Canary Cottage, on the PMI campus Residence of Dr. Brown

Directions:
From Interstate 40/85, exit on Rock Creek Dairy Road (Exit 135) between Burlington and Greensboro. Follow the directional signs north on Rock Creek Dairy Road to U.S. 70. Turn left on U.S. 70 and travel approximately one and one-half miles. The site is on the left. The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum is 3.75 miles west of the NC Interstate Highway rest-stop in Whitsett, between Burlington and Greensboro on I-85.MAP

Wayside Exhibit Visitors learn about the PMI campus

Facilities:
Historic Structures: Canary Cottage (ca. 1927), Dr. Brown's personal residence, has been completely restored and appointed with both original and period furnishings. Step back to the days when Dr. Brown played piano in the living room, and taught students how to entertain in the dining room. Window treatments, Oriental rugs, bathroom hardware, and similar features evoke the heyday of the school in the 1940s and 1950s.

Three dormitories, (including Galen Stone Hall [1927], the partially restored girls' dorm), Kimball Dining Hall (1927), the bell tower, the teahouse (campus store), and several teachers' cottages also are viewable on the campus.

Visitor Center Carrie M. Stone Teachers' Cottage

Visitor Center: The visitor center, housed in the Carrie M. Stone Teachers' Cottage (1948), features exhibits with artifacts, photographs, and information on Dr. Brown, the Palmer Memorial Institute, and African American education in North Carolina. The fifteen-minute video, Palmer Memorial Institute: Its Mission and Legacy, tells the story of the school's beginning and its founder.

Trails, Monuments, Outdoor Exhibits: Outdoor exhibit panels tell the story of each building on the Palmer campus. Dr. Brown's gravesite, the Alice Freeman Palmer Building foundation, and the restored Charles W. Bundrige athletic field also are at the site.

Handicapped Accessibility: The visitor center and Canary Cottage are accessible to all visitors. New sidewalks, drives and handicapped parking spaces have recently been added to the campus, making it over 90 percent accessible.

Picnic Shelter PMI Grounds

Unsheltered Picnic Area PMI Grounds

Picnic Facilities: The site has a large picnic shelter with bathrooms for use by visiting groups. There is an unsheltered picnic area next to the Visitor's Center, as well. The picnic shelter and Budrige Athletic Field are available for group use from April through October. Please call Barbara Gibson Wiley at the Museum (336.449.4846) to get rental information and to make reservations for use of these facilities.

Gift Shop: A gift shop is located in the visitor center with items related to Dr. Brown and African American history.

Programs, Group Activities:
Several events throughout the year focus on the life of Dr. Brown and African American education in North Carolina.

Guided Tours:
Guided tours are available upon request. Groups of ten or more are requested to call ahead for reservations.

Fees:
No admission fees. Donations are accepted.

Home