Eight Surprises on My First Trip to Moore County, NC

My mom and I traveled to Moore County, North Carolina in July for 2024 Peach Week.

We knew two main things about the Pinehurst area. First: We knew Moore County hosts Peach Week as support of the N.C. Peach Festival in neighboring Candor. Second: We knew the Village of Pinehurst was home to the U.S. Open.

And that was it.

Of course, we did some research before getting to the area because we wanted to make sure we didn’t miss anything. And we found a ton of things to do, fun facts, and just general surprises when we were in town.

We wanted to share them so you don’t miss anything when you’re planning your trip to the Sandhills of North Carolina.

Weymouth Center, Southern Pines

1. Lots of Free Gardens

I love going to a new area and visiting the botanical gardens there. It’s a great way to see native plants, enjoy the outdoors, and stretch your travel budget (because, well, they’re free).

There’s a really good garden at the local community college Sandhills Horticultural Gardens in Pinehurst. There’s a gorgeous Zen garden, numerous statues, a children’s garden, and more. It’s on the school’s campus, but it’s open and free to the public.

There’s a small pollinator garden, called The Glade, at the newly constructed USGA’s Golf House Pinehurst.

And then, the Weymouth Center in Southern Pines has a small garden that the public can explore as well.

2. Not What It Seems

The area is filled with gorgeous, historic buildings. And, instead of them being knocked down to create space for new construction, they’ve been repurposed.

High Octane, Aberdeen

High Octane, a coffee shop in Aberdeen, is in an old gas station.

The Roast Office in Pinehurst is a coffee shop and used bookstore that’s situated in an old post office.

Agora Bakery and Cafe was a bank and the vault is still right near the seating area.

The Southern Pines Welcome Center is in a train station.

And then there’s the Welcome Center in Pinehurst, which is in The Theater Building. That building is also home to the very popular Lisi Italian restaurant and other commercial shops. It was formerly home to a 500-person hexagonal theater, which opened in 1923 and closed in 1963. There’s a sign inside for the “Pinehurst Playhouse,” a nod to the old performance space.

3. Unique Animal Sanctuaries

I am a big fan of the zoo. We have a roadside animal park in Wilmington that we bring company to if they visit in season. If I lived in Moore County, I would be bringing everyone to Dunrovin Country Store and Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Vass.

From the outside, it looks like an eclectic country store with a giant ice cream cone on top and plastic deer in the parking lot.

If you go in the side entrance, there’s an exotic animal sanctuary with birds and koi fish. Not so exotic. But keep going and you find capybara, wallabies, ostrich, and more. Donations are requested, but not required.

You exit through the store, which is filled with holiday items, sweet treats, and a ton of knickknacks.

4. Did You Say Ostrich Farm?

This was new-ish to me. I follow an ostrich farm on X (formerly known as Twitter). I didn’t realize until we got to the Southern Pines Farmers Market that the ostrich farm is in Moore County.

Misty Morning Ranch, Robbins

Misty Morning Ranch is in Robbins. You can call and book a private, behind-the-scenes tour of the farm. Which sounds like fun. I asked the person manning the farmers market booth if I could go and pet and snuggle the ostrich, but he said no, they’re kind of mean.

Petting felt a lot better to me than eating them, which is why the booth was at the farmers market. It was selling ostrich burgers and jerky. My taste buds were not that adventurous (especially after being told it does not taste like chicken), but if yours are, you can find Misty Morning Ranch at the market in Southern Pines and Vass (and maybe others, honestly, but we only went to those two).

5. Best Breakfast in Golf

If you look online, you’ll see it noted that Pinehurst has the “best breakfast in golf.” I’m not sure how the Pinehurst Resort got the distinction, but we had to check it out.

It is amazing.

If you’re golfing, you can book a package that includes the breakfast buffet at The Carolina Dining Room in The Carolina Hotel. However, it is open to the public and reservations are not required.

Do yourself a favor and have breakfast here one day. And get the omelet. Trust me. It’s the best omelet I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Bo, the omelet connoisseur, said he’s made hundreds of thousands of them. And it’s proof that practice makes perfect. Because it was perfect.

6. Annie Oakley Lived Here

Annie Oakley. Yes, that Annie Oakley lived in Pinehurst.

She wintered at The Carolina Hotel and worked there teaching women how to handle guns (would you think anything else?). Her less famous husband, Frank Butler, also worked at the hotel, managing the Pinehurst Gun Club.

And yes, we can refer to him as less famous since he did so himself. Before Annie passed, Frank was credited as saying, “My wife was born Phoebe Annie Oakley Moser and is known as Annie Oakley. I was born Frank Butler and am, and always will be, known as Annie Oakley’s husband.”

7. Taxidermy Hall of Fame

If you’re looking for a very interesting experience, you’ll find it in Christian Book Store in Southern Pines.

Within the business (which yes, sells Christmas books) is the Taxidermy Hall Fame of NC. Every taxidermized wildlife that’s legal in North Carolina can be found there (including a road kill flattened beaver).

But that’s not all. It’s also home to an Antique Tool Museum. Both collections were owned by Kent Kelly, a former pastor of Calvary Memorial Church.

Knowing that might make the third part of the museums make more sense. It’s the Creation Museum, featuring Biblical thoughts of evolution amongst some other eclectic opinions. It’s free to view all the collections, although donations are requested.

US Kids Golfers

8. World’s Largest Junior Golf Event

If you follow golf, you may know this already. But, there’s a chance you don’t. Until now.

Pinehurst is home to an annual international youth golf tournament called the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships. Each year, there’s a parade of nations (very similar to the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics) for the golfers, aged 5 to 12.

It’s the world’s largest junior golf event with more than 2,000 players from 50 countries coming to the area to compete.

Lisa Sokolowski traveled to the Sandhills region for the first time to experience 2024 Peach Week, eat her way through Aberdeen on a walking food tour, and enjoy the Home of American Golf. She writes about travel, food, crafts, and more at Drugstore Divas.