Fort Bragg is a military powerhouse, home to several key commands and roughly one-tenth of the armed forces.
But the rest of North Carolina is no slouch either, when it comes to military history.
There are several sites around the state that combine that history with tourism.
Here’s a sampling of what the state has to offer, and ideas for your summer travels.
From a world-class museum in our own backyard to a floating monument on the Carolina coast, there’s something for everyone.
Airborne Special Operations Museum
Where: 100 Bragg Blvd.
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; closed Monday.
Cost: Free
Information: 643-2778 or asomf.org
An award-winning Army museum in downtown Fayetteville, the ASOM tells the story of airborne and special operations forces, including but not limited to those that call Fort Bragg home.
The main hall traces military history from the earliest days of the airborne to modern day. A new simulator ($8.50 a ride) puts visitors in the boots of the Army’s most famous units in famous battles from World War II to Iraq.
Battleship North Carolina
Where: 1 Battleship Road NE, Wilmington; about 90 miles from Fayetteville
Open: Every day of the year, including all holidays. During the summer, hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Prices vary. Tickets are $14 for adults, $10 for seniors, $6 for children 6 to 11 and free for children 5 and under.
Military discount: Yes. Active or retired, military spouses and military adult children, with ID cards, can buy tickets for $10.
Information: 910-251-5797 or battleshipnc.com.
A floating monument, the North Carolina fought in every major naval offensive of the Pacific in World War II, earning 15 battle stars.
Home to approximately 2,300 sailors at its peak, the USS North Carolina was inactivated after the war and moved to its current berth across from downtown Wilmington in 1961.
Visitors can climb through nine of the battleship’s 15 levels during a self-guided tour that could easily take hours.
Bentonville Battlefield Historic Site
Where: 5466 Harper House Road, Four Oaks; about 40 miles from Fayetteville
Open: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Sundays and Mondays
Cost: Free
Information: 910-594-0789 or nchistoricsites.org/bentonvi
The Battle of Bentonville, fought in March 1865, was the largest Civil War battle in North Carolina.
Today, the battlefield is preserved, as is an 1850s farm house furnished to show what a Civil War field hospital would look like. The site also is home to a Confederate mass grave, tour trail and a section of Union earthworks.
Carolinas Aviation Museum
Where: 4672 First Flight Drive, Charlotte; about 145 miles from Fayetteville
Open: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
Cost: Prices vary. Tickets are $12.87 for general admission, $10.73 for seniors, $8.58 for college students and free for children 5 and under.
Military discount: Yes. Active-duty military can buy tickets for $8.58. Retired military can buy tickets for $9.65.
Information: 704-997-3770 or carolinasaviation.org
Located near the Charlotte Douglas Airport, the Carolinas Aviation Museum is home to several examples of military planes and helicopters dating to World War II.
The museum sports an F-14D Tomcat, F-4 Phantom II, EC-130E Hercules and CH-46D Sea Knight, among others. The aircraft are housed in a 40,000-square-foot hangar.
Fort Fisher State Historic Site
Where: 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd. South, Kure Beach; about 110 miles from Fayetteville
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays
Cost: Free
Information: 910-458-5538 or nchistoricsites.org/fisher
Known as the “last major stronghold of the Confederacy,” Fort Fisher fell in January 1865.
Today, the historic site is the most visited in North Carolina; home to a visitor center that details the fort’s last battle and a half-mile tour trail that circles the fort, providing scenic views and a look at restored and reproduction cannons.
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