On our way down to the beach and this was the best stop by far!! We stopped here (at the children's…read moremuseum) for about an hour and a half, but could have stayed for longer. Great variety of activities for our 19 month old. Very friendly staff and pretty empty on a weekday afternoon. And literally half the price of the children's museum we stopped at in Chesterfield (and this place is way better in my opinion). I think this will be a must stop for us on our way to and from the beach house!

We stopped by here for a road trip pit stop since it participates in the ASTC reciprocity program…read more The kids' area was much smaller than I had anticipated (though my kids still had fun!), and unfortunately the planetarium was closed for renovations. The special exhibit was about bikes and the natural history portion was a weird mix of taxidermy and fake animals. We also checked out the art area which had a good collection by local artists and school children. Very laid back place to visit and stretch your legs, but I'm glad we didn't go out of our way to check it out.

I've been coming to Vollmer Farm for years back when they had the organic strawberries. But now…read morethey just have blueberries; blackberries; sunflowers; produce; the Back Forty and other events. I did a flower decorating class here once. The Market sells pumpkins in season; produce; jams and locally made products. Then the Market cafe has ice cream and sandwiches and coffee. My last two visits were to pick up pre-orders for holiday dishes. I do love the sweet potato casseroles and sweet potato pies. The staff is always friendly and helpful.

Love the coffee shop and that they have all of the food/produce from the farm. Workers are usually…read morefriendly, Madison was always great when she was there. But it seems to have turned into more of a boutique shop for other small local sellers. I enjoyed it being more of a local thrift & find than a boutique set up for other shops. I'm local so it's nice to have a family owned gem spot where I'm not traveling 20 minutes to go somewhere for good coffee and a small spot to find something cute for the house! I'll always go back for the coffee :) Went for the blueberry festival last year and that was cool! Definitely more of a kid/family friendly event but we enjoyed the live music and the food that was available, they also had sellers set up at tables for local home made goods which was neat!

It was amazing my best friend lily works there it's so fun I feel like I'm back in Texas.read more

Pace Family Farms is the best! We are so fortunate to have this family farm in the area. My husband…read moreand I are big fans of their weekly specials and are excited for their CSA to launch again next spring. We're also excited for strawberry picking since we haven't been yet! In the fall, they sell decorations such as mums, pumpkins, hay bales, and corn stalks. They accept them back as donations at the end of the season and put it to good use as fertilizer, erosion control, or treats for the cows and pigs, which we love because of its sustainability and reusability. In the winter, they host an annual Christmas Craft fair, which had a ton of amazing local vendors and was such a fun time. The Pace family is incredibly friendly and you get such a good amount of produce for the price. We always leave feeling like we got a great deal! Go pay them a visit!

The Johnston County Museum is a newer museum located in Downtown Smithfield. It is located in the…read moreformer Rose Department Store and right next to the Ava Gardner Museum. Admission to the museum is free and there is free street parking or a parking lot behind the museum. The museum is well laid out and easy to view the different sections while you learn about Johnston County. There is even a gift shop. Make sure to check out the museum while in Smithfield.

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 !!

The Freeman Roundhouse Museum is located in Wilson, NC. It opened in 2001. Admission is free but…read moredonations are welcome. The museum focuses on African Americans in Wilson and tells about the history. It is divided into sections so you can learn more about veterans; medicine; education; art; the citizens and religion. Bill Myers wanted the house restored and preserved as the house was where a housing project was to be built. This led to the city buying the house and moving it to its current location. The dinosaur sculpture was among the items that moved with the house. There is a display about the move and all that went into that. The museum started out in the round house built by Oliver Nestus Freeman but as the museums displays grew from the donations received, they needed to build another building that opened in 2018. Freeman built the house in 1946 as there was a shortage of housing for soldiers returning from WWII. He was a stone mason. The circular house had wedge shaped rooms. It was thought to be made of stone but they have found bottles, concrete from sidewalks; scrap wood; tree saplings, marbles and strings used too. Wilson's first redevelopment project was named the Freeman Place because of his architecture and the community he built. If you can't visit the museum in person there, you can visit on a virtual tour.

Tapit is a decent space to gather with a group. The FIFA World Cup 2026 were playing and there are…read morenice comfortable sofas there. Decent amount of games for everyone to enjoy. The staff here were pleasant and welcoming.

Fun afternoon to unwind and explore parts of Wendell. Super friendly staff, assisted with set up…read moreand drink orders. The decor and energy was family friendly and so upbeat. I see why so popular and highly recommend friends outing or family gathering ( better than Chuck E. Cheese) with lots of arcade games and air hockey. Kids get a candy wall and adults have beer tap wall. Great balance. Enjoyed it!

Wonderful staff and delicious wines! We sat on the patio, overlooking the vineyard and enjoyed the…read morebreeze and live music as we sipped our wine. There was a food truck for lunch on the Saturday we visited. Glad we stopped by!

Amazing vineyard! Love their juice especially. Had one sip at a state fair once and fell in love…read morewith it instantly. It's only a dollar to get a bucket to fill with grapes, and they charge per pound. I stocked up on some juice for home here. Service seems friendly and efficient. Ambiance is laidback and nice. It's a getaway from suburban life.