Abstract:
No theme parks, just genuine Americana, is what visitors to Johnston County discover. Smithfield, the county's oldest town and county seat, boasts the Johnston County Heritage Center, an historic district, a new riverwalk along the Neuse River, and the Ava Gardner Museum. Other attractions are the town of Selma, with its restored 1924 Union Depot; Kenly, with its internationally recognized Farm Life Museum; and the Bentonville Civil War battlefield. With the county's rural heritage, agritourism is a natural. Atkinson's Mill, one of the state's last water-powered grist mills, and farms offering tours, petting zoos, and seasonal pick-your-own crops attract tourists.