Being big fans of small towns, we knew that there were going to be plenty of things to do in New Bern, North Carolina. I’m pretty sure to say that we fell in love with Bear Town and can’t wait to go back, retire, and call it a day in our lives. First, you’ve gotta see what we’re talking about, right?
Thanks to bears, history, great food, and more fun things to do in New Bern, you’ll see exactly what you can do if you’ve got a weekend in this wonderful coastal town.
This post also appeared on NC Tripping and is part of our series on North Carolina. We originally created it on August 23, 2017. It has been maintained and updated, as of October 30, 2019.
Weekend Things to Do in New Bern
Disclosure Note
Special thanks to the New Bern-Craven County Convention & Visitors Center for setting us up for an awesome weekend. All opinions within this article are our own.
Stay Somewhere Comfy and Close
There are a lot of quaint and historic Bed and Breakfasts in Downtown New Bern, not far from the water.
We spent a wonderful evening at Courtyard, which is one of our favorite places to stay in North Carolina. That lovely hotel is right on the water and next to Union Point Park.
Either way, I think you should stay by the water or in one of New Bern’s hotels or cozy BnBs for relaxation and access to the city’s most beautiful views.
Walk around Downtown
New Bern’s slow-paced downtown is easily walkable. I recommend getting an early start because people will be out visiting the town’s interesting buildings and locally owned businesses.
Bill Hand wrote the helpful Walking Guide to New Bern in case you’d like to learn as you stroll around this awesome city.
One bonus way to enjoy Downtown New Bern is to be there during the awesome MERCI on Middle, a great charity event that we were fortunate enough to attend.
Union Point Park
There might not be any beaches here (see “Places Near New Bern”) but the waterfront at Union Point Park is a wonderful spot to catch the sunrise and watch boats as they pass by.
You can spend as much time as you want there, sitting on a bench or walking along the wooden boardwalk. It’s a great place to just slow down and take it easy for a while. Personally, I can’t wait to get back and do just that.
Know New Bern’s Background
Fun Fact: New Bern gets its name from the capital city of Switzerland. Even more fun fact: Bern means bear and the people of New Bern love showing off their “Bear Town” pride.
Find New Bern Bear Statues
There are over 60 New Bern bear statues and I challenge you to go find each and every one of them. Unlike the Swiss city’s wild bears, these statues depict professionally trained bears who work for a living, holding positions like a lawyer, doctor, and real estate agent.
Does your town do anything similar to this?
North Carolina’s Swiss connection doesn’t stop here, as we learned while staying at Switzerland Inn in the mountains!
Explore New Bern’s History
New Bern is North Carolina’s second-oldest town (after Bath) and filled with many famous historical sites. The town is home to beautiful churches and the first fire station.
North Carolina History Center
Before jumping into Tryon Palace, I think you should spend some time exploring the North Carolina History Center. They have rotating exhibits, events, and food for those who need to grab a bite.
One thing we really like about this place is its commitment to the environment, as one of the greenest buildings in our state.
Tryon Palace
New Bern was also North Carolina’s first permanent capital and you can learn about it at Tryon Palace. Just be sure to emphasize “permanent,” or else you’ll get flogged or punished in some other time-accurate way.
The Firemen’s Museum
At the Firemen’s Museum, you can learn fun stories about the fire dog, New Bern’s firefighting history, and much more. There are also artifacts from early fire fighting history, photos, and items from the Civil War.
Historic Churches
New Bern is also home to some beautiful churches and cemeteries. The First Baptist Church and Christ Episcopal Church are two of many you’ll see between Hancock and Craven, but there are a couple of more along Queen St, too.
Is there a church in the New Bern area that stands out to you? We’d love to know about it!
New Bern Battlefield Park
Since the Battle of New Bern was fought during the Civil War, the city’s Historical Society maintains New Bern Battlefield Park on one-third of the actual battle’s land.
Contact them at 252-638-8558 in advance for a guided tour ($5 for members, $10 for non-members). You can also grab a brochure at the visitor’s center and take a self-guided tour of the site.
Pepsi
New Bern is also the birthplace of Pepsi. There’s actually a store on Middle Street where you can have a fountain soda and imagine its medicinal power running through your body. It’s such a one-of-a-kind spot that we even included it in our collection of bucket list of things to do in North Carolina.
Eat Great Food
With all this history and bear hunting, a person has to eat when hanging out in New Bern.
Eat breakfast at Baker’s Kitchen and don’t even think about avoiding their spectacular Dutch Potatoes.
Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant is the first place many people will point you to for a great meal with a view. MJ’s Raw Bar & Grille‘s colorful decor compliments a truly delicious menu.
Beer Army has a huge craft beer menu but also some of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten. I’m serious.
Lawson Creek Park
Lawson Creek Park gives you a beautiful view of New Bern’s waterfront and is a great way to start a day. There are two spots ideal for launching a boat if you brought one and two fishing piers, including one accessible one.
We enjoyed the walking trail there, too, and can’t wait to go back for more!
Explore Places Near New Bern
Atlantic Beach
There’s tons of watery fun nearby and the closest beach to New Bern would be Atlantic Beach in Carteret County. That’ll get you into North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, where you can explore 85 miles of beautiful coastline.
Croatan National Forest
For a mix of hiking and beaches, Croatan National Forest is about an hour away from New Bern and full of fun. It’s even one of our favorite places for hiking!
The Cedar Island Ferry
You can also island hop by taking the Cedar Island ferry to Ocracoke and Hatteras of Outer Banks’s fame. New Bern is a great jumping-off point to many awesome places to visit in North Carolina along the coast.
Our Thoughts and Yours, Too!
So while we keep our eyes out for homes for sale in New Bern, we’d love to know what you think. Have you ever visited this little slice of paradise?
If not, when are you planning to go? Slot it into your next North Carolina vacation and you can’t go wrong.
New Bern greatest place to retire. First visited there two years ago. 21 more months and we hope to call it home. Great food, wonderful farmers Market, many cultural events and festivals.
Great article, Duke !! We moved here 9 months ago from outside of Philly. We knew it would be a great place to retire when we visited here 2 years ago. Cost of living, housing, and live style all conducive to a more laid back (and cheaper) existence. Plenty of golf, tennis, pickle ball, hiking, and biking to be had. Lots of Civil War and Revolutionary War history here too. Then the icing on the cake is the beach is only 40 minutes away. Ahhhhhhhh …
Thank you, Jody! I appreciate you stopping by and glad to know that you’re loving life in New Bern. We’re hoping to keep going back and may see you there when our retirement happens:)
I absolutely fell in love with New Bern too! Such a great city – and the bears are so fun!
The bears are sooo much fun! I felt like we just kept on stumbling upon new ones. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and for stopping by! Are you also a North Carolina resident?
Of course! Yes, I live in Charlotte.
It looks a lovely place Duke, clean and quiet and probably an ideal retirement location. Will certainly visit should we find ourselves out that way – we retired to Hong Kong would you believe, quite the opposite of New Bern but exciting nonetheless !
Hey, I’ll take it. Would definitely love to retire somewhere like HK. Are you able to find some peace there? Thanks for stopping by!
We moved here almost 4 years ago (from Minnesota, originally from West Virginia) and we LOVE it. I haven’t felt at “home” since we left our hometown in 1984, but this is the place.
Wow! Such a small world. I wasn’t born in WV but def call it home when people ask. Great to see that you’ve found home in New Bern! Maybe someday we’ll all meet when our family retires there, lol.
Hey Duke,
Awesome article. I have never been to New Bern but you make me want to go. I love quaint little towns like this.I have been to Cedar Island where you mention the ferry. I went Duck hunting there back in 05. I live in S. Carolina and the outer banks is about 8 hr from me. I will have to check this out and drop by a few restaurants there you mention to do a review for my blog. Thanks for the information.
Hey there, Junkie! Thanks for stopping by! Whereabouts in SC do you live? Love that state as well:)