The Wayne County Museum is a step back in time and a terrific introduction to Goldsboro and its surrounding county. Here you will learn about more about the city’s role in the Civil War. A tour of the cemetery is offered by guides dressed in period costumes; admission to both the museum and the tour is free, but donations and tips are appreciated. The Civil War stays with you as you visit the Goldsboro Bridge Battlefield Park, where a self-guided walking trail will take you to the site of the old railroad bridge and the surrounding earthworks. In December of 1862, more than 15,000 soldiers engaged in battle here to secure the strategically important bridge. Take a moment to pay your respects to the many who died.
After all that history, you might want to spend a lazy day at the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. The park offers four hiking trails, a large picnic shelter, an 11-acre swim lake, concession area and easy walking access to the banks of the Neuse River for anyone interested in fishing. If you would like to relax a little more, then visit A Secret Garden Winery, one of several independent wineries located around Goldsboro. It takes up three acres of a 25-acre family farm and produces a selection of naturally fermented wines from the area’s native grape—and the official fruit of North Carolina—the Muscadine. Visits are welcomed all year round; take a tour and a tasting and see what makes Goldsboro wines unique. Your children might want to blow off some steam at Goldsboro’s oldest and most popular park, Herman Park, located right in the center of town. Facilities include 10 lighted tennis courts, three picnic shelters, a historic park house and fountain, a gazebo, a goldfish pond, a children’s playground and a miniature train. The park is open year round, though the train only operates on weekends between April and September.
If you are ready for a little more North Carolina history, then head over to the Waynesborough Historical Village, a recreated village situated between the Neuse River and the Little River. There are nine structures to explore, including a school, a lawyer's office and a Quaker meetinghouse. All were actually used between the 1860s and the 1920s before being moved and situated here. After sightseeing, check out the five miles of walking trails that surround the village.
Goldsboro is alive with history—explore the different ways to experience it, but don’t forget about all the other fun waiting around town. Book now with Choice Hotels and expect a warm welcome full of southern hospitality.