Raleigh, NC with Kids

1. Check out the hands-on exhibits at the Marbles Kids Museum

Check out the hands-on exhibits at the Marbles Kids Museum dedicated to sparking imagination, discovery and learning through play.

Established in 2009, the Museum features an array of interactive and hands-on exhibits that encourage children to explore and discover new things through experimenting and playing. The Museum features a variety of exhibitions and educational programs that are designed to build imagination through self-exploration of new ideas and experiences. The Marbles Kids Museum is located in the heart of downtown Raleigh. The Museum Store sells a variety of items, toys, books, puzzles, and fun museum-related gifts.

Find it at this Address: 201 E Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601, Phone: 919-834-4040

2. See some cool meteorite samples at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeastern United States that is dedicated to the natural sciences. Located in the heart of Raleigh, the museum is spread across four buildings on three campuses, namely the Nature Exploration Center and Nature Research Center in downtown Raleigh; the former North Carolina Museum of Forestry in Whiteville; and the Prairie Ridge Ecostation satellite facility in northwest Raleigh.

The oldest established museum in North Carolina, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences features a collection of more than 1.7 million specimens of every kind of animal species from amphibians and reptiles to mammals, birds, and fish, as well as plant species, and geology and meteorite samples.

Find it at this Address: 11 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601, Phone: 919-707-9800

3. Stroll through the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park at North Carolina Museum of Art

The Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park at North Carolina Museum of Art is a beautiful public space that connects art and nature with people through an array of public art installations by international artists.

The park also features environmentally sustainable landscapes, miles of recreational trails, colorful and contemporary gardens, and a charming terraced pond, and offers perfect places for picnicking and enjoying the outdoors with family and friends.

Visitors can participate in recreational programs and performing arts, meander along the Capital Area Greenway and wooded trails by bike or on foot or relax on the Ellipse lawn with lunch. Boasting dynamic architecture, modern white galleries filled with extensive collections of contemporary art, beautiful outdoor sculpture gardens, and innovative cuisine, the North Carolina Museum of Art is a must-do on a visit to the City of Oaks.

Find it at this Address: 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607, Phone: 919-839-6262

4. Ride the historic carousel and miniature train in Pullen Park

Located on Raleigh's iconic Hillsborough Street next to the main campus of North Carolina State University, Pullen Park is a 66.3-acre public park in downtown Raleigh and the oldest public park in North Carolina. The park has several attractions and activities for the whole family to enjoy, including the 1911 Pullen Park Carousel that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, a miniature train that children can ride around the park, and kiddie boats and pedal boats to have fun on the lake.

A themed playground focuses on art, nature, and history with four age-appropriate sections, and the park is also home to the Pullen Arts Center, the Pullen Aquatic Center, and the Theatre in the Park. The 3,000-mile long system of trails known as the East Coast Greenway that connects Maine to Florida runs through the park.

Find it at this Address: 520 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh, NC, Phone: 919-996-6468

5. Admire beautiful plants for FREE at the JC Raulston Arboretum

The JC Raulston Arboretum is a nationally acclaimed botanical garden with a diverse collection of landscape plants adapted for life in the Southeast, in particular, the Piedmont North Carolina area. Covering 10-acres in the heart of Raleigh, the Arboretum is managed by the North Caroline University and is open to the public for FREE.

The mission of the JC Raulston Arboretum is to display a variety of plants that diversify the local landscape, as well as provide an educational, economical and environmentally viable institution for the community to enjoy.

The Arboretum not only acts as a ‘living laboratory’ for the students of the North Caroline University to study and learn from but also provides educational experiences for the community and visitors of all ages. The JC Raulston Arboretum is located at 4415 Beryl Road in West Raleigh near the NC State Fairgrounds and is open to the public for free. The JCRA grounds are open every day of the year, however, is closed for several events throughout the year.

Find it at this Address: 4415 Beryl Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606, Phone: 919-515-3132

6. Have a picnic in Lake Johnson Park

Lake Johnson in Lake Johnson Park is a tranquil 150-acre lake surrounded by more than 300 acres of land which boasts 5.4 miles of trails, picnic shelters, concessions, facility rentals, along with plenty of water sports such as canoes, paddleboats, kayaks, sailboats, and stand-up paddleboards.

The lake is surrounded by Lake Johnson Park also allows personal non-motorized boat and non-trailered boat launches and provides excellent fishing for bream, crappie, carp, catfish, shell cracker, and largemouth bass, and the park offers access to Capital Area Greenway. Admission to Lake Johnson Park is free and open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Find it at this Address: 4601 Avent Ferry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606, Phone: 919-233-2121

7. Go bowling at Buffaloe Lanes

Buffaloe Lanes is a family-friendly bowling alley that features an award-winning bowling alley, flat-screen televisions, and snack bar.

Buffaloe Lanes North in Raleigh hosts a bowling league and tournaments throughout the year, as well as being open to the public for family and friends to come and enjoy a night of bowling, live music, great food, and fun. The bowling alley also has starlight bowling with special lighting, parties and league nights.

Find it at this Address: 5900 Oak Forest Drive, Raleigh, NC 27616, Phone: 919-876-5681

8. Watch planes take off and land at the RDU Observation Park

The RDU Observation Park is a public space where visitors can watch planes land and take off from Raleigh-Durham International Airport's 10,000-foot runway and listen to piped-in pilot-tower communications from the nearby Air Traffic Control Center via audio speakers on an elevated observation platform.

The park also features a play area for children, a casual café in the General Aviation Terminal called the Crosswinds Café, grassy lawns for picnicking, educational placards, modern restrooms, and free parking.

The RDU Observation Park also hosts birthday parties and other special celebrations, and the park is open from sunrise to sunset every day.

Find it at this Address: 2400 W. Terminal Blvd., Morrisville, NC, Phone: 919-840-2123

9. Hunt for cheap treasures at the Raleigh Flea Market

The Raleigh Flea Market is located on Blue Ridge Road and features more than 600 indoor and outdoor vendors. Rated as one of the top flea markets in the country, the market was established in 1971 with just six tables and today has grown into a 20,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor extravaganza with hundreds of vendors selling a wide variety of arts and crafts, antiques, jewelry, handmade goodies, organic foods, home décor, furniture, and auto parts.

Exuding a bustling and vibrant atmosphere, the Raleigh Flea Market is the perfect place to spend the day with family, exploring the stalls and hunting for treasures.

Find it at this Address: 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC, Phone: 919-899-3532