogs, making s'mores, a campfire sing-a-long, and a moonlit scavenger hunt in the Wilderness Garden with glow sticks. Wake up on Sunday to a breakfast of coffee, juice, doughnuts, and fruit, followed by a family yoga session. All camping equipment and other personal belongings must be removed by 10 a.m. Sunday. Foundation Member Presale: July 8th – 12th Regular Ticket Sales: July 15th Registration requires completion of Registration Form. Incomplete forms will not be processed. No one will be admitted unless properly registered. No refunds will be given for registration fees after September 6th. For groups of up to four guests, $50 (Tryon Palace Foundation Members)/$60 (Nonmembers). For groups exceeding five guests, $90 (Tryon Palace Foundation Members)/$100 (Nonmembers). Campsites not to exceed eight guests. Children 5 and under are free and also not part of the campsite head counts.
Tryon Palace South Lawn
Behind the Scenes: Gardens
Tryon Palace Greenhouse and Gardens Manager, Hadley Cheris will meet guests at the Waystation to discover what is popping up in the 16 acres of Tryon Palace Gardens. (Tour cancelled only in the event of thunder and lightning.) Space is limited on each tour and flash photography is prohibited. Tours may involve walking and climbing stairs.
Tryon Palace Waystation
Fall Garden Lovers' Weekend
Tryon Palace gardens will be open for free during MumFest weekend, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 11-13 in historic downtown New Bern. Hundreds of mums and a variety of fall blooming plants will be on display throughout the 16 acres of gardens of Tryon Palace during Garden Lovers' Weekend. Gardens will be free and open to the public Friday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 13, from noon to 6 p.m. Interior tours require the purchase of a ticket.
Tryon Palace Grounds
Oct 26 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Witches, ghosts, and other creatures are taking over Tryon Palace! Bring the kids dressed in their favorite costume and get into the Halloween spirit with crafts, games, and – of course – candy! While wandering the haunted grounds, you'll encounter friendly witches and ghosts. You may even encounter the Headless Horseman in search of Ichabod Crane! Designed for ages 12 and under, the brave children who attend "All Hallows' Eve" will make a craft, play games, and trick-or-treat. No masks, please. All passes for All Hallows' Eve include admission to the Tryon Palace gardens.
Discovering Tryon Palace: Holiday Décor
Nov 27 @ 9:15 am – 10:15 am
Join us on a tour of the Governor's Palace and focus on the decorations for the upcoming "Christmas Belles: A Candlelight Christmas Celebration." Hadley Cheris, Tryon Palace Gardens and Greenhouse Manager, will lead a tour of the first floor of the Governor's Palace, describing the special items used in the decorations, sharing design tips, and explaining themes inspired by an 18th-century fascination with the East. Space is limited on each tour and flash photography is prohibited. Tours may involve walking and climbing stairs. Tickets do not include additional tours or access to the Tryon Palace Grounds. Discovering Tryon Palace: Holiday Décor Tours will take place on Wednesday, November 27, December 4, 11, 18, 2019. All tours will begin at the Tryon Palace Front Gates at 9:15 a.m. Tickets for tours must be purchased before 9:15 a.m.
Dec 4 @ 9:15 am – 10:15 am
A Candlelight Christmas Celebration
This famed North Carolina tradition returns to Tryon Palace in 2019 with beautiful, new decorations and heartwarming holiday vignettes illuminated by the magical glow of candlelight. Experience the beauty, joy, and magic of the holidays as the women of Tryon Palace welcome you into their home for "Christmas Belles: A Candlelight Christmas Celebration." As you walk through the Governor's Palace and historic homes you will meet a century of New Bern's women who carried the evolving traditions of English and American culture through the colonial period, into a blossoming nation, and through the Civil War. Meet the brave women who were comfortable with themselves and with power, who took aspects of their own future into their hands, and who supported each other and future generations through difficult times. Join Tryon Palace for its 39th year with decorations inspired by an 18th-century fascination with the East and traditional 19th-century Christmas décor. Visit with historic characters in period clothing, witness holiday vignettes spanning two centuries, and cap off your evening with a dazzling black powder firework display on the Palace South Lawn. Candlelight is a site wide event for Tryon Palace that includes tours of the Governor's Palace, Stanly House, Dixon House, Commission House, and numerous activities on the grounds.Stay tuned to the Tryon Palace website and social media for more Candlelight updates!