Fayetteville, North Carolina can be a very budget-friendly vacation. You can visit free museums, parks, trails, and more. Find the best Free Things to Do In Fayetteville, North Carolina here.
For more help planning your trip, check out all of our Fayetteville posts.
When I go away (either for work or for pleasure), I really try to maximize my dollar. You’re already paying for transportation and lodging, plus dining out (because eating out is part of the fun of going away!). So when I’m planning a trip to a new city, I like to find all the free things to do when we’re there.
Save a little money on entertainment, and you can order that dessert at dinner, ya know?
So when I was planning a trip with my parents last year, I looked around to find all the cheap fun things to do in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
What was really fun is the trip I took with them was a Monday through Wednesday, which was a lot of fun for me. See, when Pete and I go, it’s usually on a weekend. So many of Fayetteville’s museums are closed on weekends, so we always miss them. Plus, we usually go for an event so we don’t have too much time to explore.
If you’re planning a weekday trip to Fayetteville, NC, I would suggest going on a Tuesday. Many of the free museums (and actually, a bulk of restaurants too) are closed on Monday. But the parks are still open, so enjoy them on Monday.
If you’re using this post to help plan a trip to Fayetteville, be sure to check out our Things To Do In Fayetteville, NC post.
10 Free Things To Do In Fayetteville, North Carolina
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Museum of the Cape Fear
The Museum of the Cape Fear (801 Arsenal Ave) is a two-floor museum that tells the history of the region, from Native Americans through the 20th century.
There’s a whole section about a huge fire that devastated most of the city, and that was super interesting to me. There’s a large section about transportation and the steamboat as well.
Museum of the Cape Fear Information:
Address: 801 Arsenal Ave
Phone: (910) 500-4240
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm; Sunday: 1 pm to 5 pm; Closed Monday
U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum
I feel like I’m doing the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum (100 Bragg Blvd) a disservice by just adding it to a list. You can spend the entire day at this free museum.
There are models and scenes set up, like a Disney theme park, about the Army. There are movies playing, so much information to read, and a ton of artifacts.
If you can’t make it to Fayetteville, you can actually take a virtual tour of this museum.
U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum Information:
Address: 100 Bragg Blvd
Phone: (910) 643-2778
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm; Sunday: noon to 4 pm; Closed Monday
Fayetteville Area Transport & Local History Museum
I’ve been to the Fayetteville Area Transport & Local History Museum (325 Franklin St) twice. Once was just to look at the outside (because it was closed, but there are windows with stuff to look at) and once to go inside.
The museum is actually split into two sections. First is a two-story local history museum, which had a huge exhibit on baseball when we went. The second building is a large room that’s all about transportation, gas stations, fire trucks, and more.
Fayetteville Area Transport & Local History Museum Information:
Address: 325 Franklin St
Phone: (910) 433-1457
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm; Closed Sunday and Monday
1897 Poe House
One of my favorite Fayetteville jokes is the 1897 Poe House is the home of Edgar Allen Poe. No, not the famous poet. That’s Edgar Allan Poe. The difference is the second vowel in the middle name.
The 1897 Poe House (206 Bradford Ave) is a gorgeous two-story Victorian home with tons of items that were originally owned by the businessman’s family. You can take a free guided tour through the house, which I highly recommend. It’s so much better to have a tour guide explain things to you than to try to make up the history of the Poe family yourself.
1897 Poe House Information:
Address: 206 Bradford Ave
Phone: (910) 500-4240
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm; Sunday: 1 pm to 5 pm; Closed Monday
North Carolina Veterans Garden
Oh my heart. The North Carolina Veterans Garden (300 Bragg Blvd) is one of those places you just go and stay in silence. Both my grandfathers were Army veterans, so a park that pays homage to them and others who served our country is phenomenal.
The North Carolina Veterans Garden features sculptures of veterans’ hands representing each county in North Carolina. And then inside the building on the park’s premises, there’s a display with dog tags that represents North Carolina casualties, shown by war. And there’s a row for “Future Use.” I close my eyes now, think about it, and my eyes fill with tears as my heart swells with gratitude.
North Carolina Veterans Garden Information:
Address: 300 Bragg Blvd
Phone: (910) 433-1457
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm; Sunday: 12 pm to 4 pm; Closed Monday
J. Bayard Clark Park & Nature Center
I love a good town park, and J. Bayard Clark Park & Nature Center (631 Sherman Dr) is a great one.
Clark Park a 76-acre park with a playground, waterfalls (although we went during a drought, so there were waterfalls but no water), trails, and a huge Nature Center. In the Nature Center, you can learn about native trees and animals. There are live and taxidermied animals, rocks and gemstones, and more.
J. Bayard Clark Park & Nature Center Information:
Address: 631 Sherman Dr
Phone: (910) 433-1579
Hours: Monday through Friday: 8 am to 5 pm; Saturday: 11 am to 5 pm
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
If you like art, you’ll love The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County (301 Hay Street). The Arts Council contains rotating exhibits, which visitors can view completely for free. The building was actually built in 1910 and was used as a post office, so that itself is very cool.
We went during an “upcycle” exhibit, and my dad fell in love with the tea cup painting on the wall. I really wish the artwork in there was for sale because I would have bought it for him as a surprise.
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County Information:
Address: 301 Hay St
Phone: (910) 323-1776
Hours: Monday to Thursday: 9 am to 5 pm; Friday: 9 am to 12 pm; Saturday: 12 pm to 4 pm; Closed Tuesday
Arsenal Park
If you check out Arsenal Park (215 Myrover St) on your own, it just looks like some rubble left behind from an arsenal with a little bit of signage to explain what you’re looking at.
But, Arsenal Park is part of the Museum of the Cape Fear complex, and guides who work there offer free guided tours of the park. Take the guided tour. Signs can’t answer questions like a living person can.
Museum of the Cape Fear Information:
Address: 215 Myrover St
Phone: (910) 500-4243
Hours: (It’s an outdoor park, so it’s always open)
Drive A Trail
Fayetteville, NC is filled with 750 miles of themed trails. They’re driving trails, not walking trails, so you’re going to need a car for these. Each trail has a theme and markers along eight of the trails help you get the history of them.
There are 17 trails that take you past sites like MLK Park on the African-American Heritage Trail, Carvers Creek State Park on the Fish and Game Trail, and the Fayetteville Rose Garden on the Patri-Arts and Gardens Trail.
Window Shop Downtown
This one feels like a little bit of a cop out, but honestly, there hasn’t been a single trip to Fayetteville where we haven’t walked downtown.
Market House is in the center of four streets lined with local shops and restaurants.
We always check out the often-changing artwork lining the streets. When we get to Blue Moon Cafe, we’ll always stop in for a drink because it reminds us of our very first trip to Fayetteville when we stumbled in on a whim.
So if you stop for drinks, it’s not free, but if you keep your feet moving, it’s a free thing to do in Fayetteville.
Where To Stay In Fayetteville:
If you’re planning to stay overnight in town, there are a ton of hotels in the area. Check out a few of them and search for availability below:
- Baymont by Wyndham
- Comfort Inn Fayetteville
- Courtyard by Marriott
- DoubleTree by Hilton
- Embassy Suites Fayetteville/Fort Bragg
- Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
- Home2 Suites by Hilton
- Ramada Plaza by Wyndham
- Residence Inn by Marriott
- Wingate by Wyndham
What to do in Fayetteville, NC:
If you’re trying to figure out what else to do in Fayetteville, NC when you’re in town, we have a few posts with things to do and restaurants to check out that might interest you.
Sports In Fayetteville:
- Fayetteville Marksmen. The Fayetteville Marksmen are Fayetteville’s semi-pro hockey team.
- Fayetteville Woodpeckers. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are a minor league hockey team of the Atlanta Braves.
Food In Fayetteville:
- Fayetteville Pie Company. It sells savory and sweet pies.
- New Deli (pictured above). It’s known for its sandwiches and chocolate covered strawberries.
- Ramen Tsubaki. Delicious authentic Japanese food.
- Mash House Brewing Company. One of Fayetteville’s most popular local breweries.
Road Trips From Fayetteville, NC:
If you’re in the Fayetteville area and are looking for some cities in the vicinity to check out as well, these places are within driving distance:
- Charleston, SC (pictured above)
- Hendersonville, NC
- Hilton Head Island, SC
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Wilmington, NC
Which of these 10 Free Things To Do In Fayetteville, North Carolina is your on your to do list?
Randy Lee Crosby
Tuesday 6th of July 2021
Definitely worth the time & effort to go and check out all of these wonderful places.
drugstore diva lisa
Tuesday 13th of July 2021
Yes. I think so too. Fayetteville is a lovely city with so many fun things to do.