8 Playfully Peculiar Towns In North Carolina
North Carolina might be famous for its diverse natural beauty and lively cultural scene, but it also harbors a fair share of oddities that don’t ordinarily qualify as your everyday tourist attraction. A unique breed of travelers skips the mainstream and dives headfirst into the state’s wonderfully weird side, seeking out haunted destinations, cryptic legends, eccentric festivals, bizarre roadside installations, and towns that proudly dance to the beat of their own drum.
From competing to summon Bigfoot with outlandish calls in Marion to feasting on chicken fried in the World's Largest Frying Pan in Rose Hill, these destinations expose a side of North Carolina that few visitors experience. So, if you are up for an offbeat tour that goes against the norm, here are peculiar towns in North Carolina to visit.
Beaufort
Dive into a world of fantasy, history, and adventure in one of North Carolina's oldest towns during the annual Beaufort Pirate Invasion. This quirky festival reenacts the Spanish Attack on Beaufort in 1747 and attracts hordes of professional performers dressed in period-appropriate attire. A mix of sword fights, magical acts, and eerie music helps to bring the past to life as peg-legged pirates, mermaids, and other colorful characters entertain the audience.
Beaufort's rich history is carefully preserved across several landmarks and monuments, including the Beaufort Historic Site. This historic complex displays vintage structures from the 19th and 18th centuries. Elsewhere, the Rachel Carson Reserve invites newcomers to experience the town's natural beauty in a serene outdoor space teeming with wild horses.
Benson
Every fourth Saturday of September, this unpretentious village in Johnston County shocks the nation by dedicating four days of nonstop celebrations to the mule. The modest population of about 4,000 explodes as almost 30,000 people descend upon the town to mark the Benson Mule Days. This 75-year-old tradition features colorful events, including a parade attracting nearly 20,000 participants. Others include mule races, rodeo performances, concerts, food, and arts, making it one of the biggest festivals in North Carolina.
Guests can stop by the Benson Museum of Local History along Main Street to find out the origin of the town's weird tradition, among other interesting facts about its captivating past. However, those looking to get out into the open and play can head to Tucker Lake Recreation for waterslides, rope swings, picnic, and swimming fun.
Kernersville
Kernersville is a large suburb on the outskirts of Winston-Salem that interests architectural enthusiasts with a unique attraction. It is home to Korner's Folly, an eccentric brick dwelling from the 19th century that blends ingenuity, talent, and imagination to create a visual spectacle. The 3.5-story mansion was designed and built by Jule Korner and features architectural oddities like a 100-foot spiral staircase, 15 fireplaces with different designs, 22 rooms, and a collection of elaborate period furnishings.
The Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden is a lovely urban oasis where nature lovers can enjoy a tranquil green space and inspect an unusual display of paintings. Tourists should also consider visiting the Kernersville Auto Museum, which displays a fleet of classic and vintage automobiles chronicling almost a century of industry history.
Littleton
This tiny village in Halifax County draws fans of the bizarre, dark, and mysterious with its one-of-a-kind museum. The Cryptozoology & Paranormal Museum stockpiles exhibits that will make your head spin. These range from haunted dolls and Bigfoot-related items to UFO merchandise and other mysterious objects. The museum was the brainchild of Stephen Barcelo, a local cryptozoologist who wanted to display his research on subjects that would appeal to paranormal enthusiasts.
Littleton has a vibrant Main Street with an active arts community, inviting connoisseurs to examine sophisticated creations by regional artists at Frank's Fine Arts and watch family-friendly stage presentations at Lakeland Cultural Arts Center. You can also unwind with a cold craft beer along the main drag at Timber Waters Brewery.
Southern Pines
In the 70-mile proximity of Raleigh, Southern Pines might be famous for its golf, arts, and breweries, but it is also home to a bizarre museum bound to stir your curiosity. The Taxidermy Hall of Fame of NC exhibits a questionable blend of antique tools, taxidermy art, and creationism. This small museum inside a Christian bookstore holds a taxidermy of every wild animal found in the state that can be hunted and killed legally. It also features slogans and scriptures from the Bible, a creationist exhibit, and a selection of antique tools, making this a truly one-of-a-kind visit.
After the tour of the bizarre, guests can reset their minds with a gratifying cultural experience at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities. Alternatively, an easygoing tee time with peers on the manicured greens at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club can be the perfect way to unwind.
Hendersonville
30 minutes from Asheville, Hendersonville excites arcade game lovers of all ages with a mini heaven where they can spend a whole day indulging in their favorite hobby. The Appalachian Pinball Museum is an odd attraction with a collection of over 80 pinball machines, ranging from vintage to contemporary. The earliest pinball machine inside this old ballroom dates back to 1946, and the venue takes guests on an immersive journey through time, exploring the evolution of the machine.
Another quirky attraction to check out in Hendersonville is the Mineral & Lapidary Museum, which displays a mix of prehistoric fossils, polished gemstones, raw minerals, meteorites, and a Tyrannosaurus rex skull. Finally, airplane enthusiasts can browse an assemblage of over 20 vintage planes at the Western North Carolina Air Museum.
Marion
This historic mountain community at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains earns a spot among the most peculiar towns in North Carolina due to its obsession with finding Sasquatch. Every August, townsfolk come out in multitudes to mark the WNC Bigfoot Festival. This bizarre spectacle fascinates believers and interests skeptics with an array of eccentric activities, including a Bigfoot Calling Contest. Attendees also get to hear from paranormal speakers, enjoy live music, and savor delicious food, with a chance to pose for a photo next to the phenomenon.
Bigfoot aside, guests can discover Marion's pastoral beauty during a moderate hike into the countryside along the Toms Creek Falls Trail. Elsewhere, shoppers can sort through an assortment of agricultural goods for something fresh at the friendly Marion Tailgate Market.
Rose Hill
Rose Hill's claim to fame is being home to the World's Largest Frying Pan. Measuring 15 feet wide in diameter and weighing around 2 tons, this gigantic cookware can simultaneously hold up to 200 gallons of cooking oil and fry over 360 chickens. The frying pan was built as a tribute to Rose Hill's poultry industry, and every November, thousands gather to watch it in action for only once a year during the North Carolina Poultry Jubilee.
Besides feeding on fried chicken, Rose Hill welcomes tourists to try out tasty local wines at Duplin Winery, which is among the state's oldest and largest wineries, boasting a production capacity of 450,000 cases annually. Meanwhile, visiting families can take it easy outdoors with fun and games at the Rose Hill Recreation Department.
Quirky Towns in the Tar Heel State
From Littleton's paranormal museum to Beaufort's pirate attack, these eccentric towns in North Carolina embrace their quirks with pride, offering travelers more than just scenic views or historical landmarks. They invite curiosity, laughter, and a touch of the bizarre, demonstrating that the unexpected can often be the most memorable part of any journey in the United States. Whether you're a fan of the supernatural, the whimsical, or the downright strange, these towns welcome you to experience the playful and peculiar heart of the Tar Heel State.
