Field & Factory: Tobacco's Laborer Walk

Saturdays in February 11:15am & 2:15pm, Free

To learn a fuller story of the people who worked in tobacco, join Duke Homestead staff on site for a special program, “Field & Factory: A Look at Tobacco’s Laborers.” These walks will highlight the contributions that each group of people working in tobacco made to North Carolina’s culture and powerful economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, while addressing the inequalities in tobacco’s labor forces.

We will depart from the visitor’s center lobby at 11:15am and 2:15pm on Saturday, February 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd. Admission is free. There will be a limited amount of space, so please call the site at (919)627-6990 to reserve a spot.

Spring Egg Hunt

Saturday, April 19th, 10:00am-12:00pm, Free

Kids will be able to roam the grounds to find hidden eggs, and turn them in for prizes. Get the whole family playing with our egg-themed games, as well as our traditional historic games, and enjoy a puppet show!

This event is BYOB--Bring Your Own Basket.

We'll have different times and areas for each age group to participate:
0-3 yrs at 10:15 am
4-7 yrs at 10:30 am
8-12 yrs at 11:00 am

Born at Duke Homestead Tour

Saturday, May 31st, 11:15am & 2:15pm, Standard tour fees apply

We often talk about Duke Homestead as the birthplace of Washington Duke’s tobacco business. But it was also the birthplace of some important Duke family members, and where a handful of women worked to raise those children and maintain a home. Join us for a special program focusing on the lives of the women in the Duke Family household. Learn about the daily expectations of Victorian motherhood from young mothers, through pregnancy and birth, caring, teaching, mortality and remarriage, and enslaved vs white motherhood.

Family Farm Animal Day

Saturday, June 28th, 10:00am-2:00pm, Tickets purchased at the door

Visitors will get to meet with critters stationed across our historic area and learn about the importance of animals, pollinators, birds, and reptiles, both historically and today. We will have furry, scaled, and feathered friends from local farms and organizations, from rabbits and bees to horses and snakes! Join us for a day of visiting with animals, living history demonstrations, hands-on activities, kids crafts, coloring pages, vendors, and more! Entry is $5.00 per person.

BBQ Fundraiser

Saturday, July 26th

The Duke Homestead Education and History Corporation, the volunteer non-profit support group for the historic site, will hold a barbecue lunch fundraiser on July 26th. Individual meal tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door, and the meals are available for both take out or eating in the site’s picnic area. All proceeds of the lunch will be used to supplement Duke Homestead’s special events, site maintenance, artifact collections, and staff development. Tickets can be purchased in person at the site’s gift shop or at the event

Bright Leaf Harvest Day

Saturday, August 16th, 10:00am-2:00pm, Free

Experience North Carolina farming culture and history at Duke Homestead! We’ll be harvesting our tobacco out of the field and demonstrating the process of tobacco looping. Visitors are welcome to try their hand at these activities, or to chat with an interpreter in the historic buildings. This event is free to the public. It will be a free-flowing event from 10am-2pm

Field & Factory: Tobacco's Laborer Walk

Saturdays in September, 11:15am & 2:15pm, Free

To learn a fuller story of the people who worked in tobacco, join Duke Homestead staff on site for a special program, “Field & Factory: A Look at Tobacco’s Laborers.” These walks will highlight the contributions that each group of people working in tobacco made to North Carolina’s culture and powerful economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, while addressing the inequalities in tobacco’s labor forces.

We will depart from the visitor’s center lobby at 11:15am and 2:15pm on Saturday September 6th, 13th, and 20th. Admission is free. There will be a limited amount of space, so please call the site at (919)627-6990 to reserve a spot.

Vintage Base Ball Tournament

Saturday, September 27th, at the Durham Athletic Park

Join Duke Homestead State Historic Site at the historic Durham Athletic Park for a day of vintage base ball on September 27th!

The iconic Durham Athletic Park has hosted baseball games since 1926 and was even featured in an iconic baseball film, but Durham’s baseball roots are even deeper. The first century of baseball was marked by racial segregation and separate leagues for black and white athletes at the DAP until the 1950s; however, Duke Homestead welcomes all people to participate and honors the struggles and achievements of the many players over the past century who brought us the Durham baseball culture we know today. Players will wear historic uniforms, follow historic gameplay, and use historic equipment. The games will follow 1864 Beadles Rules. We invite you to connect with the history of this sport, this place, and this community by enjoying a day out at the ball park.

Phantasmagoria

Friday, October 24th, 6:30-9:30pm

You are invited to wander the property to see what wonders you can find. We won’t spoil the surprises, but we can tell you that this will be unlike any other Halloween experience you will have. Did you come in past years? Come again! We have new encounters for you to experience.

Christmas by Candlelight

Fridays, December 5th & 12th, 5:30pm-9pm

You're invited to join us at Christmas by Candlelight - Experience an 1870s North Carolina Christmas with Duke Homestead!

Kick off your holiday season with this annual favorite. Come enjoy live Christmas music, dancing, singing, holiday cookies, and a whole lot of history as you follow a candlelit walk through our historic area. Costumed interpreters will bring the Duke family home to life as it might have been for Christmas in 1870 when the Dukes lived here!