Tryon Palace — Attraction in New Bern

Totally disappointed. Have toured many historic homes and gardens and this was poorly done from the start. We chose the Mother's Day tea, as it also includes a tour. Instructions were poor, as to parking, location, picking up tickets, and the specifics of the tea. We went to the Historic Center and quickly realized you get a stepped-down treatment, if you're "just doing the tea". The lady at the desk made a point of saying that we couldn't get in "ticketed areas", like a gallery - but we could get in a free student exhibit. Excuse me, we BOUGHT a ticket. After treking around and waiting for the tour to start in 90 degree heat, we did find a few benches in the shade. We toured the "gardens" which are overcome by weeds in many areas. As we stood in the statue area, we were entertained by rap music and street dialog, as the gardener explained that the chain link fence would soon become invisible due to a vine they've planted; think it'll take a while - and we're not going back. Some flowers and trees in bloom were lovely. Finally, a tour of the house, with some relief, as well, from the heat. Was a quick tour, and I later heard from a citizen of New Bern, you do not get the REGULAR tour, which is much better, when you do the tea. Ah, the tea. We'd had a nice breakfast, because we knew we'd skip lunch due to the tea... Well, as we finished the tour and proceeded to the Commission House for tea, we passed a tub of ice cold water bottles, thinking how nice that was and how refreshing the water would be, since it was 90 degrees and we were soaking wet; oh, that was for the wedding party that was getting ready to have its reception. Hmmm. Well, we'll certainly have a glass of ice water at the tea. Nope. Fully expecting what I thought would be an afternoon tea with savories, scones and sweets, we arrived to a room of large round tables set with a tea cup and a dessert plate at each place with 3 petit fours on each plate. We all sat waiting - Finally, it seems, we all realized that was IT. No speech from any docent about the house we were in, teas, the tea, begin the tea, thank you for coming, NOTHING. It was, basically, the tour has ended, have as much tea as you like (docent servers were kind and continually poured), here are some sweets. THIS VENUE SHOULD BE ADVERTISED AS A CREAM TEA WITH A BRIEF TOUR, AND NO BENEFITS OF TOURING OTHER GALLERIES. My husband and I left and went out to lunch... We, and others we met that day, traveled hours to attend this Mother's Day tea. A lady I met used a cane and could not do stairs easily; I'm sure the gravel was difficult to manipulate, as well. Another needed to rest due to health issues concerning her back. There was much more walking than one might have realized. Uh, it is 2018, and, uh, disability awareness... I firmly believe these concerns should be considered, when you advertise this event, as well as cautions about the heat. I would recommend that you urge visitors to wear hats and bring cold water, during the spring and summer. Well, actually, your docents outside need these, too. Your machines were out of order when my husband tried to buy a bottle from your vendng machine. All in all, it just seems quite a bit was out of order, even though we could see effort. My husband and I totally support historic preservation, having visited numerous historic sites and homes. It just appears that more effort should go into the gardens and the house; a lot has gone into the new building, it appears. Hope you get the HVAC system at the Waystation...

Only dropping a star because tickets were still $20 each despite the fact that the top level of the palace as well as the historic homes that are normally included in the cost of admission were closed for Covid reasons (so if you want to see something in particular, check the Tryon Palace website before purchasing tickets to see if it's open). We purchased tickets in advance online, but you have to pick up an admission sticker from the small building catty-cornered across the street, so plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before your tour in case there's a line. Even with the closures, we spent probably 3.5 hours touring the property and nearby museum. The docent who guided our tour was very knowledgeable and provided a great overview of the palace and grounds. The other docents throughout the property were also very helpful at answering questions. Behind the stable office (the building to the right of the palace as you enter the main gate), there's a small gift shop. Stop in and purchase a cold, small batch soda before touring the gardens, as you can easily spend an hour or more doing so. As lovely as the palace is, the gardens end up stealing the show! There are many of them, all with a design different from the next! I would love to return when the temperatures are more mild, and more is in bloom to give them...

This is a historical place to visit in New Bern, NC. The tour costs $20 per person and gets you access to the museum and other houses on the surrounding block. You can buy tickets at the office across from the gates to the palace. You can also pre purchase tickets online. I would recommend this so you can be sure to get the tour time you wish to have. You do have to tour the main house at the time listed on your ticket. The gardens and other buildings you visit on your own. I visited on a Monday and many of the extra buildings are closed on Mondays. The house itself is not the original structure. The original structure was destroyed in a fire in the late 1700's. The current building was built from the original floor plans and when excavation was begun they found many pieces of the home that helped with what the home was created with. The current structure was built in the 1950's and has been open for public tours since then. All of the people doing tours are dressed in period costumes. You hear a lot of details about the people associated with the original house, the history, and how the rebuilding happened. It is very interesting. You should allow 3-4 hours in order to tour everything. The gardens are beautiful to walk thru as well. I highly...