Vance Birthplace State Historic Site

06/03/2026

We hope you’ll come see us on July 3rd for Pioneer Day at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort!

🎉 We are ONE MONTH away from our annual Pioneer Day! It will be on Friday, July 3, at 10am-4pm at 24 Water Street in Old Fort. It will have traditional Appalachian crafts, live music, food trucks, farm demonstrations, children’s games, and much more. It will also coincide with the state’s “America 250 NC” celebration on the July 4th weekend. As always, admission is free!

For more information, contact RoAnn Bishop at [email protected] or call us at (828)-619-5100.

05/26/2026

Due to a workshop at Vance Birthplace today, May 26, our exhibit will not be accessible to the public until 1pm and we will not offer our 11am or 1pm guided tours. Our grounds and restrooms will be open from 9am to 5pm and we will offer our 3pm guided tour as usual.

Need help planning your visit to Vance Birthplace? Give us a call at (828) 645-6706 or email us at [email protected]!

05/23/2026

We hope that you will join us at Vance Birthplace for our Summer Storytime from 9am to noon on Saturday, June 20! Families with children can enjoy picture book readings related to Juneteenth and Independence Day in the Vance house at 9:30am, 10:30am, and 11:30am. There will be free face-painting, popsicles, and crafts in the Visitor Center from 9am to noon as well!

This event is free and does not require registration in advance, but donations are encouraged. Our storytimes are held seasonally/quarterly. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out via email at [email protected] or by phone at (828) 645-6706!

05/16/2026

Our Mountain Mothers tour is today at 10am and 1pm! There are still slots available at both times for walk-ins. Tickets are free for mothers and $5 each otherwise. Due to the sensitive nature of some of the topics covered on this tour, we recommend this experience for mature audiences only. This special new tour on the history of motherhood and maternal health in 19th-century WNC is sponsored by the Mountain History and Culture Group. All proceeds go towards educational programming at Vance Birthplace. See you then!

05/14/2026

Due to field trips and special events, we will not offer guided tours at 11am or 1pm on Friday, May 15th through Wednesday, May 20th. We will still offer a guided tour at 3pm on each of those days. If you are interested in joining the Mountain Mothers tour this Saturday, May 16th, there are still tickets available via Zeffy! We will also accept walk-ins for the Mountain Mothers tour if there are still slots remaining. The Mountain Mothers tour will be offered on Saturday at 10am and 1pm.

If you have any questions about planning your visit, please reach out via email at [email protected] or give us a call at (828) 645-6706!

05/13/2026

On this day in 1830, Zebulon Vance was born to David Vance Jr. and Elmira "Mira" Baird Vance at their Reems Creek Valley plantation. He would grow up to be one of the most influential people in North Carolina and Southern politics in the 1800s.

His mother Mira wrote this letter to her niece, Margaret Davidson, in September 1830. On the last page of her letter full of updates and well-wishes, Mira tells Margaret that she had a son earlier that year, "a fine hearty child" who she named after her father, Zebulon Baird. For more on Zebulon Vance's life and upbringing in Western North Carolina, join us on a guided tour of his birthplace on Tuesdays-Saturdays at 11am, 1pm, or 3pm! Tickets are $2 plus tax for adults and $1 plus tax for children, seniors, and military service members. Give us a call at (828) 645-6706 to plan your visit!

If you are interested in how Mira Vance and other women in Western North Carolina navigated pregnancy and motherhood in the 1800s, we hope that you will join us for our new "Mountain Mothers" tour this Saturday, May 16th at 10am and 1pm! This special tour is sponsored by the Mountain History and Culture Group and all proceeds go towards educational programming at Vance Birthplace. Tickets are free for mothers and $5 each otherwise. Reserve your spot today via Zeffy! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out by email to [email protected] or by phone at (828) 645-6706.

05/10/2026

We are debuting a special new tour at Vance Birthplace next Saturday! Our "Mountain Mothers" tour will explore the joys and stresses motherhood and maternal health in 19th-century Western North Carolina. Discover how the lives of mothers like Mira Vance, Leah Erwin, and Elizabeth Hemphill were shaped by various philosophies of motherhood, war, slavery, and more.

Spots are limited, so reserve your tickets online at Zeffy today! Tickets are free for mothers and $5 each otherwise. Tours are offered at 10am and 1pm and will last for approximately 75 minutes. This special event is sponsored by the Mountain History and Culture Group and all proceeds go towards educational programming at Vance Birthplace. Surprise a mother in your life with a unique historical experience while supporting programs at Vance Birthplace!

05/07/2026

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! 🍎 We at the Vance Birthplace want to take a moment to express our profound appreciation for North Carolina's teachers. Their expertise, creativity, and commitment fuel the learning that happens in classrooms and across DNCR sites statewide. We’re honored to celebrate our state’s remarkable professionals this week and always!

We particularly love serving as a resource for teachers and students to get hands-on with North Carolina history! If you are interested in our educational resources and field trip options, please check out our "For Educators" tab on our webpage or reach out via email at [email protected] or by phone at (828) 645-6705!

04/27/2026

Zebulon Vance was born at his family's Reems Creek plantation on May 13, 1830. What might that experience have been like for his mother, Elmira Baird Vance?

Join us on Saturday, May 16th as we explore the joys and stresses of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood in 19th-century Western North Carolina on our Mountain Mothers tour! Tours will leave at 10am and 1pm and last approximately 75 minutes. Due to the sensitive nature of some of the subjects that we will cover, we recommend this tour for mature audiences only.

Tickets are free for mothers and $5 each otherwise. Spots are limited, so reserve your tickets today via Zeffy! This tour is sponsored by the Mountain History and Culture Group and all proceeds go towards educational programming at Vance Birthplace. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out via email at [email protected] or by phone at (828) 645-6706.