Tryon Palace

In the 1760s the colony of North Carolina had no permanent capital, and Governor William Tryon set out to change that, commissioning an English architect to design a mansion that would house both the government and the governor. Finished in 1770 in New Bern, the brick Georgian building with its sweeping colonnaded wings was grand beyond anything in the colony, so grand that the taxes levied to pay for it helped stir the frontier unrest known as the Regulator movement.

The palace served as the colonial capitol and, briefly, the first state capitol after independence. It was here that the North Carolina assembly met and that the last royal governor, Josiah Martin, fled in 1775 as the Revolution came on. Over the following decades the capital moved inland and the building declined, and in 1798 fire destroyed the main structure, leaving only a surviving wing.

For a century and a half the palace was largely a memory, its site built over by the growing town. Then, beginning in the mid-twentieth century, a determined restoration effort acquired the land, cleared later buildings, and set about rebuilding the mansion. Crucially, the original architect's plans had survived, so the reconstruction, completed and opened in 1959, could follow the true design rather than guesswork.

The rebuilt palace is furnished with period antiques to reflect the taste of a wealthy colonial household, from the grand entrance hall and council chamber to the private family rooms and the kitchens and service quarters. It is a reconstruction, but a scholarly and faithful one, giving visitors a rare, room-by-room sense of colonial government and grand living on the eve of the Revolution.

Surrounding the palace are formal gardens laid out in the eighteenth-century English style, with geometric parterres, clipped hedges, allees of trees, and seasonal plantings that change through the year, some of the most admired historic gardens in the South. Costumed interpreters tend the grounds and demonstrate the crafts and daily work of the period.

The complex is more than the palace alone. It includes several restored historic houses in the surrounding district, gardens, and the North Carolina History Center on the riverfront, with galleries and interactive exhibits on the state's past. Together they tell the story not only of the governor's household but of the enslaved people and working families whose labor sustained it, a fuller picture of colonial life.

The palace sits in New Bern, founded by Swiss and German settlers in 1710 and one of the oldest towns in North Carolina, set where two rivers join near the coast. Its walkable historic district is full of colonial and antebellum homes, old churches, and a lively waterfront, and it is famous as the birthplace of the soft drink Pepsi-Cola, invented by a local pharmacist. This region was long home to the Tuscarora and Neusiok peoples before European settlement.

Spring is glorious here, when the palace gardens bloom, and fall brings mild, clear weather to the coastal plain. Summer is warm and humid, and the winter holidays are a special time, when the palace and town are decorated in period style. New Bern also makes a natural gateway to the beaches and fishing villages of the Crystal Coast to the southeast.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Tryon Palace, in the historic riverfront town of New Bern, North Carolina, is a grand reconstruction of the colonial capitol and governor's residence, one of the most impressive historic sites in the state. Originally built in the eighteenth century as the seat of the royal colonial government and later the first state capitol, the elegant Georgian palace was destroyed and later meticulously reconstructed, and today it is surrounded by beautiful formal gardens and a complex of historic buildings. Costumed interpreters, period rooms, and gardens bring the colonial and Revolutionary era to life, telling the full story of those who lived and labored here. With its palace and gardens, Tryon Palace offers a fascinating destination in North Carolina.

You can tour the grand reconstructed colonial palace with its period rooms and furnishings, stroll the beautiful formal gardens, explore the complex of historic buildings, meet costumed interpreters, and learn about colonial and Revolutionary history, including the lives of the enslaved people whose labor sustained the palace and town, which the site interprets. The elegant palace, the stunning gardens, the living history, and the thoughtful telling of the full history are the highlights, offering a rich and educational experience. Seasonal events add appeal. With its palace and gardens, Tryon Palace offers a rewarding experience in New Bern, North Carolina.

Tryon Palace was built in the eighteenth century as the residence of the royal colonial governor and the seat of government of the North Carolina colony, and it later served as the first state capitol after independence. The original grand Georgian building was largely destroyed by fire, and in the twentieth century it was meticulously reconstructed based on original plans. Its history spans the colonial, Revolutionary, and early statehood eras, including the enslaved and free people who lived and worked there, a fuller story the site now tells. Understanding this history enriches a visit to Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina.

The mild months of spring through fall offer the most pleasant weather for touring the palace and strolling the beautiful gardens, with spring especially lovely when the formal gardens bloom, while the holiday season brings festive decorations and special events to the palace. Because it is a ticketed historic site with programming that varies, checking current hours and events before you go is wise. For the gardens at their best aim for spring, or visit during the festive holiday season, at Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina.

Tryon Palace is in New Bern on the North Carolina coast, near the historic New Bern riverfront and downtown, within reach of the North Carolina coast, the Crystal Coast and Beaufort with the North Carolina Maritime Museum, and Kinston with Neuseway Nature Park. That makes Tryon Palace a fascinating stop to combine with historic New Bern, the North Carolina Maritime Museum, and the other attractions of the coastal region on a visit to North Carolina.