This steam locomotive served as both an interesting static display and unique playground equipment since 1959.

This stone statue inspired Thomas Wolfe’s 1929 novel 'Look Homeward, Angel.'

These cabins mark the site where our 11th president was born (probably).

An early life spent in this "Old Kentucky Home" inspired the writings of North Carolina's most famous novelist.

So many migrating birds roost on the bridge, it has a special summer speed limit.

A 315-foot spire jutting out from the Blue Ridge Mountains makes for breathtaking views.

Down the road from where the Wright brothers lifted off is another flight tribute practically hidden from sight in the woods.

From golden eagles to peregrine falcons, this rehabilitation and education center is a haven for birds of prey.

This giant iron playfully pays tribute to an early 20th-century architectural trend.

Every week, a festive public jam session breaks out in downtown Asheville.

Practice your Dirty Dancing lifts in the manmade lake where Johnny Castle himself did.

This winding road of 318 curves is a must-visit for (careful) motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts.

This shifting North Carolina sand dune is an odd little desert surrounded by oceanic forest life.

The first statue of Christ sleeping on a bench in the United States confused its affluent parish.

This ceremonial mound is one of the first officially recognized Native American historical sites in North Carolina.

Andy Griffith's hometown has made itself up to look like the fictional town of Mayberry.

This Transylvania County city is home to a rare white squirrel population that is descended from an escaped carnival animal.

A six-foot pair of socks hangs from a drawer of the world's largest bureau.

A psychological self-portrait in the form of a giant, segmented head.

The U.S. Supreme Court's secret Cold War relocation facility in the mountains of North Carolina.

This nine-story building can be played like an instrument.

The highest point in North Carolina and the United States east of the Mississippi River, Mount Mitchell is named after argumentative explorer Elisha Mitchell.

One of the best places to see wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs in the United States.

This high point in the Great Smoky Mountains is said to be home to the chief of all bears.