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Visit Duke Homestead

Duke Homestead State Historic Site and Tobacco Museum encompasses the historic home, farm, and factory buildings of Washington Duke and his family as they lived on the property from 1852 until 1874.The site interprets the early farming life of the Duke family and the beginnings of their tobacco manufacturing business on the property after the Civil War. 

Duke Homestead Education & History Corporation is a registered nonprofit organization that supports the operations of Duke Homestead State Historic Site. This website provides updates about both DHEHC and the latest activities at Duke Homestead State Historic Site, and is managed by DHEHC.
Planning your visit

Operating Hours

Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm. 

Admission to the grounds and museum is free of charge, donations are welcome. 

Guided tours are $2/adult and $1/children (ages 5-12) and seniors (65+), children under 5 are free.

Duke Homestead is closed for all state holidays. 

Orientation Film

Duke Homestead's 17-minute film, "Legacy of the Golden Leaf," is a documentary that highlights the history of the Duke family, the North Carolina tobacco industry, and the history of the town of Durham. Created in 2002, the film was named a national winner in the Vision Award competition for 2002-2003.

The film is offered 15-minutes before and after each hour, from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. 

Guided Tours

Guided tours are $2/adult and $1/children (5-12) and seniors.

Guided tours are offered daily, as schedule and staffing allows. Tour guides lead visitors to four historic structures: a tobacco curing barn, tobacco pack house, Washington Duke's Third Tobacco Factory (1869), and his 1852 home.

The outside walking tour is 45-minutes long on uneven, unpaved paths. The tour is mostly outdoors, with stops inside 2 historic structures without climate control. The total walking distance is approximately 300 yards. We recommend dressing appropriately for the weather. A wheel chair or golf cart is available, however we do request advance notice.

If you are planning to bring a group of ten or more people for a tour, please call at least two weeks in advance to request a time.

Guided tours will be cancelled or changed if:

  • A large group is visiting the site

  • A field trip is taking place

  • There is thunder, lightning, or other hazardous weather

  • There is a special event taking place

  • There is an unexpected staffing or safety issue

You can also explore the historic area on your own! Stop by the front desk for a self-guided tour brochure. (Historic building interiors are only accessible with a guide.)

If you are interested in bringing your students on a field trip, please see our program offerings HERE.

-Museum-

The Tobacco Museum at Duke Homestead contains 5,500 square feet of exhibits on the history of tobacco farming, manufacturing, and advertising. Temporary exhibits address topics such as the decrease in family farms, unique pipes and spittoons, and other tobacco-related topics.