The Raleigh-Durham area has so many family-friendly attractions to choose from that it can be difficult for parents to decide where to spend their precious family outing time. In order to help make the decision a little bit easier, I've compiled a list which includes five of the most educational, entertaining and unique family attractions in the Raleigh-Durham area.
1. The Museum of Life and Science
Photo courtesy Bruce R. Feeley and Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Museum of Life and Science boasts a 17,000 square foot butterfly house with hundreds of rare and colorful butterflies and over 250 species of tropical plants. The museum also has a variety of exhibits about everything from space travel to farm animals (featuring real, live farm animals). The icing on the cake is the museum's Ellerbee Creek Railway, and its lovingly built replica locomotive and train, which will delight kids and adults alike with its ten-minute ride through the museum's nature park.
2. Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
Photo courtesy Morehead Planetarium
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center has tons of activities for kids and families, and there's certainly nowhere else in the Raleigh-Durham area where kids can get a real astronomer to read them a story (Storytime Science meets once a month), or see the popular Magic Tree House characters come to life in the planetarium's "sky". Morehead Planetarium also features more traditional planetarium shows, such as Carolina Skies, where viewers can learn which planets and stars will be visible in the nights sky during the upcoming week.
3. NC Museum of Art
In addition enjoying the museum's more conventional art exhibits, kids and families will really get a kick out of the hands-on Progress Energy Learning Center. The leaning center is a great place for kids (and their parents) to engage in creative activities and explore the ways that art makes an appearance in everyday life.During the museum's Family Fun Saturdays, families can create art together. If they attend the sessions regularly, they can build a stupendous family art collection of their own making.
Kids and families will enjoy the museum's special performances, including Movies on the Lawn, shown outdoors on a big screen every Friday night from June through August.
4. Marbles Kid's Museum
Marbles Kid's Museum is an innovative children's museum located in downtown Raleigh (at Exploris's old location). Its interactive exhibits, featuring everything from water to digital technology, get rave reviews from both kids and parents. Most of the exhibits at Marbles are designed for children under the age of twelve (it even has activities for children as young as one year old), but older kids still will find plenty to do: the IMAX theater at Marbles plays feature films as well as more traditional IMAX documentaries all day long and well into the night.5. Carnivore Preservation Trust
At the Carnivore Preservation Trust (CPT), kids and their families can get a chance to meet lions, tigers, ocelots and other big cats up close and personal. Each animal at the CPT has its own story -- many of them found refuge at the CPT after being rescued from inhumane living conditions. The CPT offers tours every Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Reservations are required. The CPT also offers birthday party packages (complete with pizza, cake and a private tour of the facility) for kids who are crazy about carnivores.1940 Hanks Chapel Road
Pittsboro, NC 27312
(919) 542-4684