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CHAPEL HILL, NC — The locals call it Blue Heaven and it doesn’t take long to understand why.
Virtually everything in town is painted the color of the sky. Even the firetrucks are Carolina Blue, the signature color of the university that made the picturesque municipality on the Western point of North Carolina’s Research Triangle famous.
There’s plenty more to Chapel Hill than just UNC. But no visit is complete without a stroll through the pines to get a feel for the personality of a campus that is both vibrant and traditional.
It only takes a short walk from McCorkle Place, the main quad surrounded by buildings constructed in the late 1700s, to Kenan Stadium, a place where 50,000 rabid Tar Heel football fans cheer their team to victory on Saturdays in the fall, to see the contrast.
Along the way, make sure to stop by the Davie Poplar, a tree under which founder William Richardson Davie allegedly selected the university’s location. According to local lore, as long as the tree stands, so will UNC.
And no campus visit is complete without taking a sip from the Old Well.
Originally the source of water for the campus, the well is now housed in a rotunda patterned after Versailles’ Temple of Love. It is a school tradition for incoming freshmen to drink from the well before their first day of classes for good luck. And for older students to do the same on the night before exams.
UNC’s influence on Chapel Hill spreads far beyond its buildings, landmarks and traditions. Here are 10 “must-do” things in and around when visiting:
Carrboro
Chapel Hill’s neighbor to the West is an eclectic community whose character and rich cultural scene has earned it the nickname “The Paris of the Piedmont.” The former mill town is best known for being one of the top arts enclaves in the country and is the home of the annual Carrboro Music Festival, as well as a weekly farmer’s market. With its restaurants, shops, craft galleries, parks and greenways, Carrboro is a relaxing place to spend an afternoon or the entire day.
North Carolina Botanical Garden (Coker Arboretum)
UNC professor William Chambers Coker began planting trees and shrubs in the early 1900s as a way of beautifying the university’s campus. Through the years, the area has grown into one of the largest native plant botanical gardens in the Southeast. According to its website, the gardens feature more than 2,500 native species of plants, flowers and trees, along with a children’s garden, nature trails and art and sculpture exhibits. The best thing is that admission is free.
Morehead Planetarium
The planetarium is a favorite destination for stargazers and those who enjoy a romantic evening under the stars. It was the first planetarium in the South and the first to be built on a college campus. It’s equipped with a state-of-the-art digital projection system that simulates the night sky onto a 68-foot wide, 44-foot high dome. Opened in 1949, its view of the solar system and Milky Way is so accurate that NASA used it to train its astronauts in celestial navigation – including 11 of the 12 men who have walked on the Moon. The current show, “Carolina Skies,” takes visitors on a guided tour of the stars and planets, while explaining the legends and myths that led to the naming of the constellations.
Franklin Street
The main drag through town, Franklin Street is always bustling with activity. It’s especially lively on home football Saturdays, Halloween night and any time the Tar Heels take down arch-rival Duke in football or basketball. It’s a great place to pick up some UNC souvenirs, get a bite to eat or have some drinks with friends, listen to some live music or just people-watch.
TimeOut!
The name of this Franklin Street eatery is somewhat ironic since former Basketball Hall-of-Famer Roy Williams hated calling timeouts when he was coaching at UNC. But it’s a great place for a late-night snack since it’s open 24 hours a day. Opened in 1978 by Eddie Williams, the son of a former Tar Heel sports information director, the restaurant is known for its Southern comfort food – especially its chicken and cheddar biscuits that were featured by Man Vs. Food’s Adam Richman as one of the Best Sandwiches in America.
He’s Not Here
No one is exactly sure exactly how this iconic Chapel Hill bar got its name. It probably has something to do with an angry wife showing up looking for her wayward husband. Most of its patrons, however, don’t go to hide out. They go to this Franklin Street hotspot to be seen and have a good time mingling in the 2-story indoor tavern or outside in the courtyard sipping on an adult beverage from an oversized Carolina Blue cup. Just beware of the big magnolia tree in the courtyard. You can get easily tripped up on its spreading roots if you’re not careful. Athletes from UNC and Duke have been known to frequent He’s Not Here, along with a long list of famous visitors. Including the Travelocity Gnome.
Top of the Hill
Located at the corner of Franklin and Columbia Street, Top of the Hill is a local landmark that bills itself as “The Social Crossroads of Chapel Hill.” It’s a popular gathering place where you can watch the Tar Heels play on one of the restaurant’s televisions, then step out onto the terrace to watch fans as they gather downtown for some postgame revelry. It’s also a great place for sit-down dinner, the Back Bar, or the microbrewery featuring its signature Bell Tower Blueberry Wheat. And while the atmosphere is certainly a draw, that’s not the only reason Top of the Hill has become a premier culinary destination. It finished first in 5 categories last year – Best Brewery, Best Outdoor Dining, Best Spot for a Business Lunch, Best Local Beverage Product and Best Place to Watch a Game – in Chapel Hill Magazine’s annual “Best of Chapel Hill” awards competition.
Sutton’s Drug Store
If you’re on a tighter budget or interested in a more informal vibe than Top of the Hill, walk a couple blocks East and back in time to Sutton’s. It’s no longer an actual pharmacy, although the original signage remains. But everything else looks and feels as it might have been back in the 1950s and ’60s. Including the lunch counter with its swivel chairs. The menu is unpretentious, with traditional breakfast items served until 11 am and a lunch menu specializing in burgers until closing at 2:30 pm. The restaurant, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023, is decorated wall-to-wall with Tar Heel sports memorabilia. But the highlight of the interior decor is the photos hanging from the ceiling. There are more than 2,000 on display. Of celebrities, former UNC athletes and just regular, everyday customers. They’re symbolic reminders of Sutton’s relationship with the community it serves.
Cameron Indoor Stadium
I know. Cameron Indoor Stadium isn’t in Chapel Hill. And the team that plays basketball there is UNC’s blood rival, Duke. But it’s only 8 miles from the Dean E. Smith Center, where UNC plays its games. And it’s a college basketball cathedral that plays an integral role in the best rivalry in college athletics. As basketball arenas go, Cameron Indoor looks like a cathedral from the outside with its Gothic architecture. Inside, the cozy court area itself isn’t fancy or all that impressive when it’s not filled with screaming Crazies. But the Blue Devils Hall of Honor and the Rubenstein Pavilion in the lobby with its memorabilia and interactive displays are worth the short drive before heading back to Chapel Hill to see …
UNC Basketball Museum
It doesn’t matter if you’re a basketball fan or if you root for the Tar Heels. No trip to Chapel Hill is complete without a visit to this museum. It’s the Smithsonian of college basketball. Located adjacent to the Dean E. Smith Center, it takes visitors on a trip through the rich history of UNC’s storied program. It starts with a 7-minute video and includes interactive displays commemorating some of the program’s great players, coaches and accomplishments. There are also more than 500 artifacts, including 5 national championship trophies, Michael Jordan’s championship rings and jerseys. Even a section of the floor on which UNC won its 2005 national title in St. Louis. Admission is free and the museum is open 6 days a week. But be forewarned, it closes 3 hours before home basketball games. So if you’re planning to go on a game day, go early.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
