stories
stories
HomeMoneyLifestyleNewsSportsEntertainmentTravelScienceLocal

Highest-rated free things to do in North Carolina by visitors

·Stacker

Zoran Zeremski // Shutterstock
Zoran Zeremski // Shutterstock
Add Stacker as Preferred Source

Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in North Carolina.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in North Carolina using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

You may also like: Easy as pie: See the most uniquely popular pie in North Carolina

#29. North Carolina Museum of History

Tripadvisor

2 / 30

#29. North Carolina Museum of History

- Rating: 4.6/5 (939 reviews)
- City: Raleigh North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. Airborne and Special Operations Museum

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. Airborne and Special Operations Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,098 reviews)
- City: Fayetteville North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Pilot Mountain State Park

Tripadvisor

7 / 30

#24. Pilot Mountain State Park

- Rating: 4.7/5 (779 reviews)
- City: Pinnacle North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Fort Macon State Park

Tripadvisor

8 / 30

#23. Fort Macon State Park

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,635 reviews)
- City: Atlantic Beach North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#22. Looking Glass Falls

Tripadvisor

9 / 30

#22. Looking Glass Falls

- Rating: 4.7/5 (926 reviews)
- City: Pisgah Forest North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Tripadvisor

13 / 30

#18. Cape Hatteras National Seashore

- Rating: 4.7/5 (599 reviews)
- City: Hatteras Island Outer Banks North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. Wrightsville Beach

Tripadvisor

14 / 30

#17. Wrightsville Beach

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,119 reviews)
- City: Wrightsville Beach North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. The Folk Art Center (Southern Highland Craft Guild)

Tripadvisor

18 / 30

#13. The Folk Art Center (Southern Highland Craft Guild)

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,438 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. JOLO Winery & Vineyards

Tripadvisor

21 / 30

#10. JOLO Winery & Vineyards

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,097 reviews)
- City: Pilot Mountain North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. North Carolina Museum Of Art

Tripadvisor

23 / 30

#8. North Carolina Museum Of Art

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,856 reviews)
- City: Raleigh North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Jockey's Ridge State Park

Tripadvisor

24 / 30

#7. Jockey's Ridge State Park

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,342 reviews)
- City: Nags Head Outer Banks North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Tripadvisor

26 / 30

#5. Sarah P. Duke Gardens

- Rating: 4.8/5 (2,223 reviews)
- City: Durham North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Tripadvisor

29 / 30

#2. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,351 reviews)
- City: Raleigh North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Trending stories