Beaufort Old Homes Tour

Hi, friends! Almost exactly a month or so ago, we took a day trip to Beaufort, NC. Considering the distance, we would ideally stay at least a night in Beaufort, which is what we have done in the past, both the first time we visited Beaufort and during our inaugural beach week last year.

The reason we forced this day trip into existence was to go to the Old Homes Tour. Rex and I recently went on the Preservation Annual Home Tour right here in Durham. It was our first time being on any sort of home tour, and we had so much fun. The last time we were in Beaufort, we saw information and advertisements around town for the Beaufort Old Homes Tour which was happening the following weekend. Since we love Beaufort, we decided we should return for Old Homes Tour weekend. (The reason we went for just the day is because we had a friend’s birthday party to go to in Winston-Salem.)

You can get the tickets for the Homes Tour in advance. To save on the processing fees, we ordered over the phone for “will call” which was at the check-in tent by the Beaufort Historic Site. Upon arrival, you receive an envelope with all the information as well as a physical copy of the map, which you can view online as well (here’s the 2025 Tour Map). We were able to walk everywhere (unlike the Durham Home Tour) and there was some golf cart transportation available, free of charge.

In addition to homes, the Tour also includes gardens and other historic places. Since Beaufort is an old town, there were a lot of stops and we actually didn’t make it to all of them.Ideally, we would’ve split the stops over the two days of the tour and maybe even take a break during the peak sunny hours both days because it was already so HOT in June. Since we were in town for Friday only, we prioritized actual homes.

The tour of the homes itself was so fun, especially for a nosy person like myself!!! I love not only learning about the history of the houses but also seeing how each house is decorated because again, I am nosy. Some of the houses were really grand and fabulously furnished. I wish I could share photos but photography was not allowed, at least in some of the houses. Pictured above is the Brady House on Front Street, which was our last stop on the Tour and probably the largest old home on the tour this year.

According to a lady who has been a volunteer for a number of years, the houses on the Homes Tour vary quite a bit year to year so Rex and I are thinking of making this an annual tradition.

P.S. Before heading back home to Durham, we went to Aqua for an early dinner.

P.P.S. While in Beaufort last year, I picked up a copy of A Happier Life by Beaufort-based author Kristy Woodson Harvey for which The Old Homes Tour Play is an integral part of the plot!