Tours at the Beaufort Historic Site
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
All prized for their period collections and furnishings, the historic buildings on site 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 Historic Buildings Tour includes three of the buildings, led by experienced docents in period dress.
Schedule
Guided tours run year-round, Monday through Saturday.
Winter
(December through March):
10:30 am and 2:00 pm
Summer
(April through November):
10:00 am and 2:30 pm
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 1:30 pm.
Tickets
Adults: $15 | Children ages 6 to 12: $6 | Ages 5 and under: Free
Charters are available year-round. For information, download the Bus Rental Agreement.
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.