Diving into History Fun Itinerary

We believe every detour (or interstate exit) in Johnston County offers an opportunity to learn, play, and grow with history. Stay for a weekend trip and find out a bit of our history from Civil War battles at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site, farm heritage dating back to the early 1700s at the Tobacco Farm Life Museum and a taste of Hollywood glamour at the Ava Gardner Museum. 
 

Where to Stay for Easy Access to History

Visitors choosing a history-filled trip will find that staying in our Benson or Smithfield hotels will offer convenient locations to hub out to historic sites, museums, and trails full of heritage stops.
 

A History Lesson with Fun

History excursions can be all about the facts, but here in Johnston County we have Civil War history with hiking trails, film exhibitions with fashion, and farm programs with hands-on fun for children. 

Day One

10:00 am      Arrive in the charming historic Towns of Benson (c.1887) or Smithfield (c.1777) and stroll through the streets enjoying a place to shop and dine before diving into history in JoCo. 

If staying in Benson, start your 48-hour visit with this itinerary:

It's closer to lunch than breakfast when you arrive in the charming downtown of Benson, we suggest that the waffles at Cornerstone Cafe & Coffee are the perfect way to start your day of exploring. Right across the street is the Benson Museum of Local History, which offers a curated walk through the Town's history, the families, the farmers and the merchants that made Benson what it is today. The Museum is open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 11am-3pm.

1:00pm         For an afternoon of Civic War history, driving tours, and hiking Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site is your next stop on this itinerary. Start at the Visitor Center to tour exhibits and the gift shop, and on to the grounds of the site for a tour of the Harper House, a field hospital for the Union troops injured during the three-day battle. There is a minor cost for the guided tour. Hours and times for the historic site are:  Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5pm Closed Sunday and Monday and most major holidays.

Driving tours and hiking trails are available to continue the day of history and nature. To find out more options and maps for exploring trails, click here to help plan your afternoon.

If staying in Smithfield, start your 48 hour visit with this itinerary:

10:00am      Just like Benson, we suggest starting your day at one of our favorite coffee shops and cafes, The Gilded Pear Brew House has a selections of crepes, sweet or savory and perfect start to the day. Should you wish to walk some afterwards, the Smithfield Walking Tour Map, gives you a walk along many historic homes in a four block area. The map is available to download here, or you can drop in the Johnston County Heritage Center to start your day. Hours and days open for the Heritage Center are:

12N             From the Heritage Center, head west along Market Street to the Ava Gardner Museum, where Smithfield's Hollywood history comes alive and where visitors from around the world travel to learn about one of North Carolina's famous daughters. The Museum is open Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30am-4:30pm, Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm and Sunday, 12-5pm. The tour start with a 17-minute film on Ava's life and career, and visitors then take a self-guided tour of the main gallery and the library exhibits. Allow approximately one hour for the museum.

Just outside and steps away from the Ava Gardner Museum is the Johnston County Museum, which takes visitors from Colonial history to the 1950s era in the county. The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10-5pm.

The Town of Smithfield was founded along the Neuse River, and to end your day, we suggest a walk along the Buffalo Creek Greenway for a relaxing stroll to reflect on the heritage of the area.

After such a long day exploring, we love a sweet treat like local ice cream shops -- we suggest you try Sisters II in Benson, or The Celtic Creamery in Smithfield.

Day Two

Wherever you stay in the county, there are some key historic sites not to miss before heading back home. Start you day with breakfast in your hotel, and choose your next history lesson. We have two driving tour trail maps to continue to explore two themes from yesterday, the Bentonville Battlefield Driving Tour, takes you from the historic site, to Smithfield, Selma and on to Clayton along the Carolina's Campaign. If you wish to continue to explore the connections to local Hollywood legend, Ava Gardner, go on the Ava Gardner Heritage Tour, which takes visitors to her birthplace, the Teacherage where she lived until age 12, and her final resting place at Sunset Memorial Gardens cemetery.

We also suggest you add in the Tobacco Farm Life Museum to your second day exploring the county's heritage. Johnston County, founded in 1746, has a rich history of farming and continues to lead the state and country in the production of crops like sweetpotatoes. The museum is currently under a renovation, and will be open in May 2025, so plan to visit after that date. The museum portrays the history of tobacco growing in the area, as well as, the day to day lives of farmers in the county. Also on the site is the Iredell Brown farmstead buildings, including a house, kitchen and tobacco barn.

We love for visitors to go home with local foods that are a tribute to our heritage, here's a few to check out: Atkinson's Mill, Carolina Packers, Stevens Sausage and Shamrock Buzzy Bee.

Come back to see us for one of our other adventures - we have many themed day trips to offer.

Listings of Historical Sites in JoCo