The Ava Gardner Museum is a large museum located in Downtown Smithfield. It is 6,400 square feet…read moreand is dedicated to showcasing the hometown legend of Ava Gardner. I've visited the museum many times as I enjoy learning about Ava and seeing the new exhibits at the museum. There is a large parking lot behind the museum and even some spots near her mural to park for free. Parking on the street is no longer allowed, as a lot of vehicles were getting hit. But the parking is still very close by. When you arrive at the museum, you will be greeted. Admission was $14 on my visit, but they do offer military, senior and educator discounts. Your visit starts with a video of Ava's life to give you an introduction. It runs about 18 minutes, and there are many seats to pick from. The video helps tie all the exhibits together. From there, you can start exploring the museum and learn about Ava's humble beginnings. You will learn how she became an actress and star, see the dresses she wore, and learn about her three marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra. The museum contains lots of poster boards to read, filled with information, many personal and film mementos, you can watch her films, look at her personal library, and see art that an artist created of her. He put "Easter eggs" into the paintings for you to find. I highly recommend visiting the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, NC. Make sure to stop in the gift shop for some mementos and other items.

Sarah is such a wonderful and welcoming docent! What a…read moredelight it was to finally make it to this wonderful museum! I've passed by the billboards so many times and today I'm so happy to check this off my wish list. It was wonderful to learn all about eva Gardner, who came from this very town and became one of Hollywood's biggest stars! I loved learning about her after Hollywood life living in Europe with her beloved corgis! So interesting to learn about the fellas that she married in the kind relationship that she had with them after parting ways. I really enjoyed seeing her amazing fashions, face-to-face! I really enjoyed seeing her personal items too! There is also a theater where you can watch a video that tells about her life and shows her living her life to the fullest! The gift shop was also filmed with many charming things! And all things were priced very reasonably. There was eva, Gardner, coffee, and soap! And of course, books, videos, and postcards! I also love the fan that could be used on hot days that featured her wonderful smile! I loved visiting here !!

A visit to the Johnston County Heritage Center is very interesting! With its ever-changing…read moreexhibits, the Heritage Center does a great job of celebrating the past. It is also an excellent resource for genealogical research. I enjoy looking at microfilms from 50-year-old editions of The Smithfield Herald.

I love this place so much! It is a great resource we have in Smithfield to help with historical…read moreresearch of the area. I have used their ancestry resources to trace back my family roots and I'm so grateful I could do this for free here. Also the staff members are all kind, friendly, and very knowledgeable! If you grew up or have family around here you definitely want to start your research here. Also you can donate to help them keep the building running too!

I've made two trips to the Benson Museum of Local History, during the open hours on their website…read moreand both times the museum has a sign up, closed for HVAC issues. I believed the sign the first time but not the second as these issues would have been repaired in between my visits. It seems it is just an excuse for a day off. I won't be making a third visit as they are not open reliably. They could at least make an announcement if they will be closed one of the few days a week they are open. It might be a great museum if it is ever open to visitors.

The Johnston County Visitor Bureau is in a business park and has plenty of parking. There is a wall…read moreof brochures to get an idea of places to check out while in the county. The staff was friendly and suggested some brochures that would be the most helpful.

This is a very helpful resource for anyone looking to visit or live in this area. There whole…read moreoffice is very knowledgeable.

Frank Creech Art Gallery is dedicated to local artist Frank Creech, who taught art at Johnston…read moreCommunity College for many years. The gallery rotates local artist exhibits and is open to the public.

Mr. Fantastic is amazing! All the children (and adults) loved his show at my child's birthday party.read more

Mr. Fantastic did a wonderful job entertaining a group of 20+ kids at my daughter's 5th birthday…read moreparty. The kids had a blast and the parents enjoyed the show as well. It was fun to listen to the kids laugh for an hour straight.