Whether it's music, dance, theater or good ol' fashioned visual arts one craves, there are plenty of cultural centers in the Rocky Mount area to satisfy even the most sophisticated arts appetite.

Tarboro Historic Tours 
Explore significant stops within Tarboro's 45-block historic district, downtown and Calvary Churchyard via Tarboro Historic Walking Tours. The tours begin at the 1808 Blount-Bridgers House, also known as “the Grove,” a national historic landmark that houses a permanent collection celebrating the 200 year-old material culture of Edgecombe County and the creative achievements of Tarboro-born artist, Hobson Pittman (1899-1972). The two-hour tours cost $5 are available most Saturdays from April through September and by appointment for Fridays or Sundays. For reservations, call (252) 823-4159 or (252) 641-6465.

Albemarle Historic Tours
Venture through Northeast North Carolina on the expansive Albemarle Historic Tour (HAT), the state's oldest heritage trail, that will carry you through centuries of American history. The tour will take you to 32 historic places with sites spanning across the 17-county Northeast region. Some sites within the state include Stonewall Manor and Hope Plantation, and the historic cities of www.halifax.nchistoricsites.org " target="_blank">Halifax, Jackson, Murfreesboro and Tarboro. On the coast, there are numerous attractions such as the Elizabethan Gardens, Frisco Native American Museum and Island Farm, to name a few. Taking the tour is as easy as following the signs. The recently added brown HAT signs are along the state's major thoroghfares connecting the roadways to their historic destinations. For more information, call (800) 734-1117.

Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences
The historically renovated, 135,000-square-foot Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences is located in downtown Rocky Mount and houses an arts center, multiple arts exhibits, a children's museum and science center and community performing arts theater, which stages more than 100 productions each year.

Dunn Center for the Performing Arts
One such facility is the state-of-the-art Dunn Center for the Performing Arts, located on the North Carolina Wesleyan College campus. Best known for its stage performances and top-notch sound and lighting systems, the center seats more than 1,200 in its revered Minges Auditorium and 133 in its intimate Powers Recital Hall. The center also houses two visual arts galleries dedicated to showcasing artists in the community as well as from around the world. Mims Gallery features professional and international art, while the Civic Gallery showcases the creative talents of local artists. Located nearby in NCWC's Pearsell Building is the world-renowned Four Sisters Gallery. Featuring self-taught, visionary artists from the Coastal Plain, the gallery often features selections from the Lynch Collection of Outsider Art.

Keihin Auditorium
The two-story‚ 70‚000-square-foot Keihin (pronounced kay-HEEN) Auditorium at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro is another facility devoted to enhancing the arts quality in the Rocky Mount community. Seating 1,029, the Keihin Auditorium, located in the college’s Fleming Building, has a 70-foot wide stage, flown acoustic panels and a cutting-edge lighting system – attracting top musical talent, ranging from legendary blues artist BB King to folk guitarist Doc Watson to country music newcomer Taylor Swift.

Nash Arts Center
Housed in the former First Baptist Church is the Nash Arts Center, built back in 1914. Slated for demolition in 1983 to become a parking lot, the center has remained a thriving entity in the Rocky Mount arts scene with the help and support of the community – today, still using the original pews from the church for its seating. Run by Nash Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council, the 200-seat center features performances by local music acts‚ plays written and directed by North Carolina playwrights and works of art by area artists.