Sailing into Edenton Harbor is a voyage back in history. Standing on the broad-columned porch of the Penelope Barker House, you can look across Edenton Bay at a row of Revolutionary War cannons supplied by France. The Edenton Battery protects stately homes nestled among cypress trees and serves as a reminder that the town on Queen Anne's Creek began a cultural revolution that changed the future of the Colonies. From a bluff overlooking Edenton Bay and the Albemarle Sound, the open windows of shops and homes catch the full effect of the water's breeze. The 45-minute Edenton Trolley Tour highlights this and more. Tickets are available at the Penelope Barker Welcome Center.

If you are in town the first weekend in June, check out the annual Edenton Music and Water Festival, a community-wide celebration featuring live bands, parades, food vendors, animal exhibits and local artwork and crafts. You can take a ghost tour any time of the year to learn about the haunted history of this historic locale.