We have lived in Durham, North Carolina for almost 3 1/2 years with kids who are currently 5 years, 3 years, and 9 months.
Here are my recommendations for the best activities for children in Durham:
1. Museum of Life and Science.
Indoor and outdoor, this is the first place you want to go in Durham, NC. It is an educational museum. There is probably nothing here astounding but it is all good and fun. On a beautiful day, I recommnd this route: go see the bears, wolves, lemurs, sailboats, dinosaurs, train and barnyard. They can do the sandbox if there is still time at the end. On a cold or rainy or hot day, see the insects and butterflies at the butterfly house. Then do the alligators and snakes indoors. They can play with the balls and the stuffed animals in the play area if there is time at the end. It is hard to do it all with little ones–it is probably better to have a leisurely time. Another tip: If you come on Thursday at 4:00 pm, you can see them feed the alligators and snakes dead mice–fun! As an adult, I like getting the exercise of walking all the way to the lemurs, playing fetch the ball with Lightning the donkey, learning about the snakes, and building with the KEVA planks.
2. Durham downtown YMCA pool and gym
We are members of the “downtown Y.” It is confusing because there is also another YMCA that one could say is “downtown” called the American Tobacco YMCA. The Y has a zero depth pool (i.e. shallow) and a polar bear slide for kids. They also have backpacks and noodles (to help kids float). They also provide towels. We bring a couple boats and balls and goggles just for fun. On Saturday mornings, there are swim lessons so they don’t usually allow people to swim then as families. But otherwise, you can go almost any time and swim with the kids. Fun!
One downside is that there are only two change rooms for families so you either have to wait for one of those, or go to one of the change closets on the pool deck.
Even if you are not a member, the drop-in fee is only $5 or something like that.
They also provide a childcare room so that you can go work out and leave the kids for a bit.
We also often bring a basketball, tennis ball, superball, or soccer ball in case there happens to be no one in the gym so that we can run around in there a bit.
The YMCA also offers soccer and basketball leagues for kids. A great place.
On Saturday mornings, the Durham Farmer’s Market that is located right outside the downtown Y is in full swing. There is also a cool skateboarding park a block from the Y at Durham Central Park.
3. Durham County Library branches
There are programs for kids on a number of mornings at the “Main Library” (and other branches) where they provide crafts and read stories to kids. Plus, you can request books online so they are waiting for you at your branch to pick up–this is a godsend for frazzled parents. Plus you can renew them online. See my Library Books category for book recommendations. In essence, I urge people to use Jim Trelease’s Read-Aloud Handbook or some other source to find book recommendations rather than just picking books by their covers. You will get better quality stuff that way. You can also check out puzzles for kids, music CD’s for kids, books with CD’s that read the book aloud (“read alongs”), and DVD’s (which we usually skip). Of course, they also have a lot of great parenting books, books on CDs for adults, music CD’s for adults, and a ton of movies.
4. City of Durham Parks.
I recommend Duke Park and Oval Drive Park. Here is the City of Durham Park locator link.
Duke Park is not astonishing or anything like that but it does have the most playground equipment of any of the parks I know of. It is worth going to. It has good sun and shade. It is pleasant.
Oval Drive Park is great because it has a decent playground, a nice sidewalk that circles around the park (hence why we call it “Oval Park”), and some grass for playing with balls. So we often bring lunch, our tricycle, scooter, or bike with training wheels, and a soccer ball.
We like taking our stroller, Rock, Roll n Ride Trike, or bike with training wheels and ride down to feed the ducks. You can buy feed there at the Gardens shop or bring something from home to feed the ducks (and turtles and catfish). It is pleasant for the adults to get some fresh air and see some beautiful roses. We usually bring food to picnic there down by the little bridges that go over the little brook. (Kids have been known to fall in and get muddy because there are stones that are fun to jump across so you might want to bring the kids a change of clothes).
6. Duke University athletic games.
I am a Duke student so I get in free to home games (except men’s and women’s basketball games) but there are a number of sports which charge nothing or very little to attend games. I recommend men’s and women’s soccer games, field hockey, lacrosse, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and football games. Check what athletic events are scheduled at the Duke Athletics website: goduke.com
We often get the kids some popcorn for a treat. While I like to go to heated UNC vs. Duke games, my kids are happy to attend games where there are few people and they can climb to the top of the stands and “sit where they want.” As you can imagine, the kids are also quite interested in the Blue Devil mascot (so much so that they rarely watch the game).
By the way, the Duke football stadium is open to the public for exercising on the track when no football games are happening. It is fun to see a not-so-big stadium (but will look big in kids’ eyes). You may also see some impressive athletes running stairs. The kids can also run the stairs. But no one is supposed to go on the grass of the field so you will have to reign in the kids there.
There are two places we like to go at Eno River State Park on the “Western Trails” side. They are quite close to one another.
FEWS FORD
The first is “Fews Ford”–a good place to splash in the water (though the current is kind of strong). We bring our sand toys and boats. It is not far from the parking lot and you can use a stroller.
Here are some thorough instructions that someone else put together that I have found useful:
Few’s Ford is a canoe access point on the Eno River that is wide and shallow. Perfect for little ones to splash around, dig in the sand, skip rocks, and wade in up to their knees. Wear water shoes and bring a bucket and/or shovel. Consider bringing a blanket or folding chair. Few’s Ford is located down a path off a trailhead about 100 yards from the parking lot. The path itself has a few steps, but there is a service road adjacent to the path that can be accessed by a stroller, if you want to bring one.
DIRECTIONS from Blacknall Presbyterian Church:
* Head west on Perry St toward 9th St (one block)
* Turn right at 9th St (one block)
* Turn left at Hillsborough Rd (2 miles)
* Turn right at Cole Mill Rd and stay on it until it ends (3.7 miles) at the Eno State Park main entrance* Note, while driving on Cole Mill Rd, you’ll see a side entrance to Eno State Park at the Umstead Rd intersection, but CONTINUE STRAIGHT on Cole Mill Rd until it ends (another 2 miles).
* Once you enter the main gate take the second right — look for the sign that says “Piper Cox House -> Buck Quarter Creek Trail Canoe Access ->”
* You’ll immediately see the historic Piper Cox House on your right and parking on your left. There is a sign next to the parking lot that will point you down the short path to Few’s Ford. The service road is to the right of the path with a “no parking” sign on a gate, closing it off to cars.
Cox Mountain Trail
However, there is another place to go that is also really worth seeing and really accessible–even three year olds can hike it. It is quite close to Fews Ford (that is described above). It is more of a hiking experience and there is a great suspension (sways a little) footbridge. So if you have a baby, you can’t bring the stroller but instead must bring your BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier (which we otherwise rarely use).
To find where to park your car, just follow the directions above but keep going past the Piper Cox House turn and continue straight ahead to the next parking lot and park there. It is the trailhead for the Eno Trace Trail and the Cox Mountain Trail. Park. Follow the Cox Mountain Trail down to the bridge, cross it and check out the log cabin to the left–marked with the “Group Camping” icon on the Eno River State Park Western Trails map. This should only take you a half hour or so. So feel free to go farther on the Cox Mountain Trail or wade into the calm water near the cabin there.
During the fall, we enjoy going and playing in the hay maze, jumping in the corn, going down the slides, and feeding the goats at Ganyard Hill Farm. It is a bit expensive at $12.50 per person ages 2-102 but it is otherwise a great experience we do every year.
9. Mall Attractions
Our kids have enjoyed the play area at Streets at Southpoint mall (we park near Panera) and the train table at the Barnes and Noble store there. If you have a flailing, screaming child, it might be worth paying $20 for a haircut by someone who specializes in kid haircuts at Peek-a-Do! We have done it.
Our kids have also enjoyed the train table at the Barnes and Noble at 5400 New Hope Commons.
They have also enjoyed the carousel at the more humble Northgate Mall in Durham.
10. Pet Stores.
We have enjoyed visiting PetSmart (1720 N Pointe Dr) and admiring the fish, birds, and gerbils.
11. Durham’s East Campus Loop.
It is possible to push one’s stroller, Rock, Roll n Ride Trike, or bike with training wheels around this gravel trail. I think it is fun. My wife does not think it is as much fun. You can park on Broad Street. There are good places for “rewards” afterward nearby: ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s, coffee at Mad Hatter’s Bake Shop, bagels at Bruegger’s bagels, burritos at Cosmic Cantina, or frozen treats at Locopops.
12. Chick-fil-A.
Chick-fil-A has decent indoor playgrounds at their two locations (3429 Hillsborough Rd) and (3912 N Roxboro St) near us. At the Roxboro location, they often have free crafts on Tuesday night. The folks from Eat This, Not That give the Chick-fil-A kids menu an A so that eases one’s conscience a bit about going there.
Fill up the car with music, books, sunscreen, anti-bacterial wipes, anti-bacterial gel, water bottles, insect repellent, extra clothes, snacks, and bandaids and you should be good to go. Enjoy.
See also my post: The best places to go with kids in the areas surrounding Durham, NC
and my post Advice about moving to Durham, North Carolina from April 2009
See also the many good resources at the Carolina Parent magazine website