Kinston, NC: BBQ, Baseball, and Local Culture

CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center is an educational museum that tells the story of the Civil War in the United States. This interactive museum in Kinston, North Carolina explores the Civil War event that surrounds one of the civil war's last remaining ironclad ships. The CSS Neuse was one of 26 ironclad ships commissioned by the Confederate navy. With a wide, flat bottom, the ship looked very much like a river barge. When finished, the 158 feet long and 34 feet wide twin-screw steamer was plated with iron armor. Too late to enter combat, when Union troops occupied Kinston in March 1865, the Neuse crew burned the ship, which exploded and sank. The perfectly preserved ship was raised in 1963 and, after being moved a few times, ended up in 2012 at the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center in Kinston.

100 N Queen St, Kinston, NC 28501, Phone: 252-526-9600

Mother Earth Brewing is a green-conscious craft brewery in Kinston, North Carolina, with solar-powered taproom, a lively beer garden and regular tours. The brewery was established in the summer of 2008 by two friends from Kinston, with the mission to make a better world through quality beer and environmental stewardship. They are proud of their Green Brewery and love showing visitors around their production facility. Their tap room is located in the same building, occupying an entire block in the heart of downtown Kinston. They produce a range of craft beers, with interesting seasonals and very popular barrel-aged brews.

311 N Herritage St, Kinston, NC 28501, Phone: 252-208-2437

Grainger Stadium is a sports stadium in Kinston, North Carolina. It is the home ballpark for the Down East Wood Ducks of the Carolina League. Before, Grainger was the home to the Kinston Indians and all the professional Kinston baseball teams. The stadium’s original structure was designed by architect John J. Rowland in 1949. The stadium is owned by the city and leased by the team. Its official name as it states on a plague is "Municipal Stadium", but it has been called Grainger Stadium since it was built. The name Grainger comes from Wills Granger, who donated half of the money for the land on which the stadium was built. It is the second-oldest stadium in the circuit. The stadium is often used for a range of events besides minor league baseball.

400 E Grainger Ave, Kinston, NC 28502, Phone: 252-686-5172

Activities and Attractions for Couples and Singles:

Harmony Hall or the Peebles House, is a historic building in Kinston, North Carolina. The 18th-century house is the oldest building in Kinston. It has been home of a number of Kinston prominent citizens including North Carolina's first elected governor. The house even briefly served as the state capitol during the Revolutionary War. The building has been renovated throughout its history, changing from the Georgian and Federal styles to Greek Revival. Harmony Hall was originally built on land Elizabeth Herritage inherited from her father, William Herritage. Elizabeth and her husband, Captain Jesse Cobb, completed the house by 1776. . Harmony Hall currently serves as a house museum that is operated by a local historical society. The house, which is considered haunted, is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday and may be rented for special occasions.

109 E King St, Kinston, North Carolina 28501, Phone: 252-522-0421

The Community Council for the Arts (CCA) is a non-profit organization and a gallery featuring local artwork and offering educational programs. The Council , established more than 50 years ago, is located in the Arts Center, in the heart of downtown Kinston. The Arts Center is a carefully renovated, 30,000 square foot building that offers residents, children and visitors high quality programs and continued development of the arts. The Community Council for the Arts is dedicated to providing Lenoir County residents the joy, promise, and the pursuit of artistic excellence.

400 N Queen St, Kinston, NC 28501, Phone: 252-527-2517

Recommended Activities for Families

The Kinston Music Park is located at Spring Hill and South Queen streets in the Kinston’s Sugar Hill district, the area that was once the vibrant hub of African American music. It was the place where musicians including Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong played. The dominant feature of the park is a 12-foot high, 23-foot wide massive sculpture with images of the most famous jazz, rhythm and blues, soul and gospel musicians from Kinston and surrounding area. The sculpture was created by David Wilson and Brandon Yow. There is a large ring of benches around the artwork. The park also has a large colorful tile mosaics created by Kinston students in a youth project honoring the North Carolina painter Romare Bearden. Another mosaic tile refers to the Uptighters, a 1970s band led by Tyrone Greene. Women in jazz are featured on another mosaic, showcasing the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a multi-racial, all-female jazz band of the 1940s to 1950s.

Where to Eat in Kinston, NC

King's Restaurant Incorporated is a chain of BBQ restaurants that started in Kinston, North Carolina in 1941 when Frank King built a country store and filling station in front of his Kinston farm. More than 75 years later, King’s Restaurant Inc., their Eastern North Carolina-style BBQ, the family’s homemade sauce and Southern recipes are enjoyed by BBQ lovers in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Their Kinston, North Carolina location is a spacious, homey restaurant with cheerful red and white checkered tablecloths and cozy private booths. The menu includes King’s famous smoked pork, ribs, chicken, burgers, fish and homey classic country dishes.

405 E New Bern Rd, Kinston, NC 28504, Phone: 252-527-2101

Lovick's Cafe is an iconic family-owned and operated eatery in downtown Kinston, North Carolina, established in 1942. It started as Lovick’s Quick Lunch, offering cheap breakfast and lunch. Most of their customers were tobacco farmers coming to town to sell their products. During the depression and the WWII, when the meat was rationed, they came up with ‘the dough burger”, which became the staple on the menu. Their menu today is large and consists of comfort food and everyone’s favorites. Their famous Dough burger is still on the menu as well as JUMBO tea and lemonade. Lovick’s still serves a quick breakfast or lunch for a small price. They are now serving the 3rd and 4th generation of farmers’ families who continue the tradition of coming to Lovick’s for a homemade meal.

320 N Herritage St, Kinston, NC 28501, Phone: 252-523-6854

Must-see if you are a first-time visitor:

Encourage learning, wonder, and curiosity for yourself and your children at the Ellis Planetarium, Health and Science Museum. Home to a 24-foot dome within a 60-seat capacity round room, the Ellis Planetarium brings the sun, moon, stars, and even planets from lightyears close to each visitor. The planetarium’s digital ePlanetarium Discovery Dome makes the planetarium a fantastic stop for budding astronomers and astronauts thanks to its stunning projection quality. Meanwhile, the Health and Science Museum’s 5,000-square-foot space is filled with hands-on exhibits designed to educate visitors about the human body and science. Explore exhibits that represent the inner workings of the human body, stop by the farm-to-table room to learn about healthy eating, or see a miniature replica of the UNC Lenoir Hospital.

403 W. Caswell Street, Kinston, North Carolina 28501, Phone: 252-939-3302