Museum of Life and Science
A perfect place to take the kids, this 78-acre interactive science center is popular for its interactive features; it showcases aerospace, weather, geology, Carolina wildlife, farmyard, train rides, traveling exhibits, and Bayer CropScience Insectarium; the most eye-catching exhibit is the Magic Wings Butterfly House, a 17,000 square foot three story butterfly house; this spectacular exhibit features more than 1,000 butterflies in free flight year round; gift shops and a café round out the experience
DAYS & HOURS: Winter, Spring & Mon-Sat 10a–5p, Sun Noon-5p; Fall closed Mondays
ADMISSION: under $10 per person, train rides costs extra
ADDRESS: 433 Murray Ave
PHONE: 919-220-5429
WEBSITE: http://www.ncmls.org


Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Nationally acclaimed 10,000-seat home of the Durham Bulls Triple-A baseball club, made famous by the movie Bull Durham; Includes historic ambiance, skyboxes and year-round Ball Park Corner with Bull's memorabilia
ADMISSION: varies by game
ADDRESS: 409 Blackwell Street
PHONE: 919-956-2855 tickets
WEBSITE: http://www.dbulls.com

Duke Lemur Center
Promotes the research and understanding of prosimians and their natural habitat; the center has an active conservation program for lemurs and their natural habitat in Madagascar
ADMISSION: free, but by appt
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sat
PHONE: 919-489-3364
WEBSITE: http://lemur.duke.edu

Cameron Indoor Stadium
For college basketball fans it doesn’t get any better than this; the stadium seats 9,314 and is home to Duke Blue Devils, winners of several NCAA basketball championships
ADDRESS: Science Drive off Cameron Boulevard at Duke University
PHONE: 919-684-2120
WEBSITE: http://map.duke.edu

Raleigh, NC

Adventure Landing
The first choice in Raleigh for family fun and entertainment, miniature golf, Laser Tag, arcade, Adventure Speedway Go-Karts, batting cages; Curious George playful water feature is its newest attraction; their website features daily specials, All You Can Play days, and other discounts; a popular location for birthday parties; the best feature is: its high fun for low cost;
DAYS & HOURS: Summer Mon-Thu 9a-12a, Fri-Sat 9a-1a, Sun 10a-12a
ADMISSION: $15-$30
ADDRESS: 3311 Capital Blvd
PHONE: 919-872-1688
WEBSITE: http://www.adventurelanding.com/raleigh
 
Frankie's Fun Park & Restaurant
Another great value for thrill rides and good food; rides include Go-Karts (their specialty), Miniature Golf, Bumper Boats, Amusement Rides, Laser Tag, Batting Cages, Spider Web, Fun House, Drop Zone and an awesome Arcade for teens
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Thu 10a-until close, Fri-Sat 10a-Midnight, Sun Noon-Midnight
ADMISSION: separate fees for rides, golf, fun house and batting cages, but all cost under $10
ADDRESS: 11190 Fun Park Drive
PHONE: 919-433-7888
WEBSITE: http://

North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
As you’ll quickly discover, there are many more sports legends from this state than Michael Jordan; the huge list of inductees includes Elvin Bethea and Bobby Bell of pro football fame, Walt Bellamy and Walter Davis of pro basketball – for those too young to know, Walter Davis was the University of North Carolina basketball star who preceded James Worthy and Michael Jordan
DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 9a-5p, Sun Noon-5p
ADMISSION: free
ADDRESS: 5 East Edenton Street
PHONE: 919-807-7900
WEBSITE: http://www.ncshof.com

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Four-stories of exhibits consume 70,000 square feet, its the largest natural science museum in the Southeast containing as many animals as a mid-sized zoo; it comfortably holds large exhibits for great whales and dinosaurs; interactive exhibits and dioramas showcase North Carolina's rich natural history and global connections; exhibits include the unique Terror of the South, featuring the world's only Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur, North Carolina's Natural Treasures, Coastal North Carolina, Mountains to the Sea, Prehistoric North Carolina (including Willo, the dinosaur with a heart), Living Conservatory with hundreds of live butterflies and the Arthropod Zoo; high-definition movies, traveling exhibits, live science programs, Discovery Room, Acro Cafe, and Museum Store add to its great edutainment value
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sat 9a-5p, Sun 12p-5p
ADMISSION: modest fee
ADDRESS: 11 West Jones Street
PHONE: 919-733-7450
WEBSITE: http://www.naturalsciences.org

Wachovia IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum
Experience the excitement of giant-screen at North Carolina's only 3D-capable IMAX theatre, showing education and adventure documentaries as well as feature films throughout the year; this five-story screen and a 12,000-watt surround sound system lets kids and adults enjoy a captivating experience for 45 to 120 minutes
DAYS & HOURS:
ADMISSION: varies
ADDRESS: 201 East Hargett Street
PHONE: 919-882-IMAX
WEBSITE: http://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org

Marbles Kids Museum
A destination for families, this museum is a hands-on children's learning environment that inspires imagination, stimulates curiosity and encourages discovery; designed for children ages birth to ten and their caregivers
DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 9a-5p, Sun 12p-5p
ADMISSION: $5 per person; children under one enter free
ADDRESS: 201 East Hargett Street
PHONE: 919-834-4040
WEBSITE: http://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org

RBC Center
Opened in 1999, this sports arena seats up to 20,000; it is home to the Carolina Hurricanes NHL hockey team and the North Carolina State University basketball team; also hosts the circus, ice skating and major concerts visiting the metro area
DAYS & HOURS: varies by calendar of events
ADMISSION: varies
ADDRESS: 1400 Edwards Mill Road
PHONE: 919-861-2300
WEBSITE: http://www.rbccenter.com

New Hill, NC

North Carolina Railroad Museum
View a wide range of restored steam and diesel locomotives during normal daylight hours, but the real fun is had during Train Ride Days and holiday trains including the spooky "Halloween Express" in October and "Christmas Train
DAYS & HOURS: run by volunteers, so its uneven
ADDRESS: call for directions
PHONE: 919-362-5416
WEBSITE: http://www.nhvry.org