Little firefighter at Marble Kids Museum; credit Raleigh CVB
Raleigh Family Attractions
Adventure Landing
DESCRIPTION: 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. This is a popular location for birthday parties, so book in advance. The best feature is its high fun value for low cost.
DAYS & HOURS: Summer Mon-Thu 9a-12a, Fri-Sat 9a-1a, Sun 10a-12a
ADMISSION: $15-$30
ADDRESS: 3311 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC MAP
PHONE: 919-872-1688
WEBSITE: https://raleigh.adventurelanding.com
Frankie’s Fun Park & Restaurant
DESCRIPTION: This is another great Raleigh 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, Raleigh, NC MAP
PHONE: 919-433-7888
WEBSITE: https://frankies.com/raleigh/
North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
DESCRIPTION: 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, Raleigh, NC MAP
PHONE: 919-807-7900
WEBSITE: https://www.ncshof.com
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
DESCRIPTION: 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 edutainment value.
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sat 9a-5p, Sun 12p-5p
ADMISSION: modest fee
ADDRESS: 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC MAP
PHONE: 919-733-7450
WEBSITE: https://naturalsciences.org
Wachovia IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum
DESCRIPTION: 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, Raleigh, NC MAP
PHONE: 919-882-IMAX
WEBSITE: https://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org
Marbles Kids Museum
DESCRIPTION: A destination for families, this museum is a hands-on children’s learning environment that inspires imagination, stimulates curiosity and encourages discovery. It is 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, Raleigh, NC MAP
PHONE: 919-834-4040
WEBSITE: https://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org
PNC Arena
DESCRIPTION: Opened in 1999 and formerly called RBC Center, 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. The venue 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, Raleigh, NC MAP
PHONE: 919-861-2300
WEBSITE: https://www.pncarena.com
North Carolina Railroad Museum
DESCRIPTION: 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: 3900 Bonsal Road, New Hill, NC MAP
PHONE: 919-362-5416
WEBSITE: https://www.triangletrain.com
