30 Years of Hospitality – Piedmont Triad Visitor Center
Hosanna Pennell - Director PTVC 
Ribbon cutting on Oct. 17, 1994. Gov. Jim Hunt (center) and George Daniel, Joyce Garrett and Bob Timberlake. Also pictured are NCDOT officials and members of Hunt's Cabinet. Courtesy of the Piedmont Triad Visitor Center
In October of 2024, the Piedmont Triad Visitor Center (PTVC) will mark three decades of providing the very best in hospitality and visitor services to motorists traveling on US Hwy 29 through Caswell County. Located in the community of Pelham, just a few miles south of the city of Danville, Va. and the Virginia/North Carolina border, the PTVC shares a facility with one of the 60 rest areas operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). US Hwy 29’s 1,050 miles of roadway connect the panhandle of Florida to Ellicott City, Md. and provide motorists with an alternative to high-traffic interstate travel on the eastern seaboard. The section of the highway that runs between Greensboro, NC and Danville, Va. has been designated as future Interstate 785, and it is along this section that the Piedmont Triad Visitor Center and the Caswell County Rest Area were built and opened to the public in the fall of 1994.
The existence of the PTVC is owed in large part to Caswell County attorney George Daniel, who was serving as state senator at the time and was the driving force in lobbying the North Carolina General Assembly for Pelham to be the location of a proposed new NCDOT rest area and visitor center. Land for the project was donated by Thomas Scism, and site development and facility construction began around 1992. As the site approached completion in the summer of 1994, Pelham resident Joyce Garrett was hired as the manager of the visitor center and tasked with setting up operations and, most importantly, collecting tourism and destination literature from around North Carolina to stock the new facility. Thanks to her professional connections in High Point, the visitor center was fully furnished with generously donated Bob Timberlake heirloom furniture pieces, many of which are still in use today. Since its opening, the center has welcomed thousands of visitors each year to the beautifully landscaped nine-acre property and visitor center facility in the rural countryside, providing leisure and commercial travelers alike with a safe, clean, and comfortable place to pause in their travels.
Prior to widespread use of the internet, computers, and the invention of the smartphone, the visitor center was a primary source for information on North Carolina tourist attractions and events, where visitors could receive assistance in discovering destinations to suit their interests and travel plans. As the digital age has progressed and use of smartphones and GPS have enhanced travel, the center continues its mission to exhibit a thorough representation of tourism destinations and attractions in all 100 North Carolina counties – in the mountains, at the coast, or anywhere in between – whether it be camping, wineries, breweries, museums, cultural and walking trails, outdoor recreation, or downtown shops and restaurants. There is something to discover at every turn. The visitor center also distributes NCDOT state highway maps; official North Carolina Travel Guides; literature for state parks, scenic byways, state historic sites, and digital guides for cycling routes and bird watching, and NCDOT’s wildflower program. As a division of the Caswell County Chamber of Commerce, the visitor center also distributes local Caswell County tourism information and literature on the county’s museums, parks, and outdoor recreation opportunities.
The Dan River Region’s tourism economy is growing, and North Carolina has become the fifth most visited state in the east coast region, with a whopping $33.3 billion in tourism spending, according to 2022 and 2023 data. The PTVC is strategically positioned to engage people traveling to the area on their way to and from a growing number of regional attractions, including the Caesars Virginia Casino just six miles north in Danville; the North Carolina Department of Cultural and Natural Resource’s new Thomas Day State Historic Site in Milton, NC; the Virginia International Raceway; Hyco Lake, and many other exciting attractions that bring a growing number of visitors to this culturally vibrant region every year.
At the PTVC, many visitor inquiries are for destinations in the mountain region (Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway are widely popular) and coastal areas such as the Outer Banks and Wilmington. Most, however, are also curious about local attractions such as hiking trails, festivals, and the culinary scene. For some travelers, the PTVC may be their first introduction to North Carolina. The center’s staff of travel counselors are trained to serve as “ambassadors” for the State of North Carolina and are equipped to assist visitors with all their travel needs and inquiries. Whether giving detailed driving directions throughout the state or making suggestions for recreation and activities along the route or at the destination, the visitor center staff deliver helpful information with exceptional hospitality.
Conveniently located off of NC Hwy 700 via US Hwy 29, the rest area and visitor center’s facilities include vending machines, picnic tables, three sheltered picnic tables, shaded sidewalks, a dog walking area, and a beautiful waterfall feature. The grounds are landscaped with native and non-native plants including dogwoods, flowering trees and shrubs, hydrangeas, iris, lilacs, and stunning mass plantings of daylilies throughout the property. Butterfly bushes attract several species of butterflies and pollinators in the late summer months, much to the delight of everyone who passes by. Visitors often comment that the facilities are the cleanest ones they have ever used, and the comment book in the visitor center is full of testimonials about the hospitality and warm welcome they receive from the staff.
If you are in the Dan River region and have not visited the PTVC, stop in for a cup of delicious complimentary coffee and ask the travel counselors about the best places to visit in North Carolina!
To celebrate 2024’s National Tourism Week (May 19-25), the visitor center will be hosting a local tourism event on May 24, from 10 am to 4 pm on the grounds with a food truck, representatives from local tourism organizations and attractions, fun activities for children, and more. All are welcome to attend, and there will be fun promotional items while supplies last.
The PTVC is open seven days a week, Monday – Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm and Sundays, 1-5 pm and is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
700 NC Hwy 700
Pelham, NC 27311
336.388.9830
