The North Carolina Executive Mansion, built between 1883 and 1891, is the official residence of the Governor and one of the finest examples of Queen Anne architecture in the American South. The brick and terracotta exterior with its wraparound porches and ornate detailing stands in pleasant contrast to the more formal Greek Revival buildings nearby on the Capitol grounds. The mansion is open for public tours on weekday mornings.
The grounds include well-maintained formal gardens, and the entire block has a quiet, residential quality unusual for the centre of a state capital. Tours last about 45 minutes and cover the principal rooms on the ground floor.