Nestled in the heart of eastern North Carolina, Greenville is the commercial, cultural, educational and medical hub of the region. This fast-growing city serves as the county seat, as well as the home of East Carolina University, the state's third-largest university. Along with the city's economical and educational strength, Greenville event venues benefit from a convenient location and wealth of unique venues and attractions.
Greenville is located just 87 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean and 85 miles east of Raleigh. The city features direct four-lane highway access from all North Carolina borders, making it easy to reach. The Pitt-Greenville Airport serves the Greenville area. Operating daily flights to Charlotte, North Carolina, Pitt-Greenville Airport is in the midst of an 18,000-square-foot terminal expansion.
Chief among the state's largest convention venues, Greenville Convention Center is located east of the Raleigh-Durham area. The convention center sits within a 32-acre campus, offering 74,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and three on-campus hotels with a total of 433 guest rooms and 1,600 more guest rooms within a few miles. Completed in 2009, the convention center campus is graced with pedestrian-friendly walkways, a gathering plaza space and more than 85 restaurants within a mile radius.
Greenville event venues perfect for group gatherings and events include Wright Auditorium. Located on the East Carolina University campus, Wright Auditorium is a striking brick building with arched portico and balcony, as well as a seating capacity of just under 1,500. Elsewhere, the elegant Rock Springs Center accommodates up to 1,000 guests in such spaces as an outdoor courtyard, two ballrooms and series of meeting rooms. The light-filled Greenville Art Museum welcomes groups to rent its gallery spaces, lined with the work of North Carolinian and noted American landscape artists, while the H. Boyd Lee Park features a sprawling recreation center, picnic shelter and meeting room.
Many of Greenville's attractions celebrate the city's history and natural beauty. The Grifton Historical Museum of Art and Culture exhibits regional history, while the East Carolina Village of Yesteryear aims to preserve and interpret regional architectural and agricultural life through a series of historic buildings and farm artifacts dating from 1840 to 1940. Nestled in the 324-acre River Park North, the Walter Stasavich Science and Nature Center features a variety of exhibits, ranging from a turtle touch tank to a 10,000-gallon freshwater aquarium. The Pitt County Arboretum offers a number of classes and events, as well as free guided tours throughout such spaces as its herb, rose and container gardens.
Many of Greenville's fine restaurants feature private dining and group-friendly space. Located in the Hilton Greenville, the sophisticated Christinne's Seafood Grille and Chophouse serves dry aged steaks, fresh seafood and seasonal daily features in its private rooms, while the intimate Plum Tree Bistro serves fresh American fare and features a private wine cellar and banquet room. The popular CPW's, which serves Italian fare with global influences, welcomes private group dining, while the Seahorse Restaurant serves up traditional Southern fare. Greenville's premier spot for craft beer and wines, Winslow's is a beautiful gathering space, thanks to its soaring interior with exposed brick and open beams, as well as its relaxing patio.
