Museums & Historic Sites

Alexander Dickson House, 150 E. King St., 732-7741

The late 18th-century Quaker-plan house now serves as the Orange County Visitors Center. The site includes an office used by Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in April 1865 and an 18th- and 19th-century medicinal and herbal garden.

Ayr Mount Historic Site, 376 St. Mary’s Road, 732-6886

Guided tours are offered of the 1815 Federal-era plantation house, which has been restored and furnished with period antiques and fine art. The estate includes a one-mile-long Poet’s Walk.

The Burwell School, 319 N. Churton St., 732-7451

Guided tours are offered of the historic school for girls that operated from 1837-1857. The site now serves as a museum and offers heritage education programs. The site includes a frame house built around 1821, 1848 additions, a brick music building, brick necessary house and formal gardens.

Historic Church Buildings

• Dickerson Chapel AME Church, 100 E. Queen St., 732-3050

• First Baptist Church, 201 W. King St., 732-8174

• Hillsborough Presbyterian Church, 102 W. Tryon St., 732-3131

• Hillsborough United Methodist Church, 130 W. Tryon St., 732-3460

• St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 210 St. Mary’s Road, 732-9308

Occaneechi Indian Village, East Margaret Lane, behind the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, 304-3723

Reconstructed 17th-century Occaneechi village on the banks of the Eno River, near where the tribe had a village 300 years ago.

Old Orange County Courthouse, North Churton and East King streets, 732-7741

The 1844 Greek-revival building was designed and built by local builder John Berry. The courthouse is still in use for county judicial business.

Orange County Historical Museum, 201 N. Churton St., 732-2201

The museum features the only complete set of colonial weights and measures in the United States, portraits of notable Hillsborough figures and memorabilia from the colonial, antebellum, Civil War and industrialization eras. A second-floor gallery showcases a different local artist each month.

Ruffin-Roulhac House, 101 E. Orange St., 732-1270

The early 19th-century house, which belonged to Chief Justice Thomas Ruffin, now serves as Hillsborough’s town hall. It has notable interior woodworking and is surrounded by several outbuildings.

Town Cemeteries

• Lockhart-Phillips Family Cemetery, East Tryon Street

• Old Slave Cemetery, West Margaret Lane and Occoneechi Street

• Old Town Cemetery, North Churton and West Tryon streets

• St. Matthew’s Churchyard, St. Mary’s Road and Cameron Street