Durham Fits However Your Family Plays

Museums, ballgames, ice cream and a whole lot of ways to spend the trip together.

Every family plays differently, and Durham has enough range to keep up with all of it. One kid wants the science museum with butterflies to watch for an hour. Another wants a basketball game where snacks matter more than the score. Someone else wants to skate, jump or reach maximum speed on a go-kart. This itinerary fits all of it, and you'll still find yourself planning a return trip before this one's over. 

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Welcome to the Bull City 

Never been to Durham, NC? You might know it as the City of Medicine, the City of Champions, a name built on research, sports and a steady stream of people starting something new. It's also a city that takes family time seriously, with parks, museums and play spaces built for exactly the kind of day you're planning. Bring the whole crew. There's plenty here to keep everyone busy at once.

Things to DoDiningPlaces to Stay

A collage of Durham's unique accommodations
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Things to Do

Some of this itinerary runs on energy, some of it runs on curiosity, and you can mix and match depending on what the day calls for.
Step into a world of wonder at the Museum of Life and Science.
Things To Do

An Indoor-Outdoor Museum

Start at the Museum of Life and Science in North Durham, where exhibits for all ages, an unforgettable butterfly house, sightings of animals in their natural habitats and a small train keep kids busy for most of a morning without anyone checking the clock. Grab breakfast sandwiches, lunch or coffee and pastries at Redstart Takeaway on the way in or out, an easy stop that fits either end of the morning. 

Things To Do

Cheer on a Durham Team

Durham calls itself the City of Champions for a reason. In the fall, a Duke Blue Devils or NCCU Eagles football game brings the same energy with a different soundtrack. In the winter, the Duke Basketball Museum and Hall of Fame is right next to Cameron Indoor Stadium, and anyone in the family who already knows what that name means will want to stop in. In the Spring and Summer cheer on the Durham Bulls, the minor league team that put this city on the map long before the movie did. Catch a Carolina Blaze game to watch women's professional softball up close.

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Take a tour to walk among the murals at UHill Walls.
Things To Do

Murals, statues and Easy Photo Ops

UHill Walls holds more than 40 murals across University Hill, one of the largest public art collections in the Southeast, and it's flat, walkable and built for wandering at a kid's pace. The Streets at Southpoint has its own version of the same idea: 23 bronze statues of children playing scattered throughout the mall plus vintage-inspired signage along the brick facades made to look like old-timey advertisements,, easy to spot between shops or on the way to lunch or a movie.

Wheels Durham
Things To Do

Skating, Karting and Games

Wheels Durham brings back a roller rink that's been part of the city for decades, now rebuilt with local artwork decorating the interior and exterior, and a full night of skating, arcade games and music waiting inside. For something faster, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games and Topgolf sit right next to each other in the RDU area; two separate stops close enough to hit both in the same afternoon. 

A crowd walks along a street lined with vendors during Centerfest
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Dining

Feeding a family on a trip means finding places where nobody has to compromise. Durham's food halls and casual spots make that easy, whatever anyone's in the mood for.

Food Halls and Casual Spaces

Feeding a family on a trip means finding places where nobody has to compromise. Durham's food halls and casual spots make that easy, whatever anyone's in the mood for.

La Taqueria by Katsuji, Bulkogi, Fullsteam Brewery and more
Boxyard RTP
A downtown food hall with enough variety to settle a picky-eater debate
The Durham Food Hall
Hi Wire Brewery, Cugino Forno Pizza, Two Roosters Ice Cream and more share a central outdoor space
Golden Belt Campus
Durham's first permanent food truck park, right by the bridge locals call the "can opener"
The Can Opener

Ninth Street Neighborhood Stops

Casual Ninth Street is the perfect area for shopping and strolling with the family, and there are lots of kid-friendly spots for dining and sweet treats along the way.  

A popular breakfast and lunch counter where everything is made from scratch
Monuts
A family-owned ice cream shop built around Latino flavors
Pincho Loco
A newer, laid-back spot in Old West Durham with coloring pages, kids’ meals and plenty of outdoor space
Jeans By The Sea
A deli, bar and bottle shop that also houses The Parlour Junior for ice cream and Mid Bloom Coffee
The Common Market

Sweet Stops

Durham's bakers and ice cream makers have everything you need to satisfy any generation's sweet tooth. 

Hand-made ice cream with flavors like salted butter caramel and Vietnamese coffee alongside dairy-free options
The Parlour
Serving hot chocolate and fresh, made-to-order churros alongside coffee
Cocoa Cinnamon
Soft, thick, scratch made cookies chock full of cookie bits, chocolate chips, and sprinkles
Ashleigh Bakes Daily
Indulge in some ice cream on a stick
Locopops

Family Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner stops that balance good food and fun spaces for grown-ups and kids. 

A bakery that built a cult following on sweet and savory buns
Lutra Cafe and Bakery
Slinging "Almost World Famous" chicken and waffle pairings and sweet cream schmears
Dame's Chicken & Waffles
Crispy pizzas, chicken parm and wings downstairs with beer and games upstairs
Dino's Pizza and Gizmo Brewery
A go-to spot for friends to sit down together with a menu designed around community building
Lakewood Social

Coffee for the Grown-Ups 

Vessel Coffee — An artist-run coffee shop with a rotating set of art supplies, coloring pages and canvases included with purchase, perfect for the downtime kids need and the pick-me-up parents need mid-itinerary. Worth knowing before you go: it also serves THC-infused drinks as a standing menu option, so it's a spot where parents can grab something for themselves while the kids create. 

Places to Stay 

Aloft Durham Downtown and the AC Hotel both solve for a different family need. Aloft has a pool, an easy way to close out a busy day. The AC Hotel is pet-friendly, so nobody has to stay home. Neither is far from most of this itinerary. But these are two picks out of more than 65 hotels in Durham, so if neither fits, browse the rest at our hotels and inns directory.

Find Your Stay

Plan Your Trip

This is one route through Durham, not the only one. Explore more of the parks, museums, and neighborhoods that didn't make it into this itinerary, or grab the full guide before you go.

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Itineraries
Durham's Districts
Discover Durham Visitor Guide
Kid-Tested & Parent-Approved Fun