Explore and Play

Visit for the day, the weekend, or make us part of your road trip pit-stop!

Whether it's outdoor soft adventure you seek, food trails to follow, or learning something at your leisure - we invite you to make Johnston County's towns and convenient interstate exits part of your trip. There's something to experience for the whole family. Explore parks & greenways (many that are dog-friendly), enjoy a local meal prepared with farm fresh ingredients, and get more for your money when you stay overnight using one of our hotel package deals!

Take a drive to one of our scenic farms and pick up fresh produce for your next meal! Experience the culture of JoCo and visit our vibrant downtowns with unique shopping, dining, and entertainment. No matter what you're looking for, you'll find something to do in Johnston County. So come and explore our beautiful county and all it has to offer!

Request or download our Official Visitors Guide and sign up for our monthly Calendar Email. 

From Heritage to Hollywood

From the largest Civil War Battlefield in NC at Bentonville to the county’s Hollywood connection at the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, we invite you to explore all corners of the county.  Get out and experience nature at several greenways (or fairways for golfers), parks and forests for hiking and biking, or pamper yourself for the day at an area spa.

We want to share our agritourism culture with you at area museums like the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly and on-farm tours, pick-your-own, and special events at Smith’s Family Strawberry Farm and Sonlight Farms.  Get to know our area farm families and how it connects to area restaurants and culinary trails – you can visit a farm and take back locally sourced products…Yum!  

Johnston County, or JoCo as locals fondly refer to our community, is convenient for day trips from Raleigh, Fayetteville or Wilmington to enjoy a culinary trail for barbecue and stops at area wineries, breweries and a distilleries.  Taste, sip, and enjoy a night out for a performance, music or comedy at area venues like the Live@The Rudy or check our calendar of events for upcoming festivals!