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About Elizabeth City

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There’s a lot to experience in Elizabeth City, especially if you love history! Located on the Pasquotank River—in the heart of the Historic Albemarle Tour region—Elizabeth City was founded in 1793 and once bustled with activity as ships and steamers disembarked from the waterfront to transport goods and people throughout the South. That same year, construction began on the Dismal Swamp Canal, providing an important commercial trade route linking isolated Northeastern North Carolina with points North.

As the years rolled by, Elizabeth City experienced its fair share of history-making events. Wilbur and Orville Wright stayed here in 1903 while making plans for their first powered flight. The James Adams Floating Theatre, the inspiration for author Edna Ferber’s book “Show Boat,” made frequent stops in Elizabeth City in the 1920s and ‘30s. The country’s largest U.S. Coast Guard base was commissioned in Elizabeth City in 1940. Two years later, from an air station in neighboring Weeksville, the U.S. Navy launched its “Shepherds of the Fleet,” or blimps, to combat enemy submarines lurking off the Carolina coast.

Today, Elizabeth City is widely-known for its reputation as the “Harbor of Hospitality®”—and excellent travel offerings that bring the past to life.
           
At the Museum of the Albemarle more than 750 artifacts and displays tell the story of Albemarle area watermen, farm life, the Civil War, the Coast Guard and the region’s African-American and Native American history.

 

 

For a street-side look, stop at the Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for a free copy of the “Elizabeth City Historic Walking Tour” guide, and take a stroll around town. Published by the Elizabeth City Historic Neighborhood Association, the booklet focuses on sites along the historic Main Street commercial district, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. For an escorted tour with a knowledgeable guide, consider signing on with De’ Tours in Elizabeth City for a “tour and tea.” To see sites associated with the Civil War, download Elizabeth City’s “Civil War Trails” brochure and check for local stops along the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Elizabeth City is part of the North Carolina Main Street Program, which helps preserve and build on its historic ties. The restaurant, shop or inn you are frequenting could be a historic building; so ask! And don’t leave without taking in an art show or performance at The Center, headquarters for Arts of the Albemarle, located in the beautifully restored, 1897 Lowry-Chesson building.
 
For suggested itineraries, contact the Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-866-ECity-4U
(1-866-324-8948) or at Discover Elizabeth City!

Visitor Information

Located on the Pasquotank River, Elizabeth City is widely-known for its reputation as the “Harbor of Hospitality®”—and excellent travel offerings that bring the past to life. Visit the Museum of the Albemarle, where more than 750 artifacts tell the story of Albemarle area watermen, farm life, the Civil War, the Coast Guard and more. Free copies of the “Elizabeth City Historic Walking Tour” available at the visitors bureau, and downloads of “Civil War Trails” and National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites are at Discover Elizabeth City

Call (252) 335-5330 or toll-free at 1-866-324-8948