New Bern Tours & Convention Services

Name: New Bern Tours & Convention Services
Address: 610 Pollock Street, New Bern, NC, 28560, US
Telephone: +12526377316
Price range: $
Rating: 4.3

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New Bern Tours & Convention Services

North Carolina Begins Here -
in a comprehensive 90 minute tour of historic downtown New Bern.

Our professional guides will recount the fascinating details of this former royal capital of North Carolina and will leave your enchanted by the city's unique charm.

01/20/2025

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” MLK

01/14/2025

We can help with weddings, engagements, and many special events and special tours!

Let us know how we can make your event even more beautiful and special.

We provide private tours and services to include;
wedding transportation
family reunions
college sorority and fraternity reunions
military reunions
staff appreciation events
school field trips
Women's History Tours
Black History Tours
Outlander Tours...and more!

01/12/2025

A beautiful photo of Christ Church on a warm and sunny day.

Christ Church is one of North Carolina's earliest congregations whose members included two royal governors, leaders of the Colony under the Crown, revolutionary patriots and statesmen who provided leadership for North Carolina after independence. Learn more about its' rich history on the trolley tour. Tours resume in March, we would love to be a part of your New Bern experience.

01/11/2025

The Larry I. Moore house on East Front Street was one of New Bern's most stylish and up-to-date residences when completed in 1908. Moore was instrumental in the founding of the Sudan Shrine Temple.

01/10/2025

On this day in history, Tryon Palace re-opened. January 10, 1959.

Love New Bern history? Follow Tryon Palace for several opportunities to engage and learn during these quiet winter months.

Trolley tours will resume in March!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18YkKhqw2i/?mibextid=wwXIfr

01/09/2025

There are some whispers that New Bern may get ❄️ this winter.

Do you recognize this photo of downtown New Bern? Look closely and you’ll see Centenary Methodist Church in the far right background.

Yes, Middle Street covered in snow in the 1970’s. JC Penney department store is on the right.

So how many votes do we have for snow this season?

Our trolleys will be back up and running tours in March, in the meantime stay warm and cozy while we share history from our page.

01/08/2025

The O. Marks building located on Middle Street is named for Oscar Marks, a Jewish businessman who ran a dry goods store. It is often mistakenly referred to as the O'Marks building, in the manner of an Irish surname, however the O stands for Oscar and is followed by the last name Marks.

Built in 1915-16 there were originally two separate buildings. Following Oscar Marks death in 1921, business declined and the firm closed its doors in 1927. The building remained vacant for four years until it was used as a Chrysler dealership. In 1937, Belk Department Store purchased the building.

The two story section on the south side was built in 1927 for the Coplon Investment Company and occupied by Montgomery Ward’s until 1964, providing downtown New Bern with two large department stores to anchor the shopping district. Belk remained downtown until 1979 when it joined in the exodus to the suburbs and relocated in the new Twin Rivers Mall.

Thanks to the efforts of Swiss Bear, Inc. the building became part of the downtown revitalization efforts and is now occupied by several businesses and houses our US Post Office after being vacant for years.

01/07/2025

This photograph, circa 1935, is of Gaskin's lunch and soda fountain, located at the corner of Po***ck and Middle Street. Once the Elk's Temple, it was later replaced by Dixon's.

01/02/2025

The native people who lived in New Bern called this area Chattoka, which means ‘where the fish are taken out.’

In 1710 Swiss immigrants moved here and named it after the capital of Switzerland; Bern.

Learn more interesting facts about historic New Bern on the trolley tour. Tours resume in March!

www.NewBernTours.com

01/01/2025

Happy New Year!

12/25/2024

A very Merry Christmas from our New Bern Tours family!

12/24/2024

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa—and perhaps a few carrots for his reindeer—took off as an American holiday tradition in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. In that time of great economic hardship, many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts they were lucky enough to receive on Christmas.

12/22/2024

Fun Fact: In April 1791 President George Washington spent 2 nights in the Stanly home on his Southern Tour of the states.

John Wright Stanly’s home is typically a central part of the Tryon Palace candlelight festivities. His home, built in 1779, stands at 307 George Street, but was originally located near Middle and New Streets. It has been moved twice, being restored and added to the National Register of Historic Places upon becoming a part of the Tryon Palace complex. Pictured below is First Lady, Pat Nixon, at a 1972 dedication ceremony.

Stanly settled in New Bern where he owned a fleet of privateering and merchant vessels that brought in supplies vital to North Carolina's wartime strength. He not only fought in the American Revolution, but he provided financial assistance and material goods critical to the wartime efforts.

As the war moved closer to New Bern, Stanly moved his family and operations to Philadelphia. Then came news that a Tory privateer from New York had seized the brig bringing part of the family's possessions to Philadelphia. Worse trouble followed: in that summer of 1781 Tory raiders and British troops entered New Bern and burned all of Stanly's warehouses as well as dismantling his vessels at anchor. In spite of these setbacks, he invested in eleven Philadelphia privateers that sailed within the year, helping to keep British ships occupied on patrol instead of attacking American ports.

Sadly, Mr. and Mrs. Stanly both died of yellow fever just one month apart in 1789, leaving their 6 children in the care of Mrs. Stanly's family.

12/21/2024

Have a house full of family for the holidays? Plan something fun like a tour on the New Bern Trolley. Book your tickets online today!

We have availability for December 22, 23, & 26 @2:00PM for our 90 minute historic trolley tour!

www.NewBernTours.com

12/15/2024

The headlines read "Blockade Running" in February of 1865 when legendary Emaline Piggot was arrested on suspicion of spying for the Confederacy. For nearly 8 weeks she was held in New Bern in the Jones House [pictured here], located on the corner of Eden and Po***ck near Tryon Palace, before ultimately being released.

Emaline is most known for using her hoop skirt to hide and shuttle goods across enemy lines in order to support the Confederate efforts to overthrow the Union occupation of New Bern. It is said that while Emaline was awaiting a female to arrive for a search of her skirt, she was able to dispose of incriminating evidence [notes and maps she had tucked away regarding Union troop movement and strategy]. Emaline allegedly removed these maps and notes from pockets sewn within her skirt and tore them to small pieces that would enable her to chew and swallow all of the evidence.

Upon the arrival of a lady assigned to search Emaline's hoop skirt it was found that she was carrying quite a load of goods. According to a newspaper report Emaline was found in possession of the following.
1 pair of fine boots
2 pair of pants
1 shirt
1 naval cap
1 dozen linen collars
1 dozen pocket handkerchiefs
50 skeins sewing silk
a lot spool of cotton
needles
toothbrushes
hair combs
3 pocket knives
dressing pins
several pair of gloves
1 razor
four or five pounds of assorted candy
letters addressed to rebels outside our lines

Emaline was charged with denouncing the federals and calling them "Yankees" and "Buffalos" as well as 'giving information about the supposed movement of federal troops.' A prominent Beaufort store was closed upon Emaline's arrest for being complicit with her actions.

For unexplained reasons, Emeline was never brought to trial, although she was taken to court day after day. If she had been tried, she probably would have been sentenced to death as a spy. She was never arrested again, although she was watched closely, and her home was searched repeatedly.

Sources: NC Women of the Confederacy
NC Pedia
Photo of Emaline: State Archives of NC

12/12/2024

ALL ABOARD...the Beary Merry Christmas Lights Express!

Join us for this special tour to experience the charm of Christmas with a trip to see the lights of New Bern with caroling and sing-along with Santa's Elves.

Friday, Dec 13
Saturday, Dec 14
Friday, Dec 20
Saturday, Dec 21
Sunday, Dec 22
Monday, Dec 23

Departure times are 6:00PM, 7:00PM or 8:00PM

Adults $22
Children (4 to 12) $11 and lap riders 3 and under are free.

Booking can be made up to 30 minutes before tour time.

This tour departs from the back entrance of the O'Marks Building.

Tours can be reached via 216 Hancock Street (back side) or O Marks 233 Middle Street. The back entrance is reached from the O Marks Building lobby from the Middle St entrance.

Reservations can be made at NewBernTours.com

12/10/2024

Apples and other fruit once adorned the Christmas tree, but were eventually replaced by round glass ornaments known as baubles. These hand-blown glass ornaments originated in Germany.

By the 1890s, Woolworth’s Department Store in the United States was selling $25 million in German-imported ornaments made of lead and hand-blown glass. As time went on, tree decorations became increasingly artful, incorporating new materials such as tinsel, silk, and wool.

Once the premiere manufacturer of handmade ornaments, Germany was suddenly competing with Japanese and Eastern European mass-production as the Christmas bauble became a globalized commercial venture. By the mid-1930s, over 250,000 ornaments were imported to the United States.

Join us for our history tour or our special Beary Merry Christmas trolley. Tickets available at NewBernTours.com

12/09/2024

DID YOU KNOW?

Ninety-eight percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms.

More than 1,000,000 acres of land have been planted with Christmas trees.

On average, over 2,000 Christmas trees are planted per acre.

Join us for our Beary Merry Christmas Trolley! NewBernTours.com

Source: History.com

Address

610 Pollock Street
New Bern, NC
28560

Telephone

+12526377316

Website

http://www.newberntours.com/

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