Things to do & places to visit in Durham, North Carolina, United States

Though famously home to Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, is more than just a college town. Nasher Museum of Art and the Museum of Life and Science show off Durham’s cultural side, while pretty parks and a dynamic dining scene add to its appeal.

Durham city in North Carolina, United States. Timezone: America/New_York, current date and time: Sunday, May 05, 2024, 3:31.

Top things to do (24)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Sarah P. Duke Gardens (2.188 reviews)
- Beautiful Grounds, Scenic Views, Serene Environment
Gardens

As part of a day of celebration for my daughter’s birthday, my family and I decided to visit the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. There is no cost to visit these gardens; however, there is a parking fee of $2.00/hr. There is parking available at the main garden entrance area as well as a designated overflow area. Parking could be a bit limited so carpooling is a great idea, and the bus also runs there These gardens provide a serene atmosphere, beautiful sceneries, a peaceful and relaxing environment, and the opportunity to see some wildlife. There are also great areas for a picnic. I would recommend that you give yourself at least 2 to 3 hours to explore all of the grounds as it is huge and requires a lot of walking. We had a marvelous time and will visit again. What a great way to start a birthday celebration! See more..
5.0 DPAC - Durham Performing Arts Center (1.380 reviews)
- DPAC
Sunday: Theaters

Since its opening in 2008, DPAC has become the center for live entertainment in North Carolina. Recognized for its contemporary design, DPAC features 2,700 seats, intimate sight lines and state-of-the art sound and video. Listed eight times in the top 10 in Pollstar magazine’s annual worldwide theater attendance rankings, DPAC is currently the #2 ranked theater in the U.S. With a mission of presenting one-of a-kind live entertainment events, DPAC truly has “something for everyone”, hosting over 200 performances a year including spectacular touring Broadway productions, high-profile concert and comedy events, family shows and the heralded American Dance Festival. Owned by the City of Durham and operated under the direction of Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management (PFM), DPAC has been listed for nine consecutive years as the #1 performing arts organization in the region by the Triangle Business Journal. See more..
5.0 Duke University Chapel (1.017 reviews)
- Cathedral of Chapel
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Religious Sites

Located on Duke University's West Campus, Duke Chapel is as magnificent in structure as it is rich in ministry. Construction of the Chapel was begun in October of 1930 and completed two years later. During that time students continually congregated at the stonemasons' huts to watch the Chapel take shape. It was first used for Commencement in 1932 and was formally dedicated on June 2, 1935.Duke Chapel continues to be a Christian church of uniquely interdenominational character and purpose. Through its tradition of inspiring worship and music, and a calling to walk with people of all faiths and circumstances, Duke Chapel acts a beacon of grace on campus and in the community. All are welcome to take part in worship, learning, dialogue, and service. See more..
5.0 Museum of Life + Science (913 reviews)
- Open with limited exhibits
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Speciality Museums • Science Museums • Children's Museums

Located just blocks from downtown Durham, the Museum of Life and Science is one of North Carolina’s top family destinations. Situated on 84-acres, our interactive science park includes a two-story science center, one of the largest butterfly conservatories on the East Coast, and beautifully landscaped outdoor exhibits which are safe havens for rescued black bears, lemurs, and endangered red wolves. Other popular attractions include over 60 species of live animals, Dinosaur Trail, Ellerbe Creek Railway, Into the Mist, Hideaway Woods, and Earth Moves. The Museum of Life and Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. See more..
5.0 Duke University (660 reviews)
- Absolutely Beautiful!
Educational sites

THE most beautiful campus I've ever seen. We were on a road trip, but since we had our high school kids with us, we stopped at most universities along the way just so they could get a glimpse of different campuses. Duke University was by far the most beautiful one. The architecture, the grounds, everything is amazing. We were there during the Christmas holidays so the book store was closed, but we were still able to buy some gear at another shop in town. Would definitely recommend a visit. See more..
5.0 Urban Axes Durham (537 reviews)
- Post COVID, Same Fun Time!
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Game & Entertainment Centers

I was excited to come back after I heard they opened up since COVID hit, and it did not disappoint! Doors at the front were left open to freely circulate air, all staff wore masks at all times, hand sanitizers were readily available, and our group was placed more than six feet apart from the other guests. I felt completely safe. We had Bradley as our instructor and guide and he was PHENOMENAL - very personable, patient, and knowledgeable. My parents were newcomers to axe throwing and my sibling has autism and he went to great lengths to make sure everyone in my family had the proper technique and was having fun at the same time, even if it involved repeating himself over and over again. Bradley is a true gem and I’m so glad to have this business back up and running during times like these. We will be back! See more..
5.0 Cameron Indoor Stadium (308 reviews)
- Cameron is a beautiful facility packed with history
Arenas & Stadiums

Our daughter asked her mom and me to go with her to her graduation from Duke Divinity School this past May. She brought her oldest son with us so she could show him the Duke campus. She took us to Cameron Indoor Stadium, where several graduation ceremonies were being held during the day. She and her husband are big Duke fans and had attended Coach K’s second to last home game, his last home win. Cameron is a beautiful arena. Walking around the concourse is like going through a museum with all of the historic displays and photographs. I enjoyed seeing the facility in person after seeing it so many times on television. See more..
5.0 Durham Distillery (21 reviews)
- Not to be missed.
Spent < 1 hour Distilleries

Since its inception, Durham Distillery has been rethinking how to make great spirits that both embody and pioneer the New South. The answer: equal parts art and science. The result: world-class gins and liqueurs that put the New South on the map Award winning gins and liqueurs. Named North Carolina Distillery of the Year at the New York International Spirits Competition. See more..
5.0 Waller Family Farm (15 reviews)
- Strawberry Picking - North Carolina
Farms

Friends took us to this farm to pick strawberries. We enjoyed the time spent at the farm picking the strawberries. Small plastic baskets were supplied to fill with the strawberries that have been picked. At the end of the day you bring your strawberries to the make shift shed to be weighed and pay. It costs USD1.50 / lb. There were also some other vegetables, flowers and fruits available for sale. We were guided to 2 dedicated rows to pick our strawberries. Little flags were placed as markers to indicate our designated picking area. See more..
4.5 Durham Bulls Athletic Park (965 reviews)
- Lots of Fun!!
Sunday: Arenas & Stadiums

This was my first visit, loved it. The stadium is built right in the downtown Durham. My family really enjoyed "The worlds greatest mascot" he was none stop in between innings, pay him well. Good game and atmosphere overall, great job Bulls. See more..
4.5 Duke Lemur Center (365 reviews)
- Worth the money!
Nature & Wildlife Areas

What a unique and fun tour! My best friend and I took this tour. It exceeded our scope tarpons. We copious not stop smiling while watching the lemurs eat. Highly recommend although at two points in the tour we were in the same place staring at sleeping lemurs for a good 15 minutes too long. Either way, don’t miss this tour! See more..
4.5 American Tobacco Historic District (355 reviews)
- Spectacular Reuse of Industrial Site
Points of Interest & Landmarks

This is without a doubt the most interesting and creative reuse of a former industrial site I've ever encountered. Using materials from the cigarette factory and it's environs, they created a flowing stream, a pond, and multiple waterfalls. There's even a train car sitting on railroad tracks and an original menu from a snack bar for former employees for 15 cent lunches on one of the walls! The area now boasts a number of different organizations and companies, including Bert's Bees, which has built a model of the tiny house Bert lived in years ago. And of course there are a number of restaurants and a YMCA gym, which has a cool outdoor space for use during the pandemic. Every aspect of the project is lovingly imagined and designed to create a space of great beauty and charm. See more..
4.5 Eno River State Park (262 reviews)
- Nice hikes
State Parks

I’ve done the Cole Mill Loop and the Pump Station Loop, both were great hikes. Easy and well maintained. Wildflowers I saw were spring beauties, ground ivy, rue anemone, buttercups, chickweeds, and violets. The old pump station is a neat place to poke around and I’ll be going back when I have more time to explore. See more..
4.5 Bennett Place Historic Site (234 reviews)
- Important Durham visit
Sunday: Historic Sites

The Bennett Place is a very important American site to visit. The Confederates surrendered at the Home and it ended the Civil War. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable. For only a $2 donation, there is a guided tour and explanation of the grounds. There is a museum at the visitors center. I also viewed a 17 min introduction film. I recommend stopping here to learn about the end of the Civil War. See more..
4.5 Carolina Theatre (171 reviews)
- Beautiful, Historic Theater
Sunday: Theaters

We attended the Judy Collins concert here in August 2022. It was our 1st time at this historic, beautiful theater of 1,000 seats. Parking just $7.00 directly across the street, couldn't be more convenient compared to other venues in the Raleigh area which go for $30 and it's a hike to the show. See more..
4.5 Duke Homestead (169 reviews)
- Great Tobacco Museum and Historic Site
Sunday: Historic Sites

At Duke Homestead, visitors can tour the early home, factories, and farm where Washington Duke first grew and processed tobacco. Duke's sons later founded The American Tobacco Company, the largest tobacco company in the world. The Dukes became one of the wealthiest families in the country at the turn of the 20th century and now lend their name to Duke University, Duke Energy, and the Duke Endowment.Duke Homestead offers an orientation film twice an hour, an extensive tobacco museum, and guided tours of the surviving historical structures on the grounds. Among these structures are early Bright Leaf tobacco barns, Washington Duke's first and third factories, and his 1852 homestead.The museum contains exhibits regarding tobacco farming, manufacturing, and marketing. Annual events include an Herb, Garden, and Craft Festival in June; Pork, Pickles and Peanuts: Tastes of North Carolina festival in July; a summer children's festival in August; the Tobacco Harvest Festival and Mock Tobacco Auction in September; and Christmas by Candlelight programs in December. See more..
4.5 Streets at Southpoint (147 reviews)
- Nice
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM Shopping Malls

This is a nice shopping place and some of the store had sales. Things there are not that cheap either! See more..
4.5 Stagville State Historic Site (121 reviews)
- Bringing history to life
Historic Sites

Stagville is the site of the largest antebellum plantation complex in North Carolina. By 1860, this lands, owned by the Bennehan and Cameron families, spread out over 30,000 acres (47 sq. miles) and was home to over 900 enslaved people. Our goal is to provide a balanced interpretation through tours and special events that tell the story of free and enslaved people who called Stagville home. See more..
4.5 West Point on the Eno (67 reviews)
- Loved it!
Sunday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Parks

I used to go here all the time as a kid. I never got bored since there was so much to see. there is a river and some historic places as well. It is a good place to walk but is also good to bring kids. I have many good memories there, and it is totally worth visiting. It is also very pretty, so it is a great place to take pictures. I remember my god sister did a photoshoot for her 15th birthday about a year ago and the pictures were phenomenal. See more..
4.5 Wallace Wade Stadium (51 reviews)
- no bad seats
Sunday: Spent More than 3 hours Arenas & Stadiums

A nice place to watch a football game, not a bad seat in the house. Security seems to be a bit over-the-top but better safe than sorry. The stadium upgrades are great, with improved sound systems, TV's everywhere, a great scoreboard, and almost comfortable seats with drink holders. The food choices are okay and they finally are selling beer, including IPA's. Now if we could only improve attendance and quality of play. The concession stand employees were also wearing masks and we really appreciated it. See more..
4.5 Bull City Ciderworks (45 reviews)
- Just the best
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Breweries

This spot is consistently amazing - which I guess is easy to see by their now rather rapid expansion in NC. Ever expanding list of amazing ciders, great staff, great pet-friendly locations inside/out. This spot is hard to top in Durham. The only negative is that parking for this spot, particularly on game nights, has become a bit of a nightmare with all the expansion going on in that area of town. Will happily stop in every time I'm in town. See more..
4.5 Historic Durham Athletic Park (21 reviews)
- historic landmark
Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Parks

This little baseball field is where I saw my first Durham Bulls game. It was small and cozy and in my opinion much better than the new stadium. The Bulls played here from 1926 - 1994 (was first called El Toro Stadium). The movie "Bull Durham" was filmed here. The house from the movie is close by. It's now used for minor league training and is where the NCCU Eagles play. It's also hosts many music festivals and special events. See more..
4.5 Durham Farmers' Market (18 reviews)
- great outdoor farmers market
Sunday: Spent 1-2 hours Farmers Markets

I am a big fan of local farmer markets, and this one did not disappoint! We spent almost 2 full hours walking around this market Saturday morning. We tried local mead, cheese, kimchi, and bread. The market is broken down into 3 sections, craft booths, local produce and a food truck area. We even had a cup of cava and a popsicle . Deffinatley a must check out spot when open. See more..
4.5 Honeygirl Meadery (17 reviews)
- Excellent little place with really friendly staff
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Wineries & Vineyards

Honeygirl Meadery is a small urban meadery located in downtown Durham NC. We ferment with local and global true source honey, and local fruits, flowers and herbs, to make artisanal meads (honey-wines). Visitors can enjoy a mead flight or glass in our tasting room Friday through Sunday. Bottle sales are also available. Meads are seasonal and availability changes throughout the year. Check our company website for the current mead line-up. In addition to making and selling our meads, we support efforts to benefit honeybees and other pollinators - we sponsor a beehive with Bee Downtown, and volunteer on the committee for Bee City Durham. COVID-19 UPDATE: We are open for service and outdoor seating Friday - Sunday at the Tasting Room and Saturday at the Durham Farmers Market. Preorder online in our website shop for pick-up. See more..
4.5 Mystic Distillery and Farm (15 reviews)
- Neat Adventure
Distilleries

What a fantastic local adventure at Mystic Distillery! Our dosent Bryant was very knowledgeable of the interactions of fermentation and a chemistist by day I believe. I would give this adventure 5 out 5 stars for being a local distillery tour in the area. We had a great time especially since I was the designated driver! See more..
4.5 Al Buehler Hiking Trails (12 reviews)
- Beautiful running trail
Sunday: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM Hiking Trails

This trail has a nice surface for running and walking without roots or obstructions. There are several hills that make it challenging. There is enough room for walkers and runners to go past each other. Most of the trail is shaded. See more..
4.0 Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University (247 reviews)
- Nice small art museum in a modern setting
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Art Museums

We visited Nasher during Black History Month. The Nasher is to be applauded for thinking outside the box in curating its current exhibits. Many of the exhibits were by artists of color. They were thought provoking and gave my wife and I different perspectives than we were used to seeing at the larger and more well known museums we have visited recently such as MOMA and the Whitney in New York. The Nasher Museum is currently admission free and lends itself to an easy afternoon of viewing art in an airy contemporary setting. The cafe is a nice place for lunch or just relaxing with coffee. Only issue was finding a working parking kiosk in a pouring rain. I don't mind paying for parking but broken machines seem to be a problem throughout the Duke University campus. it might be best to download the Duke parking app and avoid the kiosks. See more..
4.0 Brightleaf Square (190 reviews)
- Nice, but small shopping area
Historic Walking Areas • Shopping Malls

Some nice shops to walk around. The area is nice and the olive oil shop is wonderful. We just walked around a bit on a nice day. Walking distance from other nice places in Durham. See more..
4.0 Durham Central Park (35 reviews)
- MUCH MORE THAN THE FARMER'S MARKET
Sunday: 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Parks • Gardens • Playgrounds

Durham Central Park is a 5-acre city-owned park that is operated by Durham Central Park, Inc. a 501c3 non-profit organization. DCP Inc. holds a management agreement with the City of Durham to manage, develop and sustain this unique urban oasis. Durham Central Park is located in the 500 block of Foster Street (both sides of the street) between Corporation and Hunt Streets. To find it with GPS, use 501 Foster Street, Durham NC 27701. The mission of Durham Central Park is to create and sustain a unique urban park to engage the Durham community. We accomplish this mission by focusing our efforts on Natural Beauty, Public Art, Community Events, and Recreation. See more..
4.0 RollingView Falls Lake State Park (29 reviews)
- Really good
Sunday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM State Parks • Parks

In September I visited falls lake with my family and loved the place. It was very quiet on the day we were there but the lake was beautiful and we went for a walk along the shore through the trees, it was lovely. There are lots of different areas around the lake and they seemed to have the same features There was plenty of tables for picnics and places where you could barbeque and washroom facilities were spotless. We loved the place and will definately visit again See more..