Wayne County Museum

06/20/2026

Come by and check out the newly added railroad items we have added to our exhibit. The railroad track and ties that are on display are from the Center Street railroad. The railroad that ran through Center Street was historically vital to Goldsboro’s image, it acted as its economic and logistical lifestyle in the 1800s. During the Civil War the Center Street intersection served as one of the most critical logistical junctions in the South. This year marks 100 years since the Center Street railroad was brought up, so come on down and check out this great piece of history.

06/19/2026

We encourage citizens of Wayne County and surrounding areas to attend the Juneteenth festivities at The Hub in downtown Goldsboro. Let’s celebrate united tomorrow, June 20, 3-7pm.

Juneteenth, a combination of the words June and 19th, is also known as Emancipation Day. It commemorates the day in 1865 - after the Confederate states surrendered to end the Civil War - when a Union general arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform a group of enslaved African Americans of their freedom under President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. It became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021, following the signing of a bill by former President Joe Biden.

GOLDSBORO, N.C. - The community is invited to come together for an afternoon of celebration, culture, and unit...

06/18/2026

We will be closed tomorrow for Juneteenth, but we will be open on Saturday.

06/13/2026

Happy Saturday! Make note of our new Saturday hours beginning this month.

06/04/2026

Wayne County Museum is thrilled to introduce our summer intern Marissa Roach! She is from Greenville, North Carolina and received her Bachelors in History from East Carolina University. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Museum Studies at the University of North Carolina Greensboro with completion in May of 2027. Marissa’s career goals are to work in the museum field and contribute to the preservation and interpretation of public history.

Please stop by, introduce yourself and make her feel welcome.

06/03/2026

The Wayne County Historical Association Board of Directors announces that Wayne County Museum Executive Director Lewis Edwards, Jr. has resigned, effective May 20.

The Board has named Kelsey Billingsley as Interim Director, effective May 21. Kelsey currently serves as Assistant Director at the Wayne County Museum.

Our primary concern during this transition is institutional continuity and supporting our dedicated staff. The Board has complete confidence in Kelsey’s ability to guide the museum forward, protect our collections, and serve our community without interruption.

Kelsey can be reached directly at [email protected] and 919-734-5023.

The museum’s weekday hours will remain the same: Tuesday to Friday, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Our Saturday hours will remain 10:00 am - 5:00 pm but are now limited to the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month. Thank you for your support!

05/14/2026

Pulled from Wayne County's Attic. A model of the original First African Baptist Church Edifice. If anyone knows the builder, please put them in contact with the Museum.

05/12/2026

Friends, followers, and Wayne county folks! Lets play the historical Artifact Game.
In this post are pictures of 3 items. Let's see who can guess:
1. Which item is the oldest?
2. Which item was most common?
3. Which item was most convenient?

Let's discuss!

05/06/2026

Work continues on the document tranche. Here's some of what we've installed.

04/30/2026

Good afternoon. We are currently experiencing technical issues with our telephone service. If you wish to contact us please email [email protected].