Opening Weekend “From Tobacco Market to Innovation Hub: Durham’s Central Park Neighborhood”
To celebrate our re-opening, the Museum of Durham History (500 W. Main St.) invites you to join us on April 16th and 17th from 10:00AM-5:00PM for the opening of our newest exhibit From Tobacco Market to Innovation Hub: Durham’s Central Park Neighborhood. Visitors can register for a one hour time slot on Eventbrite to help ensure a safe, socially-distanced experience.
This exhibit will explore the change of the Central Park neighborhood’s landscape from rural farmland to reclaimed community space. Today, the area referred to as the “Central Park Neighborhood” and the “Innovation District” boasts a thriving retail and nightlife scene as well as luxury residential buildings and renowned corporations.
Over the last 150 years, the neighborhood has been a historical microcosm of the rise and fall of tobacco in Durham and the city’s modernization with industry and innovation. The stories of long-time family business owners, newcomers, and community leaders will highlight how these changes affected the tight-knit neighborhood throughout the 20th century and how they worked together to control how spaces have been revitalized and beneficial to residents.