a crowd watches an African American man reading before a slave dwelling
July 4 Community Reading at Historic Stagville, 2024. Photo credit: Kumolu Studios, LLC.

Historic Stagville preserves a section of the Bennehan and Cameron plantations, one of the largest sites of plantation slavery in antebellum North Carolina. Here, enslaved people built a sprawling plantation complex of farms, workshops, mansions, and mills. Year after year enslaved families suffered separation, violence, hard labor, and disease. Amid the horrors of slavery, they resisted, claiming some measure of freedom through sabotage, direct action, cultural traditions, and freedom seeking. In 1864, over 1,000 people were enslaved by the Cameron and Bennehan heirs. 

Today, Historic Stagville is a 165-acre State Historic Site that inspires new understanding about the history of slavery through preservation, interpretation, research, genealogy, and descendant engagement. During your visit, you can see original slave dwellings (1850s), a massive barn (1860), a Bennehan family house (1799), and outdoor archeological sites.  Guided tours are available Tuesday - Friday at 1 pm, and Saturday at 11, 1, and 3. Please call ahead to confirm guided tour availability! An outdoor self-guided tour with an audio tour option is available during all open hours. 

Stagville's land and buildings reveal powerful stories of slavery and freedom at Stagville. As you visit the site, we invite you to remember the enslaved and emancipated people who shaped Stagville and North Carolina. 

Hours and Location

Tuesday – Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm

Guided Tours: Tuesday - Friday at 1 pm. Saturday at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. 
We suggest you call ahead to confirm the guided tour schedule.

Closed Sundays, Mondays, and state holidays.

Please request a reservation for field trips or group tours.

5828 Old Oxford Road
Durham, N.C. 27712

Admission

the timbers of a huge barn rise overhead
Interior of the Great Barn.

Admission and outdoor self-guided tours are free.

Guided tour fees:

  • $2 standard fee
  • $1 for ages 65 and older
  • $1 for children ages 3 to 17
  • $1 for active military and veterans
  • Free for children under 3

Guided Tours

Guided tours are available Tuesday through Saturday. The tour schedule is subject to change, so please call ahead to confirm the schedule.

Guided tours last about 75 minutes. 

An outdoor self-guided tour, with an audio tour option, is available anytime the site is open. 

Historic Stagville's guided and self-guided tours cover two locations with a one-mile drive between. We ask all visitors to drive this distance in their personal vehicle. We cannot guarantee tour transportation for visitors who arrive by taxi or ride-share. Please call with any questions about transportation options. 
We require an advanced reservation for schools and for groups of 10 or more people. 
 
 

Accessibility

Stagville welcomes anyone with disabilities. Ramp entrances are available at the Bennehan House and Holman House. No stairs are required during the guided tour. The outdoor tour route includes grass, gravel, and dirt surfaces with no paved paths. A modified tour route with limited walking and more level surfaces is available at request. Respite seating is available in the Holman House, and can be offered at other stops with advanced notice. 

For questions about accessibility or accommodations, please contact our staff at 919-620-0120 or email stagville@dncr.nc.gov. 

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