JULY

Summer Garden Hours
June 1-September 7, Gardens open until 7:00 p.m.
Last ticket sold at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 4 The Fourth of July Festivities: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Dramatic Reading of the Declaration of Independence: 11:00 a.m.   FREE Garden Admission, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Interior tours require the purchase of a ticket.  Visitors on this patriotic day will enjoy performances by the Fife and Drum Corps, free family entertainment including crafts and games for children and have the opportunity to mingle and chat with colonial characters presenting views of those loyal to the crown and those supporting the colony’s independence.

Saturday, July 4
Architectural Walking Tours - New Bern Academy Museum on the corner of New and Hancock Streets.
Tours start Saturday, May 2 and run through November on the first and third Saturdays.
Tickets: $2-adults; $1-students.
Tours depart Academy at 1:30 p.m.
Call 252.514.4951 for more information.

Tuesdays, July 7, 14, 21 and 28
Tryon Fun Tuesdays
9:00am-12:00pm
$5 per student (Save $10 and sign-up for the whole summer! $40 must be paid first day of attendance; sorry no refunds)
Ages 8-14
Parents can enjoy a morning off while their children enjoy a “blast from the past.” Kids will participate in popular games and activities from the 18th to 20th centuries. Come experience the lighter side of history this summer at Tryon Palace!
Parents must register children first day of participation.

Thursdays, July 9, 16, 23 and 30
Tryon’s Tales for Tots
10:00am-11:00am
$4 per child, adults free
Ages 3-5, with parental accompaniment.
You’re never too young for history! Pre-schoolers and parents will learn about life in the past through stories, objects, and crafts. Come listen, look, and learn about life in the past!

Saturday, July 11
African American Lecture
Guest Speakers include Dr. Reginald Watson 
“New Bern Literary Read In”
12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
FREE 
Visitor Center Auditorium
Come learn about the historical legacy of African American writers in North Carolina.  Meet historians and present day authors, hear their stories and purchase their works in this recitation, reception and book fair. This event is co-sponsored by Shelia Peele-Miller, author. 

Thursday, July 16
African American Lecture
Guest Speaker: Dr. Clarence E. Willie       
“The Marines of Montford Point: Fighting for Freedom”
7:00 p.m.
FREE  
Visitor Center Auditorium
In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order that the United States Marine Corps needed to begin recruiting and enlisting African Americans. The first black recruits received basic training at Camp Montford Point. The US Marine Corps was the last all white branch of the U.S. military. More than 20,000 men were trained at Montford Point; most of them went on to serve in the Pacific Theatre in World War II. 

Saturday, July 18
Tryon Palace Theater: Punch and Judy
11:00 a.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student; FREE with regular admission.
Stable Office Carriage Bay
Watch a real colonial puppet show, once performed in Governor Tryon’s time. Our version is adapted for young audiences and brings Punch & Judy to America just before the American Revolution.

Saturday, July 18
Architectural Walking Tours - New Bern Academy Museum on the corner of New and Hancock Streets.
Tours start Saturday, May 2 and run through November on the first and third Saturdays.
Tickets: $2-adults; $1-students.
Tours depart Academy at 1:30 p.m.
Call 252.514.4951 for more information.

Sunday, July 19
African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour
2:00 p.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student
Leaves from Visitor Center Lobby
Learn about 300 years of African American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks. 
Reservations required: 252-514-4935.
(Minimum Enrollment: 10)

Monday, July 27–Friday, July 31
Fife & Drum Corps Recruit Camp
8:30am-4:30pm daily.
$150 per student ($120 for Council of Friends Members).
Grades 6-10
Musicians were an important part of the 18th-century military. Fifes and drums played from sunrise to sunset, and served as a primary mode of communication from commander to troops during battle. Tryon Palace has undertaken the exciting task of recreating a colonial fife and drum corps, which plays at numerous events throughout the year in New Bern and beyond. In this camp, participants will learn from experienced instructors the basics of reading music, scales and rudiments, marching, history, and tunes that will prepare them to join the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps. Join this outstanding program and help bring history to life in a truly unique way.

Advance registration is necessary: contact kbrightman@tryonpalace.org or call 252-514-4939 for more information. Scholarships are available.
Registration closes Monday, July 20. Minimum Enrollment: 8

AUGUST

Saturdays, August 1, 15
Tryon Palace Theater: Meet John Lawson
11:00 a.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student; FREE with regular admission.
Visitor Center Auditorium
Learn about John Lawson—early 18th century explorer, surveyor, and father—as he prepares a special gift for his daughter, Isabella.

Saturday, August 1
Architectural Walking Tours - New Bern Academy Museum on the corner of New and Hancock Streets.
Tours start Saturday, May 2 and run through November on the first and third Saturdays.
Tickets: $2-adults; $1-students.
Tours depart Academy at 1:30 p.m.
Call 252.514.4951 for more information.

Tuesdays, August 4, 11 and 18
Tryon Fun Tuesdays
9:00am-12:00pm
$5 per student (Save $10 and sign-up for the whole summer! $40 must be paid first day of attendance; sorry no refunds)
Ages 8-14
Parents can enjoy a morning off while their children enjoy a “blast from the past.” Kids will participate in popular games and activities from the 18th to 20th centuries. Come experience the lighter side of history this summer at Tryon Palace!
Parents must register children first day of participation.

Thursdays, August 6, 13 and 20
Tryon’s Tales for Tots
10:00am-11:00am
$4 per child, adults free
Ages 3-5, with parental accompaniment.
You’re never too young for history! Pre-schoolers and parents will learn about life in the past through stories, objects, and crafts. Come listen, look, and learn about life in the past!

Saturday, August 15
Architectural Walking Tours - New Bern Academy Museum on the corner of New and Hancock Streets.
Tours start Saturday, May 2 and run through November on the first and third Saturdays.
Tickets: $2-adults; $1-students.
Tours depart Academy at 1:30 p.m.
Call 252.514.4951 for more information.

Sunday, August 16
African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour
2:00 p.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student
Leaves from Visitor Center Lobby
Learn about 300 years of African American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks. 
Reservations required: 252-514-4935.
(Minimum Enrollment: 10)

Thursday, August 20
African American Lecture
Guest Speaker: Reginald Watson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English at East Carolina University
“Black Citizenship from 1616 to Present”
7:00 p.m.
FREE 
Visitor Center Auditorium
This lecture will be about slavery and the Jim Crow era. Dr. Watson will present a backdrop consisting of two to three Thespian members who will act out certain scenes that depict the loss of civil rights and citizenship for black people.            

SEPTEMBER

Autumn Garden Hours
September 8-October 31, Gardens open until 6:00 p.m.
Last ticket sold at 4:30 p.m.

Saturdays, September 5, 19
Tryon Palace Theater: The Making of a State
11:00 a.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student; FREE with regular admission.
Visitor Center Auditorium
Don’t just listen to history; take an active part in it! During this interactive program, the audience will participate in our First Provincial Congress and help determine North Carolina’s course leading towards the Revolutionary War.

Monday, September 7
Stanly-Spaight Duel Reenactment
1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.: Academy Tours
4:00 p.m.: Fife & Drum Corps Concert followed by Duel Reenactment
FREE
New Bern Academy Green
Tour the New Bern Academy, enjoy a concert by the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps, and step back in time to an era where a man’s personal honor was his most cherished quality. Any incursion on this sacred value could result in fiery and violent retribution. Watch the spectacle of the September 5, 1802 Stanly-Spaight duel unfold before your eyes. In this historical reenactment of a duel between Nineteenth-century New Bern political rivals, costumed characters battle to protect their reputation.

Thursday, September 17
African American Lecture
Guest Speaker: Dr. David Dennard, Associate Professor of History at East Carolina University
“From Slavery to Freedom: Race and Citizenship in the Americas”
7:00 p.m.
FREE 
Visitor Center Auditorium
This lecture will explore the significance of race in British, Caribbean, and Latin American countries after the death of chattel slavery. Overall, it will offer a comparative perspective on a race as a factor in defining the status of blacks after emancipation.

Sunday, September 20
African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour
2:00 p.m.
$4 per adult, $2 student
Leaves from Visitor Center Lobby
Learn about 300 years of African American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks. 
Reservations required: 252-514-4935.
(Minimum Enrollment: 10)

Wednesday, September 23
Dig into History!
10:00am-11:00am
$4 per child, adults free
Ages 3-5, with parental accompaniment.
Dig up fun this fall in this special archaeological program for pre-schoolers and parents. Children will learn about history, archaeology, and artifacts and participate in a mock archaeological dig. Advance registration not required. Please arrive in the Tryon Palace Visitor Center at least 15 minutes before the program to register.

OCTOBER

Saturdays, October 3, 17
Tryon Palace Theater: Layers of History
11:00 a.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student; FREE with regular admission.
Visitor Center Auditorium
Come and find out more about period clothing while peeking into the lives of a young 18th century couple.

Saturday, October 3
Home School Day
Theme: Step Into History
9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
$10 per student, $12 per adult (tickets valid 2 consecutive days). 
Home-school families enjoy interactive activities as well as tours of the Palace and three other historic homes in this popular event. Bring your picnic lunch and spend time immersed in the past. This year’s focus will be on historical clothing and accessories. See dress-making and tailoring demonstrations; dress-up in colonial costumes; and make a variety of clothing craft items. Activities are designed for school-age children; some activities have a minimum age requirement.
Space is limited; pre-registration and pre-payment required by September 18. 
Call (252) 514-4935 to register.

Friday-Sunday, October 9-11
MUM’S the Word!
Gardens open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
FREE Garden Admission, Interior tours require the purchase of a ticket. 
During MUMfest Weekend, visitors to Tryon Palace will enjoy the beauty of thousands of chrysanthemums in the Palace gardens. Free garden tours will be given each day.

Heritage Plant Sale: This popular and unique plant sale offers visitors the opportunity to purchase unique, rare, and historic plants for display in their home gardens. Master gardeners will be on hand to answer planting questions.
Come early for the best selection! Sale hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 

Fife & Drum Corps Concerts:  Sunday 1:30pm and 3:30pm. Enjoy performances by the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps.  Concerts take place outside on the Palace grounds.  (In case of inclement weather, performances will be held in the Visitor Center auditorium.)

Thursday, October 15
Parlor Talk
Speaker: Meghan Bishop, Tryon Palace Historic Interpreter
“Pieces of the Past: A History of American Quilts”
12:00 p.m.
FREE, Bring Your Own Lunch, Beverages will be provided.
Commission House Parlor
American women have made quilts for centuries.  Many of the patterns and styles we use today, inherited from our great-great grandmothers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, are pieces of our past.  Come learn about the history of American quilts.

Sunday, October 18
African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour
2:00 p.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student
Leaves from Visitor Center Lobby
Learn about 300 years of African American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks. 
Reservations required: 252-514-4935.
(Minimum Enrollment: 10)

Saturday, October 24
Saturday Sampler: All About Tea
10:00am-1:00pm
$25 per person
Program begins in Visitor Center Auditorium
On October 25, 1774 fifty-one women gathered in the Edenton home of Mrs. Elizabeth King, but this was no ordinary tea party. In response to the British Tea Act, these women signed an agreement to boycott British goods and “give memorable proof of their patriotism.” In this special tour, you will explore the historical, social, and political importance of tea in colonial America. At the end of the program a 21st-century tea will be served.
Prepayment and reservations are required. Please call 252-514-4935.
Registration is limited to 25 people.  (Minimum enrollment: 10).  

NOVEMBER

Winter Garden Hours
November 1-December 31, Gardens open until 5:00 p.m.
Last ticket sold at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 5
Parlor Talk
Speaker: Shirley Willis, Tryon Palace Domestic Skills Manager
“The 18th Century Holiday Table”
12:00 p.m.
FREE, Bring Your Own Lunch, Beverages will be provided.
Commission House Parlor
Feasts and parties were an integral part of the colonial and early American Christmas tradition. In this program, learn about the dishes and desserts that made for a joyous 18th century holiday celebration.

Saturdays, November 7, 21
Tryon Palace Theater: A Thanksgiving Proclamation
11:00 a.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student; FREE with regular admission.
Visitor Center Auditorium
Come meet President and Mrs. Lincoln as they present the Thanksgiving Proclamation and discuss important issues of the day.

Sunday, November 15
African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour
2:00 p.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student
Leaves from Visitor Center Lobby
Learn about 300 years of African American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This is the last tour of the year. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks. 
Reservations required: 252-514-4935.
(Minimum Enrollment: 10)

Thursday, November 12
Lincoln/Douglass Debate Program
7:00 p.m.
FREE
Visitor Center Auditorium

Sunday, November 15
Opening Reception for Library Exhibit
2:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 19
African American Lecture
Guest Speaker: Dr. Rob Smith, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC
“Race, Labor and Civil Rights”
7:00 p.m.
FREE 
Visitor Center Auditorium
Dr. Smith’s lecture will hinge around aspects related to race and law, particularly in reference to African Americans and legal and political developments

Thursday, November 26
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens is closed in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Friday-Sunday, November 27-29
Festive Holiday Kick-Off
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Friday-Saturday, and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Sunday
Included with regular ticket purchase

Join us as we kick off the holiday season on Thanksgiving weekend. Christmas decorations are up in the Palace and in our three historic houses. Holiday tours of the festooned gardens and bedecked halls and special activities officially launch us into the Christmas season. Performances will include:

• Simon Spalding will present a different themed one-man act each day that will be a mixture of character portrayal and music. Performances will take place in the Visitor Center Auditorium at 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday and feature performances from the colonial, Revolutionary War and Civil War periods.

• Storyteller Terry Rollins will offer holiday stories in the Visitor Center Auditorium at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m on Friday and Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.  Each session will last approximately 30 minutes.
• Musical group Thursday Morn’ will present two colonial concerts between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday in the Carriage Bay of the Stable Office.

DECEMBER

Saturday, December 5
Saturday Sampler
Topic: TBA
Time: TBA
Cost: TBA
Location: TBA
Description to follow

Saturdays, December 12, 19
Christmas Candlelight
5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Tickets will be sold for specific tour time slots
$15-adults, $6-students.
Costumed guides will escort visitors through the first floor and cellar of the Palace and Kitchen Office, which will be outfitted for the holidays and lit with candle globes and fire baskets to create an ambiance of times past. Music and entertainment will take place throughout the Palace and gardens with costumed dancers, musicians, and dynamic performers giving shows of acrobatics, juggling, sword swallowing and more. There will be plenty of activity outside the Palace gates too, as our Fife & Drum Corps parades from George Street to the Palace and the Jonkonnu troop performs their lively mix of songs and dances in an African American Christmas celebration from the 18th and 19th centuries.  At the end of each evening, a Grand Illumination of period-appropriate fireworks will take place on the Palace grounds. 

Thursday, December 24-Saturday, December 26
Seasons Greetings!  Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens is closed in honor of the holidays.

Thursday, December 31
First Night Celebration
Time: TBA
Cost: TBA

• “Films of New Bern’s Past”: 4:00pm-9:00pm. Tryon Palace Visitor Center Auditorium. Enjoy three films celebrating New Bern and Tryon Palace’s past – 1929 New Bern Historical Pageant, 1959 Tour of the Palace, and 1960 Third Frontier.
• Performing Arts Program. Time TBA. Location TBA. Description TBA: some sort of play/music performance.
• Kids Crafts: 3:00pm-6:00pm. New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. Hoping to do some crafts/possibly Punch and Judy at the convention center; there are other kid-friendly activities taking place there during this time frame.
• People of the Past: Time TBA. Downtown New Bern. Meet New Bern residents from the past three centuries as you stroll through the historic downtown.