Beaufort Historic Site Tours
Explore Beaufort’s History One Tour at a Time
The Beaufort Historic Site offers three distinct tours, each covering a different piece of Beaufort’s history. Whether you’re exploring the restored buildings, riding through the historic district, or walking the grounds of a 300-year-old cemetery, every tour is led by guides who know this town’s past firsthand.
Historic Buildings Tour
Prized for their period collections and furnishings, the Historic Site buildings run from the rustic Leffers Cottage c.1778 and the elaborately furnished Victorian Josiah Bell House c.1825, to the award-winning Federal-style John C. Manson House c.1825. The tour also covers the Carteret County Jail c.1829, the Apothecary Shop and Doctor’s Office c.1857 with its priceless pharmaceutical and medicinal artifacts, and the Carteret County Courthouse of 1796, the only remaining wood-framed English Circuit courthouse left intact in North Carolina. Each building depicts a different period or aspect of life in historic Beaufort.
The Site is free and open to the public year-round. Visitors interested in entering the historic buildings must obtain tickets to tours led by experienced docents in period dress. Go by the Beaufort Historic Site Welcome Center or call 252.728.5225 for tour information and tickets.
Schedule
Guided tours run year-round, Monday through Saturday.
Winter
(December through March):
10:30am and 2:00pm
Summer
(April through November):
10:00am and 2:30pm
Tickets
Adults: $15 | Children ages 6 to 12: $6 | Ages 5 and under: Free
Taxes are included in all ticket prices. Tours are also available upon request with one hour’s notice.
Tours run year-round, weather permitting. Please call 252.728.5225 with 24 hours notice to make a reservation.
Tours run in most conditions but may be rescheduled for extreme heat, storms or heavy rain.
Historic District Double-Decker Bus Tour
Hop aboard and see Beaufort’s historic district from atop a 1967 English double-decker bus. Local narrators share stories from Beaufort’s past, covering pirates, star-crossed lovers, and Confederate spies.
Schedule
April through November,
Monday through Saturday at 1:30pm
Tickets
Adults: $15 | Children ages 6 to 12: $6 | Ages 5 and under: Free
Charters are available year-round. For information, contact Shelly Brannan at bhaeducation@outlook.com
Tours run year-round, weather permitting. Please call 252.728.5225 with 24 hours notice to make a reservation.
Tours run in most conditions but may be rescheduled for extreme heat, storms, or heavy rain.
Old Burying Ground Tour
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Old Burying Ground holds over three centuries of Beaufort’s history beneath the shade of majestic live oak trees. An experienced guide in period dress leads tours through the cemetery, sharing the stories of its many colorful residents.
Tickets
Adults: $15 | Children ages 6 to 12: $6 | Ages 5 and under: Free
Tours run year-round, weather permitting. Please call 252.728.5225 with 24 hours notice to make a reservation.
Tours run in most conditions but may be rescheduled for extreme heat, storms or heavy rain.
For information about group tours, see the Group Tour Prices
Book Your Tour Today
All three tours are available year-round with advance notice. Call ahead to reserve your spot or ask about group and charter options.